Section 1: Compliance orders

Articles in this section · 4

L521-1L521-2L521-3L521-3-1

Article L521-3-1

French Consumer CodeIn force
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Updated 7 Nov 2023

When the authorised officers observe, with the powers provided for in this book, an infringement or failure to comply with the provisions mentioned in articles L. 511-5, L. 511-6 and L. 511-7 as well as to the rules relating to the conformity and safety of products from an online interface and the perpetrator of the practice cannot be identified or has not complied with an injunction issued pursuant to Article L. 521-1, the administrative authority responsible for competition and consumer affairs may, by means of a requisition:

1° Order the operators of online platforms within the meaning of I of Article L. 111-7, the persons mentioned in 1 of I of article 6 of Law no. 2004-575 of 21 June 2004 for confidence in the digital economy or to those operating software enabling access to an online interface the display of a message warning consumers of the risk of harm incurred when they access manifestly illegal content ;

2° Where the offence found is punishable by at least two years' imprisonment and is likely to seriously undermine fair trading or consumer interests:

a) Order persons covered by I of Article L. 111-7 of this Code, by notifying them of the electronic addresses of the online interfaces whose content is manifestly unlawful, to take any useful measure intended to stop their referencing;

b) Order the operators and persons mentioned in 1° of this Article or in 2 of I of Article 6 of the aforementioned Law No. 2004-575 of 21 June 2004, by notifying them of the electronic addresses of the online interfaces whose content is manifestly unlawful, to take any useful measure intended to restrict access to them ;

c) Order registry operators or domain registrars to take a measure to block a domain name, for a maximum period of three months renewable once, followed, if the infringement found persists, by a measure to delete or transfer the domain name to the competent authority.

These measures shall be implemented within a period set by the administrative authority, which may not be less than forty-eight hours. They may be subject to a publicity measure, under conditions set by decree in the Council of State.

An online interface means any software, including a website, part of a website or an application, operated by a professional or on his behalf and enabling end users to access the goods or services he offers.

Mariela Petrova

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Working with a corporate lawyer in France — Q&A

Any time a strategic decision changes how the company is owned, governed or contractually bound — incorporation, fundraising, M&A, restructuring, shareholder agreements, or major commercial contracts. Earlier engagement always costs less than later remediation.

A notary (notaire) is a public officer who authenticates specific deeds (mainly real-estate transfers and certain family-law acts). A corporate lawyer (avocat) advises on strategy, negotiates and drafts company documents, and represents you in disputes. The two roles complement rather than overlap.

Yes — most of our clients are foreign suppliers, investors or holding entities. We bridge the gap between French law and your home jurisdiction's expectations and deliver everything bilingually.

The SAS (Société par Actions Simplifiée) is the default choice for most international structures: flexible governance, single shareholder allowed, no minimum capital, and works cleanly with foreign holding entities. We assess SARL, SA, SCI on the merits when the situation calls for it.

Yes — communications with a French avocat are protected by the secret professionnel (Article 66-5 of the Law of 31 December 1971). This protection is broader than the common-law attorney-client privilege and applies to written and oral exchanges.

We work on fixed fees for clearly scoped engagements (incorporation, contract drafting, audits) and on monthly retainers for ongoing advisory. Hourly billing is the exception, not the default. You always know the cost before work starts.

Typical timeline is 2–3 weeks from KYC kick-off to RCS registration, assuming standard documentation. Holding-company structures, foreign-shareholder identification or in-kind contributions can extend this — we flag the gating items at the first meeting.

Absolutely. We routinely coordinate with your in-house counsel, expert-comptable or notaire — pragmatic collaboration is the norm, not the exception. We send them everything they need to do their part without duplicating work.

Mariela Petrova

Mariela Petrova

Avocate au Barreau de Paris

Toque #C2396

15+ Years In Corporate Practice

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Communications protected by professional secrecy — secret professionnel de l'avocat, Article 66-5 of the Law of 31 December 1971.

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