In this page: Market Access Procedures | Distributing a Product
In the case of deliveries and purchases within the European Community, the declaration of exchange of goods (DEB) or Intrastat declaration must be sent to the Customs Service.
As part of the 'SAFE' standards advocated by the World Customs Organisation (WCO), the European Union has set up a new system of import controls, the 'Import Control System' (ICS), which aims to secure the flow of goods at the time of their entry into the customs territory of the EU. This control system, part of the Community Programme eCustoms, has been in effect since 1 January 2011. Since then, operators are required to pass an Entry Summary Declaration (ENS) to the customs of the country of entry, prior to the introduction of goods into the customs territory of the European Union.
The Modernised Customs Code entered into force in 2008 simplifies procedures, for example computerising and centralising transactions.
Since 1 July 2009, all companies established outside of the EU are required to have an Economic Operator Registration and Identification (EORI) number if they wish to submit a customs declaration or an Entry/Exit Summary declaration. For more information, please visit the website of the EU Customs Union. For France-specific customs clearance requirements, please visit the the website of the French Customs (in French).
To go further, check out our service Import controls and Export Controls.
To get further information consult the website of the European Union.
To get further information on customs policies in the European Union, please check the exhaustive report by the European Commission.
List of tariffs and local taxes that apply to your product on our service Customs duties and local taxes.
The most dynamic retailers are undoubtedly the chains of organic shops and superstores, namely biocoop, Naturalia, La Vie Claire and Bio C'Bon, which profited from rising demand for organic products generally in France.
Merger and acquisition activity impacted the competitive landscape: in response to the ongoing price wars. The main trend of the sector has been towards joint purchasing agreements, mainly the creation of mega central purchasing blocs, specifically the alliances between Auchan France and Système U Centrale Nationale on the one hand and ITM Entreprises and Casino Guichard-Perrachon on the other. In 2018, Casino and ITM Entreprises terminated their purchase agreement and Casino merged part of its purchases with Auchan - Système U.
France's retail distribution network is diverse and sophisticated. Setting up of hypermarkets is regulated by the Royer Law of 1973 and the Raffarin Law of 1996. They aim to protect local shops, which are rapidly losing ground to hypermarkets. The Egalim Law of 2018 introduced a mechanism to give back more margin to the producers that has been extended in 2020.
The trend is clearly oriented to smaller outlets, location in the city centre, shorter range of products and easy access. The bigger stores (hypermarkets and supermarkets) are mostly located in the suburbs and outside of the cities, offering larger ranges of products and lower prices.
Main direct selling companies in France include Vorwerk - the only company in the industry with a double digit market share and the owner of popular products such as the Thermomix 31 and Thermomix 5 - as well as traditional retail companies that have struggled since 2015 and entered the direct selling market as an alternative distribution channel (Bonduelle Groupe, Phildar, and La Redoute). Ariix has also recently opened operations in France. The Direct Selling Association also created a direct licensing program and participated in a reality television show in which contestants had to sell a product via direct selling; both strategies have improved the perception of the industry in the region. A direct selling university degree was also launched by the Fédération de la Vente Directe (FVD) and the University Paris-Est Créteil Val de Marne (UPEC) in 2015.
Direct Selling Europe also promotes best practices in the industry.
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Latest Update: September 2024