France

France is located in heart of Western Europe bordering Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Mediterranean Sea, Bay of Biscay, and the English Channel. France is about the size of Texas and covers an area of 547,030 sq. kilometers, making it the largest West European nation.  The total population is 66 million and is growing at a rate of 0.47% with 72% living in urban areas.  The capital of Paris has a population of 11.8 million with other main cities including Marseille, Lyon, and Toulouse. The people are governed by a republic and they are predominately Roman Catholic.  The primary language is French and the currency used is the Euro. France was a founding member of the EU and adopted the Euro as currency in 1999.

France has one of the strongest economies in the world and has a strong presence in the power, public transport, and defense industries.  France’s main trade partners are mostly in the EU including, Germany, Belgium, Spain, Italy, UK, and Netherlands, but also include the US and China. Its primary imports are machinery and equipment, vehicles, crude oil, aircraft, plastics, and chemicals. Exports include machinery and transportation equipment, aircraft, plastics, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, iron and steel, and beverages. France’s GDP (Purchasing Power Parity) is $2.253 trillion and is growing at a real rate of 0.1% with an inflation rate of 1.3%. France ranked 34th out of 185 countries in the World Bank Group’s Ease of Doing Business Ranking.  

Franchising Laws Overview 

Disclosure laws: 

• Disclosure must be provided 20 days prior to signing or payment of money.

Relationship laws: 

• None.

Registration laws:

• None.

Click the links below for articles with more information on Franchising in France

Doing Business in France (2012) 

 Franchising Laws - France (2010)

Reform of European Union Rules on Distribution (2010)

European Commission's New Block Exemption Rules Enter Into Force June 1 (2010)

Is Europe a Fit for Your Franchise? (2010)

Picking the Best European Countries for Franchising  (2009)

News From Around the World: Franchising in the EU  (2008)

France Serves as a Gateway to Europe (2007)

* CPI Score is published by Transparency International and relates to the perceptions of the degree of corruption as seen by business people and country analysts and ranges between 100 (highly clean) and 0 (highly corrupt).  

**Ease of Doing Business Ranking is determined by the World Bank Group and is ranked out of a possible 185 countries. www.doingbusiness.org  

Most recent statistics have been taken from the CIA World Factbook unless noted otherwise. 

International Franchising Opportunities

After you have finished researching the international markets, learning international expansion strategies and best practices, and understanding the basics of international franchising law, IFA provides numerous opportunities for franchising internationally.