French Commercial code
In forceIn their capacity as intermediary bodies of the State, the establishments of the Chambers of Commerce and Industry network each have a function of representing the interests of industry, commerce and services vis-à-vis the public authorities or foreign authorities. Acting as an interface between the various players concerned, they carry out their activity without prejudice to the representation missions conferred on professional or inter-professional organisations by the legislative or regulatory provisions in force and the missions carried out by local authorities as part of their free administration.
The network and, within it, each establishment contribute to the economic development, attractiveness and planning of the regions and to the support of businesses and their associations by fulfilling, under conditions set by decree, any public service mission and any mission of general interest directly useful to the accomplishment of its missions. As part of its missions, it ensures equality between women and men and encourages female entrepreneurship.
To this end, each network institution may ensure, by any means, including digital services, and in compliance, where applicable, with the sectoral schemes applicable to it:
1° The missions of general interest entrusted to it by laws and regulations;
2° The missions of support, guidance, matchmaking and advice to business creators and takeovers and to businesses, in compliance with the legislative and regulatory provisions in force with regard to competition law ;
3° A mission of support and advice for the international development of companies and the export of their production, in partnership with the agency mentioned in article 50 of law no. 2003-721 of 1 August 2003 ;
4° A mission to promote initial or continuing vocational training, in particular through the public and private educational establishments it creates, manages or finances;
5° A mission to create and manage facilities, in particular ports and airports;
6° Tasks of a competitive nature that have been entrusted to it by a public entity or that prove directly useful for the performance of its other tasks;
7° Any expert appraisal, consultation or study requested by the public authorities on a matter relating to industry, trade, services, economic development, vocational training or regional planning, without prejudice to any work that it may initiate.
The network of chambers of commerce and industry is made up of CCI France, the regional chambers of commerce and industry, the territorial chambers of commerce and industry, the local chambers of commerce and industry, the departmental chambers of commerce and industry of Ile-de-France, as well as the interconsular groupings that may be formed between several regional or territorial chambers.
CCI France, the regional chambers of commerce and industry, the territorial chambers of commerce and industry and the interconsular groupings are public establishments placed under the supervision of the State and administered by elected business leaders. Local chambers of commerce and industry, attached to a regional chamber of commerce and industry, and departmental chambers of commerce and industry in Ile-de-France, attached to the Paris-Ile-de-France regional chamber of commerce and industry, do not have legal personality.
As an exception to the loi n° 52-1311 du 10 décembre 1952 relative à l'établissement obligatoire d'un statut du personnel administratif des chambres d'agriculture, des chambres de commerce et des chambres de métiers, CCI France, les chambres de commerce et d'industrie de région et, par délégation, les chambres de commerce et d'industrie territoriales recrutent des personnels de droit privé pour l'exercice de leurs missions.
The resources of the network's public establishments are provided by:
1° The income from taxes of any kind allocated to them by law and any other legal resource falling within their speciality;
2° The sale or remuneration of their activities or the services they manage;
3° Dividends and other income from the shareholdings they hold in their subsidiaries;
4° Subsidies, donations and legacies granted to them.
Each of the establishments in the network of chambers of commerce and industry keeps analytical accounts that are made available to the supervisory and control authorities in order to justify that public resources have been used in compliance with national and European competition rules.
Under conditions defined by decree, the public establishments in the network may settle and compromise. They are subject, for their debts, to loi n° 68-1250 du 31 décembre 1968 relative à la prescription des créances sur l'Etat, les départements, les communes et les établissements publics.
They may, with the agreement of the supervisory authority, participate in the creation and capital of non-trading companies and joint stock companies whose corporate purpose falls within the scope of their missions. They may participate under the same conditions in the creation of public or private interest groupings and in any legal entity governed by public law.
