French Customs Code
In forceThe competent administration shall not be obliged to grant assistance to recover or take precautionary measures, to serve documents or judgments, including judicial documents or judgments, or to provide information where the request relates to claims that have been outstanding for more than five years. This time limit does not apply when an initial request has been made before this deadline.
The time limit is calculated as follows:
1° When the claim or the initial recovery instrument is contested, the five-year time limit runs from the date on which a final decision is taken on the claim or the instrument by the requesting State;
2° When the requesting State has granted the debtor a payment period or payment in instalments, the five-year time limit runs from the expiry of the payment period.
In all cases, the administration is not obliged to grant assistance when the request concerns claims that have been due for more than ten years.
