Section 3: Accessibility of products and services

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L412-13

Article L412-13

French Consumer CodeIn force
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Updated 8 Nov 2023

I.-Subject to II of this article and without prejudice to articles 47 and 48 of law no. 2005-102 of 11 February 2005 on equal rights and opportunities, participation and citizenship for people with disabilities, economic operators shall place products on the market and provide services that comply with the accessibility requirements laid down by joint order of the ministers responsible for the economy and people with disabilities.


A decree sets the list of products and services subject to compliance with these requirements and determines the cases in which these products and services are presumed to comply with these requirements. A decree determines the obligations applicable to economic operators who place on the market products and provide services subject to these requirements.


Companies employing fewer than ten people who provide services and whose annual turnover does not exceed two million euros or whose balance sheet total does not exceed two million euros are exempt from the accessibility requirements mentioned in this article and from all related obligations.


II.-The accessibility requirements mentioned in this article and all related obligations are exempt from the accessibility requirements mentioned in this article and from all related obligations.


II.-The accessibility requirements mentioned in this article and all related obligations II - The accessibility requirements for products and services referred to in I shall apply only insofar as compliance with them:



1° Does not require a significant modification of the product or service entailing a fundamental change in its nature;


>> 2° Does not impose an undue burden on the user;


>3. 2° Does not impose a disproportionate burden on the economic operators concerned. A decree shall determine the criteria for assessing whether the burden is disproportionate. Economic operators shall carry out an assessment, under conditions defined by decree, to determine whether compliance with the accessibility requirements referred to in I above introduces a fundamental change or imposes a disproportionate burden. Where they receive public or private funding from sources other than their own resources with the aim of improving the accessibility of a product or service mentioned in the said I, economic operators may not take advantage of 2° of this II for this product or service.

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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