Commercial disputes go to specialist commercial courts; since 1 January 2025, twelve of them, including Paris, Lyon and Marseille, have become tribunaux des activités économiques for a four-year experiment, with a new fee on large claims by large companies. Paris offers international chambers where English can be used, and is a leading seat for international arbitration. France has applied the New York Convention since 1959.
Commercial courts and the TAE experiment
Since 1 January 2025, twelve courts (Paris, Marseille, Lyon, Nanterre, Limoges, Avignon, Auxerre, Saint-Brieuc, Le Havre, Nancy, Versailles and Le Mans) have been replaced by tribunaux des activités économiques for a four-year trial. They hear insolvency and rescue procedures for nearly every type of debtor, including farmers and liberal professions, alongside ordinary commercial cases. Elsewhere the commercial courts continue.
Before a TAE, a claimant company with more than 250 employees bringing a claim above EUR 50,000 must pay a contribution pour la justice économique: 3% of the claim capped at EUR 50,000, or 5% capped at EUR 100,000 for companies with turnover above EUR 1.5 billion. Non-payment can make the claim inadmissible, and the contribution is refunded if the case settles or is withdrawn. Companies choosing a forum clause naming a TAE city should factor this in.123
Paris international chambers
The Paris Court of Appeal has an international commercial chamber (CCIP-CA), operating since 2018, which hears international commercial appeals and arbitration-related actions and allows documents and oral argument in English under its protocol. First-instance international cases can go to the international chamber of the Paris commercial court, now the Paris TAE. This gives foreign parties a state-court option in Paris without full translation of the file.4
Arbitration and enforcement
French arbitration law sits in the Code of Civil Procedure, with a liberal regime for international arbitration. The ICC International Court of Arbitration is headquartered in Paris, and the Paris Court of Appeal hears annulment actions against international awards made in Paris. France has applied the New York Convention since 24 September 1959, with a reciprocity declaration recorded by UNCITRAL.
Judgments from other EU member states are enforced in France without exequatur under the Brussels I bis Regulation. Judgments from outside the EU need an exequatur from the French judicial court unless a treaty applies, so parties from non-EU countries often prefer arbitration for enforceability in France.56789
| Route | Forum | Language | Key point |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial litigation (12 pilot cities) | Tribunal des activités économiques | French | Contribution of 3% or 5% for large claimant companies on claims above EUR 50,000 |
| Commercial litigation (elsewhere) | Tribunal de commerce | French | Ordinary commercial court outside the pilot cities |
| International appeals | Paris Court of Appeal international chamber (CCIP-CA) | French and English under protocol | Also hears arbitration-related actions |
| International arbitration | Seat in Paris (ICC and other institutions) | Party choice | New York Convention in force for France since 1959 |
How it works, step by step
- Choose the forum in the contract: TAE or commercial court, Paris international chambers, or arbitration14Parties
- Before filing at a TAE, check whether the contribution pour la justice économique is due and pay it3Tribunal des activités économiques
- To enforce a foreign award or non-EU judgment, apply for exequatur79French judicial court
No timings or fees are shown unless an official source states them.
Documents usually needed
- Contract with governing law and dispute resolution clause
- Evidence of the claimant's headcount, turnover and profit (for the TAE contribution)
- Certified copy of the award or judgment and translation for exequatur
- Arbitration agreement
Common mistakes
- Naming a court in one of the twelve TAE cities without considering the contribution of up to EUR 100,000 per claim.
- Assuming a non-EU judgment can be enforced in France without an exequatur procedure.
- Overlooking that the Paris international chambers allow English, and paying for full translations unnecessarily.
- Drafting an arbitration clause without naming the seat, which determines the court for annulment.
When the business crosses borders
- EU judgments circulate under Brussels I bis without exequatur.
- Awards made in Paris benefit from the New York Convention for enforcement in other contracting states, of which UNCITRAL lists 172.
- Foreign awards made in non-contracting states may still be enforced under French domestic arbitration law, which is more favourable than the Convention.
Questions businesses ask
What is a tribunal des activités économiques?
A commercial court with extended jurisdiction set up in twelve cities from 1 January 2025 for a four-year experiment. It also hears insolvency cases for farmers and liberal professions.12
Do we have to pay a fee to sue in a TAE?
If the claimant company has more than 250 employees, the claim exceeds EUR 50,000 and turnover and profit thresholds are met, a contribution of 3% (capped at EUR 50,000) or 5% (capped at EUR 100,000) applies.3
Can we litigate in English in Paris?
The Paris international commercial chambers allow documents and oral exchanges in English under their protocols, with judgments in French.4
What this guide does not yet confirm
These points need checking with a qualified local professional in France before you rely on them.
