Since our last e-bulletin dated 13 March 2020, France has entered into stage 3 of the COVID-19 epidemic. All "non-essential" premises open to the public have now been closed.
On 16 March, President Macron announced that all non-essential travel would be prohibited and that working from home would be required for all positions that allow it.
France is in a state of near-total confinement.
As requested by the French President, an emergency finance bill and another emergency bill to allow the Government to respond to the crisis by legislating through executive ordinances (ordonnances) were approved by a limited session of the French Parliament on 23 March 2020.
Article 4 of the emergency law n°2020-290 of 23 March 2020, enacted to tackle the COVID-19 epidemic, declares a state of health emergency for a period of two months, starting from the moment when it passed into law.
An entire section of this law is dedicated to the economy. 25 ordinances out of the 43 authorisations of the law were published on 26 March 2020 in the official journal (journal officiel).
These exceptional measures apply to all aspects of French law.
The purpose of this e-bulletin is to add to the information published on 13 March and to draw together the latest developments in various areas.
What is the impact on listed companies governance holding of board meetings and shareholders meetings?
What is the impact on executive remuneration in companies whose shares are listed on a regulated market?
What is the impact on financial communication of listed companies?
What is the impact on employment law?
What is the impact on dispute resolution and arbitration?
What is the impact on personal data protection?
What is the impact on companies' taxation requirements?
What is the impact on the energy sector?
What is the impact on the online business sector?
Legal Notice
The contents of this publication are for reference purposes only and may not be current as at the date of accessing this publication. They do not constitute legal advice and should not be relied upon as such. Specific legal advice about your specific circumstances should always be sought separately before taking any action based on this publication.
© Herbert Smith Freehills 2023