Juridique et Administratif

🛂 The UK mandates Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) for many international travelers to strengthen immigration control and generate revenue. Europeans, previously exempt, must comply starting 2 April 2025. ETA fees, initially at £10 (€12), will increase to £16 (€19) on 9 April 2025, aligning with border policies of countries like the USA and Australia.

💻 During a webinar on January 30, 2025, it was discussed that the French decree from September 26, 2024, which was to modify medical follow-up document templates, would take effect in October 2024. However, due to necessary IT developments, the enforcement was delayed, leading to the September 26 decree's repeal on November 5, 2024. The revised templates, including aptitude and inaptitude notices and follow-up attestations, were published on March 15, 2025, and are set to be enforced from July 1, 2025, to allow software providers time for necessary updates.

📦 Alphabet, parent company of Google, is accused by the European Commission of breaching the Digital Market Act (DMA) by preferentially highlighting its own services, including hotel and transport bookings, in Google Search results. If found guilty, Alphabet could face a fine of up to 10% of its global turnover, which was $350 billion in 2024. Alphabet is now given the opportunity to respond to these preliminary findings.

💰 Group Machefert, with 20 hotels in France and Morocco, sought judicial recovery in April 2024 to protect against creditor Fortress' pressure. CEO Kevin Machefert plans to clear the group's €100 million debt, mainly from Colony Capital, using a new financial partner and combining asset sales with refinancing for growth. The safeguard procedure began in 2022 as a preventive measure, allowing time to strategize an exit from this temporary situation.

🚫 On March 11, 2025, the French Cour de cassation ruled, through decisions no. 24-10.452 and no. 23-19.669, that an employee must demonstrate a distinct prejudice to claim damages for nullity of the "forfait jours" working arrangement. The two appeals involved claims for automatic compensation due to employer breaches regarding workload tracking, in violation of collective agreement provisions and legal stipulations (C. trav., art. L. 3121-60, L. 3121-64, L. 3121-65). Courts of Appeal acknowledged breaches but denied damages without specific harm evidence. A webinar will be held on March 20, 2025, by GHR's Department of Social Affairs, addressing autonomous executives' "forfait jours" in partnership with Klésia and Malakoff Humanis.

📌 SIMON ASSOCIES launched international-franchising.com, the first website and guide dedicated to international franchise development. The site offers data for 27 countries and a Master Class with 12 modules covering all aspects of international development, including initial preparation and brand protection, complemented by videos in partnership with FRANCHISE EXPO PARIS.

💰 Samir Jaieb, real estate tycoon with assets in France, the US, and Tunisia, was sentenced on February 21, 2025, to five years and one month in prison for money laundering and corruption. He grew his empire from a transport business to include hotels in Tunisia, facing charges since 2024 for illegal currency possession and administrative corruption linked to Tunisian political figures. His lawyer criticizes the trial, planning an appeal amid concerns over Tunisian judicial independence.

💸 In 2025, France will reform social contribution relief in two stages, leading to a single, degressive general reduction system by 2026. Key changes include reducing the employer's health insurance contribution to 7% for wages up to 2.25 times the minimum wage (SMIC) and lowering the employer's family allowances contribution to 3.45% for wages below 3.2 SMIC. The maximum reduction of employer social contributions remains at the SMIC level, decreasing to zero at 1.6 SMIC, with value-sharing bonuses included in the calculation base from January 1, 2025. By 2026, the "maladie" and "famille" bands will be eliminated, replaced by a "unique degressive reduction." Specific exemptions, such as for occasional agricultural workers (TO-DE) and overseas departments (Lodeom), will remain unchanged. The final parameters for calculating new wage ceilings will be defined by decree.

💸 La Loi de Financement de la Sécurité Sociale (LFSS) pour 2025, adoptée le 17 février 2025, réforme la rémunération des apprentis pour les contrats signés dès le 1er mars 2025. Les exonérations de cotisations sociales sur la rémunération seront limitées à 50% du Smic, contre 79% auparavant. De plus, la rémunération excédant 50% du Smic sera soumise à la CSG et CRDS pour les nouveaux contrats, tandis que les contrats en cours continueront à bénéficier de l’exonération. Ces mesures visent à économiser pour le gouvernement et aligner le régime des apprentis avec celui des stagiaires.