Juridique et Administratif

📝 In early 2025, Philippe Fourquet, Secretary General of the Portail du Rebond, urged a wide range of actors involved in supporting struggling entrepreneurs to adopt the measures of the "rapport Bourbouloux." This report was presented to Economy Minister Antoine Armand at the 3rd Assises du Rebond, during a period of political and economic uncertainty with record business failures. Authored by judicial administrator Hélène Bourbouloux and initiated by Olivia Grégoire, former Minister in charge of Enterprises, Tourism, and Consumption, the report tackles the cultural stigma of entrepreneurial failure, identifies legal and financial barriers to quick business recovery, and highlights the lack of educational programs addressing failure as part of the entrepreneurial process.

🏨 Mandarin Oriental and Taj Hotels ended their contracts with a luxury complex in 2011 and 2014, respectively. The complex, owned by businessman Jawad Kadiri, was structurally loss-making and faced multiple scandals, leading to its liquidation in 2016. Maghreb Intelligence reports that the Marrakech Court of Appeal has ordered the sale of Kadiri's properties, JK Hôtels and JK Hôtel Résidences, valued at 36 million euros, with the sale scheduled for February 5, 2025.

💳 Electronic payment systems involve multiple actors, each charging a fee. Interchange fees set by Visa or Mastercard range from 0.3% to 2%. Fixed technical processing fees are generally between €0.20 and €0.50. Online platforms like PayPal or Stripe have higher fees due to increased fraud risk. Foreign cards incur additional 1% to 3% exchange fees and specific international processing charges. A typical restaurant scenario: selling 20 gift vouchers monthly at €150 each, with a cost of €50 for platform subscription, €45 in bank fees (1.5%), and €5 in fixed processing fees, totals €100 monthly or €1,200 annually. For a hotel-restaurant, daily transactions (e.g., 20 rooms at 70% occupancy and 80 restaurant covers) can amount to monthly fees of around €2,720 (over €32,640 annually). Bank fees for a traditional restaurant with €100,000 monthly turnover can reach €1,850 (€22,200 annually), potentially covering an employee’s annual salary or half a year's marketing budget. Fee variations depend on transaction volumes, card types, and bank rates. MyBeezBox offers an all-inclusive solution with integrated bank fees for transparency and simplified management.

📊 In 2024, 56% of customers choose establishments based on positive reviews in the Google local pack. 70% trust businesses with a 4 out of 5 rating. Surprisingly, Google may remove star ratings from sponsored listings. Anthony Higman, a Google Ads agency director, noticed the potential change which could shift the impact from Ads to SEO favorably. Google Ads, a quick but costly way to position a business, could be affected by such Google tests, making Google My Business optimization and local SEO vital for lasting visibility.

🍔 On January 15, 2025, eight Buffalo Grill restaurants in northern Brittany were placed in receivership by the Brest commercial court due to financial difficulties. Locations include Morlaix, Trégueux, Bain-de-Bretagne, Lamballe, Saint-Agathon, Lannion, and Guilers, with staff ranging from 14 to 23 employees per restaurant. The Guilers location opened in January 2024. Meanwhile, Gironde's CHR sector saw bankruptcies rise by 36%, attributing to increased energy costs, raw material prices, and state-guaranteed loan repayments rising from 1% to 4.5%.

📅 From November 25 to December 9, 2024, nearly 5 million employees from small businesses (TPEs with fewer than 11 employees) will cast their votes to elect representative trade unions. Held every four years, this election influences the unions' bargaining power in collective negotiations. The GHR (representing HCR and RCLS employers) aims for high voter turnout to ensure that the employees' voices are heard in sector-specific and broader interprofessional negotiations. More info at [election-tpe.travail.gouv.fr](https://election-tpe.travail.gouv.fr/).

📊 The French law passed on November 29, 2023, led to the creation of the Enterprise Value Sharing Plan (PPVE), with its implementation awaiting a decree. The decree was published in the Official Journal on June 30, becoming effective on July 1, 2024. A webinar for in-depth analysis and a review of fiscal and social frameworks will be hosted by Ghislain DE SAINT MARCQ of Malakoff Humanis EPSENS on December 10 at 10 am.

📋 An arrêté issued on January 3, 2025, and published on January 11, 2025, updates documentation requirements for employers hiring foreign workers in France. Changes reflect the 2024 Immigration Law, increasing the employer's proof obligations for work authorization. Employers must now submit job offer copies, attestations of job offer postings for three consecutive weeks within the prior six months, and for seasonal workers, proof of decent housing along with the employer's ID and signed work contracts. Students who finished studies in France or hold a "Job Search and Business Creation" residency must provide diplomas, CVs, and work attestations or payslips. There's also a new mandate for all hirings, initial or renewal, to include social charge payment certification from the last six months.

🍩 Baillardran, claiming authenticity since 1988, faces allegations of using industrial flavors, colored white rum, and no actual butter, contradicting their stated use of premium ingredients like Madagascar vanilla and bourbon rum. Despite over 30 years as artisanal canelé makers from Bordeaux, the brand allegedly sold frozen and defrosted pastries. Baillardran denies intentional deceit and did not send a representative to the hearing.

🍺 L’Autorité belge de la concurrence a lancé une instruction contre AB InBev (Corona, Leffe, Hoegaarden, Bud) pour des pratiques potentiellement anticoncurrentielles en Belgique. Plusieurs acteurs du secteur brassicole ont signalé des conditions commerciales suspectes, notamment avec les grossistes et les établissements horeca. L’auditeur général a trouvé des « indices sérieux » d'abus de position dominante et d'accords anticoncurrentiels. AB InBev, tout en affirmant respecter la législation, s'est engagé à collaborer.