Since 1981, seven Business Formalities Centres (Centres de Formalités des Entreprises, CFE) networks have enabled businesses to complete the formalities involved in setting up, changing their situation and ceasing trading. With a view to simplification, the PACTE law provides for the introduction of an electronic single window to replace the CFEs, and also to enable these formalities to be carried out electronically. At the same time, it also created a national register of companies (RNE), intended to become the sole register with which entities carrying on an economic activity on French territory must register, replacing the
various pre-existing registers. The creation of an electronic single window is a complex reform, overhauling the organisation of the IT systems of the various players involved. Major shortcomings were noted during the launch of the single window and the RNE, scheduled for 1 January 2023, which made it necessary to activate a back-up procedure. Against this backdrop, the Court decided to conduct a flash audit to identify the causes of the difficulties encountered and to assess the extent to which the adjustments decided on resolved the problems identified at the start of the project.
