France

The Autorite de la concurrence is an independent authority with investigative, decision-making, and advisory powers. It can impose fines, order structural or behavioural remedies, and issue sector opinions.

Article L420-1 of the Commercial Code prohibits cartels, price-fixing, market-sharing, and bid-rigging. France has pursued major cartel cases in sectors including construction, dairy, and retail.

Vertical restraints including resale price maintenance, selective distribution abuses, and online sales restrictions are actively enforced. France has been prominent in cases concerning e-commerce platform restrictions.

Article L420-2 prohibits abuse of dominant position and abuse of economic dependence (a distinctly French concept). The authority has imposed significant fines in technology and telecoms sectors.

Mandatory pre-notification for mergers exceeding turnover thresholds (combined worldwide turnover of EUR 150 million and individual French turnover of EUR 50 million). Phase I and Phase II review with remedies or prohibition powers.

Full immunity or reduced fines for cartel participants who disclose and cooperate. The programme closely mirrors the ECN Model Leniency Programme and has generated numerous cartel investigations.

Non-contestation de griefs (settlement) procedure allows reduced fines for acknowledging infringement. Commitment decisions under Article L464-2 permit cases to close without a finding of infringement.

Fines up to 10% of worldwide turnover for undertakings. Individual criminal sanctions (up to 4 years imprisonment) for bid-rigging and certain cartel offences. Personal liability for directors under commercial code.

France was the first Member State to apply the EU Digital Markets Act domestically and has imposed landmark fines on major technology platforms for self-preferencing, ad-tech abuses, and unfair trading practices.

ARCEP (telecoms), CRE (energy), Autorite des marches financiers (financial markets), and CSA (media) exercise concurrent jurisdiction with the competition authority in their respective sectors.

The authority conducts dawn raids (operations de visite et de saisie) authorised by a liberty and detention judge. Powers extend to digital evidence seizure and forensic imaging of IT systems.

Private damages actions are available under general tort law and the 2017 transposition of the EU Damages Directive. Class actions (action de groupe) for competition harm have been available since 2014.

Active member of the ECN, ICN, and OECD Competition Committee. Bilateral cooperation with the US DOJ/FTC and other major authorities. Leads joint investigations within the EU framework.

Continued focus on digital platform conduct, algorithmic pricing, and sustainability agreements. Record fines in ad-tech and pharmaceutical sectors. Increased use of interim measures in fast-moving digital markets.