Juridique et Administratif

🕵 Belgian group CFE faces corruption allegations regarding the construction of the Grand Hôtel N’Djamena, Chad, inaugurated in 2017 under Radisson Blu. The Chadian government owes over 60 million euros to CFE, with judicial inquiries underway. A joint investigation team has been set up by both countries under Eurojust. Belgian and French judiciaries are probing into several charges including foreign public agent corruption, influence peddling, forgery, money laundering, and criminal conspiracy, related to withdrawals of up to 12 million euros from CFE's account in Chad.

📊 The FEEF congratulates new Prime Minister Michel Barnier, highlighting the need for commercial relations simplification reform to achieve food and industrial sovereignty. The reform should prioritize SMEs and ETIs growth, as 22,000 French companies suffer from unsuitable legal frameworks in commercial negotiations. A forthcoming Banque de France study for the FEEF reveals worsening economic situations for distribution suppliers, with deficit companies rising from 19% in 2018 to 30% in 2022. The FEEF advocates for a specific simplification and protection regime for SME-ETI industrialists, similar to European law practices.

🏥 Hotel and restaurant professionals reacted to former Tourism Minister Olivia Grégoire's statement critiquing France's accessibility for the disabled in local public establishments. Catherine Quérard, President of GHR, argued the claim misrepresented the industry, which adheres to the 2005 disability law mandating new establishments be accessible, with existing ones given time to comply, although some face technical or architectural challenges.

🍴 A supermarket chain announced they accept meal vouchers for non-immediately consumable goods, albeit as a temporary derogation valid until December 31, 2024. The GHR underlined this temporary measure, introduced in October 2022, addressed food price hikes amid inflation dipping below 2%. Catherine Quérard, GHR's President, insists meal vouchers should primarily enable employees without company canteens to dine. The GHR warns misuse may lead to social and tax charges, echoing the Court of Auditors' concerns.

💸 Key facts on fraud involving replacement income: Illegal work includes 6 offenses under labor law—concealed work, employment of foreign workers without work permits, trafficking, illicit labor lending, irregular multiple jobs, and replacement income fraud. The latter, a felony, involves knowingly receiving or attempting to receive undue replacement income via illegal means. Sanctions include criminal and administrative penalties, repayment of misappropriated funds, and potentially, for scamming a public entity, up to 7 years' imprisonment and a €750,000 fine.

🐳 Over 130 births at the Parc Zoologique de Paris since the start of the year, including a female Patagonian sea lion born on July 28, weighing 12.8 kg. She's the third born since the park's reopening in April 2014, and the second generation within the park, as her mother, Naya, was born there in July 2020. Visitors can now see her in the maternity pool, and she'll move to the main pool in September.

📣 89% of French people use Google listings to find business information. Buying fake Google reviews can lead to a 300,000€ fine and up to 2-year imprisonment. 90% of unhappy customers express dissatisfaction, compared to only 10% of satisfied ones. Guest Suite suggests a legal customer review collection solution that is more cost-effective than online reputation damage. Google may also ban a business's Google listing permanently for fake reviews. The IFOP 2023 report states that 92% of internet users read reviews on Google, with recent reviews valued over ratings. Fake reviews can be unconvincing and don't improve local SEO. The European Omnibus directive, effective since May 2022, imposes heavy penalties for fake reviews. In France, an innovative tool called Polygraphe detects false reviews online. In 2021, French companies were penalized for buying fake reviews and social media followers. The first French company was fined in October 2021 by the DGCCRF. Whitespark's 2023 study shows reviews are the second most important factor for ranking in Google's Local Pack. Guest Suite provides a technical agreement with Google for authentic review collection and automatic posting to Google.

💰 Nasdaq issued a notice on August 20, 2024, stating LuxUrban Hotels failed to file its quarterly report by the September 30, 2024 deadline. The company has until October 21 to submit a compliance plan, potentially gaining a 180-day extension. A second Nasdaq notice on August 23 suggests further issues, indicating potential delisting due to low stock prices, giving LuxUrban Hotels one week to appeal.

💰 Booking.com was fined a record €413 million in Spain for "abuse of dominant position" under the Digital Market Act (DMA), which became effective in March 2024. The Dutch OTA controls 70% to 90% of the Spanish hotel market. Regulators propose capping commissions at 20% and question Booking.com's practices, like imposing rate parity and limiting competition, which could harm other online travel agencies.

📢 eDreams ODIGEO, a leading global travel subscription platform and one of Europe's largest e-commerce firms, announced the proposal to appoint Laurence Berman as an independent board member, pending shareholder approval at the annual general meeting on September 27, 2024. Berman's experience includes VP at Disneyland Paris and General Manager of Jet Tours, as well as board positions at Veranda Resorts, Valtur, and advisory roles at the University of Chicago and Booz Allen Hamilton.