- Whether the contribution pour la justice économique has been modified or challenged since January 2025 was not confirmed.
- The CCIP-CA, arbitration law, ICC and Brussels I bis claims could not yet be checked on official pages and are research drafts.
- Status of the proposed reform of French arbitration law was not confirmed.
- Mediation rules (court-ordered mediation, the amicable settlement hearing) and court timelines were not covered.
Sources and review status
Each statement is numbered to the source it was checked against. We use official sources where we can, and each statement says whether it was checked against an official or a secondary source. Sources last checked on 19 October 2026. None of it has been professionally reviewed yet: it is research checked against official and secondary sources by WONE Global, not legal or tax advice.
Since 1 January 2025, twelve commercial or judicial courts have been replaced by tribunaux des activités économiques (TAE) for a four-year experiment: Paris, Marseille, Lyon, Nanterre, Limoges, Avignon, Auxerre, Saint-Brieuc, Le Havre, Nancy, Versailles and Le Mans. Experiment under the Justice orientation and programming law 2023-2027 (law no. 2023-1059) and an order of 5 July 2024. Outside these cities the ordinary commercial courts continue.
News page published 16 July 2024, updated 9 January 2025. Exact page title not captured; publisher and item number given instead.
The tribunaux des activités économiques hear alert, amicable and collective insolvency procedures for any debtor whatever its status or activity, including farmers and liberal professions, except regulated legal professions such as lawyers, notaries and bailiffs. Also related commercial lease disputes with a sufficient connection to the insolvency. Representation by a lawyer is not required for claims of EUR 10,000 or less in the listed cases.
Before a TAE, a claimant company with more than 250 employees bringing a claim above EUR 50,000 must pay a contribution pour la justice économique of 3% of the claim capped at EUR 50,000 (turnover EUR 50 million to EUR 1.5 billion and profit above EUR 3 million) or 5% capped at EUR 100,000 (turnover above EUR 1.5 billion), failing which the claim may be inadmissible. Not due for opening amicable or collective procedures. Refunded if the case ends by withdrawal or settlement. Separate scales apply to individuals.
The page was last updated in January 2025 and says nothing about later court challenges to the contribution; its current status should be confirmed.
The Paris Court of Appeal has an international commercial chamber (CCIP-CA), operating since 2018, which hears international commercial appeals and arbitration-related actions and allows documents and oral exchanges in English under its procedural protocol. First-instance international commercial cases can go to the international chamber of the Paris commercial court, now the Paris TAE. Judgments are issued in French with translation.
The Paris Court of Appeal site returned unreadable content to automated access on 18 October 2026; statement rests on prior knowledge and must be checked.
France signed the New York Convention on 25 November 1958, ratified it on 26 June 1959 and it entered into force for France on 24 September 1959.
The UNCITRAL status table records a reciprocity declaration for France: it applies the New York Convention only to awards made in the territory of another contracting state. French arbitration law is generally more favourable to enforcement than the Convention, so in practice awards from non-contracting states may still be enforced under domestic rules.
The scope sentence on domestic enforcement is context, not taken from the UNCITRAL page.
French arbitration law is set out in the Code of Civil Procedure (articles 1442 to 1527), with separate regimes for domestic and international arbitration, and the Paris Court of Appeal hears annulment actions against international awards made in Paris. Award enforcement in France requires an exequatur order from the judicial court.
Not yet checked: the web search budget was exhausted and the fetch proxy returned HTTP 429 for this site, so the statement rests on prior knowledge and the root URL of the official publisher. It must be checked on the official page before publication. Légifrance returned errors to automated access earlier. A reform of French arbitration law has been under discussion; its status was not confirmed.
The ICC International Court of Arbitration, which administers arbitrations under the ICC Rules worldwide, is headquartered in Paris. Other Paris institutions include the CMAP (Centre de médiation et d'arbitrage de Paris).
The ICC arbitration page returned HTTP 429 on 18 October 2026; statement rests on prior knowledge.
Judgments from other EU member states in civil and commercial matters are recognised and enforced in France without an exequatur procedure under the Brussels I bis Regulation (EU) No 1215/2012; judgments from non-EU states need an exequatur from the French judicial court unless a treaty provides otherwise. Applies to proceedings started on or after 10 January 2015 for Brussels I bis. The Hague Judgments Convention 2019 applies between the EU and other contracting states for proceedings within its scope.
Not yet checked: the web search budget was exhausted and the fetch proxy returned HTTP 429 for this site, so the statement rests on prior knowledge and the root URL of the official publisher. It must be checked on the official page before publication.
Questions on this topic
9 statements on courts, arbitration and enforcement in France, 4 not yet checked against a source
