Fines totaling 16.3 million euros have been imposed in 95 procedures for non-compliance with payment deadlines by companies during the first half of 2021, the Fraud Suppression announced Thursday.
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Since 2016, fines can go up to 2 million euros. Their amount has been increased in order to dissuade behaviors that harm the proper functioning of the economy, explained the General Directorate for Competition, Consumption and Fraud Control (DGCCRF) to AFP. The heaviest fine of 1.05 million euros was notified to logistician Kuehne + Nagel, closely followed by Completel (telecommunications services), GRT Gaz (natural gas transport) and insurer Allianz IARD , who receive a million euros each, according to a press release from the institution.
The other companies whose fines exceed the old ceiling of 375,000 euros are Hermes Sellier (leather goods and saddlery) with 950,000 euros, the IT specialist Tech Data with 800,000 euros, the optician Essilor with 720,000 euros, Petit Forestier (rental of refrigerated vehicles ) with 710,000 euros, the Paris Saint-Germain football club with 700,000 euros and the catering group Compass with 600,000 euros. The fines imposed during the first six months of 2021 were imposed following checks carried out in 2020, specifies the DGCCRF in its press release.
Non-compliance with legal payment deadlines is, however, a phenomenon that affects many more companies than those fined.
Thus, the checks carried out in the first half of 2021 "
showed that nearly 30% of companies paid a significant portion of their invoices beyond the legal deadlines
", according to the competition department.
In 56% of the cases, the incriminated companies got away with a warning, 7% received an injunction and only 37% were notified of a fine.
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In the first half of the year, the DGCCRF focused on companies that had benefited from a loan guaranteed by the State (PGE) to overcome the cash flow difficulties linked to the health crisis.
"
This support system aims in particular to help companies pay their suppliers within the legal deadlines in order to avoid transmission of payment incidents to the entire economy
", underlines the institution.
Since the entry into force of the administrative sanctions against late payments in 2014, a total of 1,452 fines have been notified by the DGCCRF for a total of almost 98.8 million euros.