Competition and commercial practices · France / Switzerland
Competition inspection: organise records and requests
France and Switzerland use distinct competition-investigation powers and procedures. Preserve the authority documents presented, actual chronology, requests and records copied or taken. This is not a criminal home-search guide. The file should neither promise that inspectors wait for counsel nor assume every confidential document has the same protection. It records facts for examination of the applicable procedure.
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France: how should the inspection chronology be kept ?
Record times, people, requests and replies, separating facts from comments.
Read the referencesYour question concerns “Competition inspection: organise records and requests”. Which document should we examine, and does your matter concern France or Switzerland?
3 free questions at signup. Avoid names and sensitive information.
France: which authority documents should be recorded ?
Preserve the presented basis, authority and stated scope. Do not assume all inspections follow one procedure.
Code de commerce, article L450-4Autorité de la concurrence — compétence contentieuse
Which elements belong together before the next step?
| Preparation question | Point to verify |
|---|---|
| France: which authority documents should be recorded ? | Preserve the presented basis, authority and stated scope. Do not assume all inspections follow one procedure. |
| France: how should the inspection chronology be kept ? | Record times, people, requests and replies, separating facts from comments. |
| France: does the organiser promise that inspectors wait for counsel ? | No. Preserve assistance requests and replies for assessment under the applicable framework. |
| France: which records belong after the inspection ? | Keep reports, inventories and notices, distinguishing received records from internal accounts. |
Code de commerce, article L450-4Autorité de la concurrence — compétence contentieuseCOMCO — sélection d'instruments d'enquête, note du 6 janvier 2016LCart / KG / LCart — official operative consolidation
France: how should the inspection chronology be kept ?
Record times, people, requests and replies, separating facts from comments.
Code de commerce, article L450-4Autorité de la concurrence — compétence contentieuse
France: does the organiser promise that inspectors wait for counsel ?
No. Preserve assistance requests and replies for assessment under the applicable framework.
Code de commerce, article L450-4Autorité de la concurrence — compétence contentieuse
France: which records belong after the inspection ?
Keep reports, inventories and notices, distinguishing received records from internal accounts.
Code de commerce, article L450-4Autorité de la concurrence — compétence contentieuse
How can you connect the facts and records in your file?
Complete the file references. The initial values illustrate a fictional case; they are not observed product results.
Fictional example · Inspection chronology and document register
- Inspection
- Intervention A
- Basis
- Document presented
- Request
- Requested record
- Trace
- Copy or observation
This worksheet organises records; it does not establish admissibility, entitlement or a procedural outcome.
Switzerland: should French authorisation rules be copied ?
No. Identify the Swiss investigation basis and actual documents presented.
COMCO — sélection d'instruments d'enquête, note du 6 janvier 2016LCart / KG / LCart — official operative consolidation
Switzerland: how should copied or seized documents be tracked ?
Connect each identifiable record and available reference. Avoid reconstructing an assumed inventory.
COMCO — sélection d'instruments d'enquête, note du 6 janvier 2016LCart / KG / LCart — official operative consolidation
Which official provision helps explain this situation?
Preserve the presented basis, authority and stated scope. Do not assume all inspections follow one procedure.
Switzerland: how are protection questions documented ?
Identify the record, claimed protection and response. Do not automatically protect every correspondence.
COMCO — sélection d'instruments d'enquête, note du 6 janvier 2016LCart / KG / LCart — official operative consolidation
Switzerland: does the inspection register determine lawfulness ?
No. It organises chronology and evidence without deciding a remedy or legality.
COMCO — sélection d'instruments d'enquête, note du 6 janvier 2016LCart / KG / LCart — official operative consolidation
What other questions arise in this file?
France: how should the inspection chronology be kept ?
Record times, people, requests and replies, separating facts from comments.
Code de commerce, article L450-4Autorité de la concurrence — compétence contentieuseCOMCO — sélection d'instruments d'enquête, note du 6 janvier 2016LCart / KG / LCart — official operative consolidation
France: which records belong after the inspection ?
Keep reports, inventories and notices, distinguishing received records from internal accounts.
Code de commerce, article L450-4Autorité de la concurrence — compétence contentieuseCOMCO — sélection d'instruments d'enquête, note du 6 janvier 2016LCart / KG / LCart — official operative consolidation
Switzerland: how should copied or seized documents be tracked ?
Connect each identifiable record and available reference. Avoid reconstructing an assumed inventory.
Code de commerce, article L450-4Autorité de la concurrence — compétence contentieuseCOMCO — sélection d'instruments d'enquête, note du 6 janvier 2016LCart / KG / LCart — official operative consolidation
Switzerland: does the inspection register determine lawfulness ?
No. It organises chronology and evidence without deciding a remedy or legality.
Code de commerce, article L450-4Autorité de la concurrence — compétence contentieuseCOMCO — sélection d'instruments d'enquête, note du 6 janvier 2016LCart / KG / LCart — official operative consolidation
Which official references should you consult?
- Code de commerce, article L450-4legifrance.gouv.fr
- Autorité de la concurrence — compétence contentieuseautoritedelaconcurrence.fr
- COMCO — sélection d'instruments d'enquête, note du 6 janvier 2016weko.admin.ch
- LCart / KG / LCart — official operative consolidationfedlex.admin.ch
Texts cited last checked: 2 November 2026