Mutual insurance companies are legal entities governed by private law with non-commercial objects. They are formed to insure the risks brought in by their members or to offer the provision of the operations referred to in article L. 143-1. In return for payment of a fixed or variable premium, they guarantee their members full settlement of the commitments they enter into. However, mutual insurance companies providing life assurance or capitalisation may not receive variable contributions.
These companies operate without share capital, under conditions laid down, for all the categories mentioned in Article L. 322-26-4, by decree of the Conseil d’Etat.