BOOK II: Commercial companies and economic interest groupings.

Securities issued by joint stock companies are financial securities within the meaning of article L. 211-1 of the Monetary and Financial Code, which confer identical rights per class. Securities issued by joint stock companies take the form of bearer securities or registered securities, except for companies for which the law or the articles of association impose the registered form only, for all or part of the capital. Notwithstanding any agreement…

I.-With a view to identifying the owners of bearer securities, the Articles of Association may provide that the issuing company or a third party designated by it is entitled to request, at any time and against payment to be made by it, that information concerning the owners of its shares and securities conferring immediate or future voting rights at its own shareholders’ meetings be sent to the company. The request…

In the case of registered securities, consisting of bonds or securities giving immediate or future access to the capital, the intermediary registered under the conditions provided for in Article L. 228-1 is required to disclose information concerning the owners of these securities at the request of the issuing company or its agent, which may be made at any time. The communication deadlines and the list of information are set by…

I.-When the issuing company or the third party appointed by it believes that certain holders whose identity has been disclosed to them are acting on behalf of third parties who own the securities, they are entitled to ask these holders to disclose the information concerning the owners of these securities either under the conditions set out in Article L. 228-2 for bearer shares, or under the conditions set out in…

An intermediary who has satisfied the obligations set out in the seventh and eighth paragraphs of Article L. 228-1 may, by virtue of a general securities management mandate, transmit for a meeting the vote or power of an owner of shares or bonds. Before transmitting powers or votes at a general meeting, the intermediary registered in accordance with Article L. 228-1 is required, at the request of the issuing company…

Where the addressee of the request for disclosure of information made in accordance with Articles L. 228-2 to L. 228-3-1 has not provided such information within the time limits set pursuant to the same Articles L. 228-2 to L. 228-3-1 or has provided incomplete or erroneous information, the shares, bonds or securities giving immediate or future access to the capital for which that person has been registered shall be stripped…

Any person employed by one of the persons referred to in articles L. 228-2 to L. 228-3-1 or participating in any capacity whatsoever in its direction or management and having, in the course of its professional activity, knowledge of the information referred to in articles L. 228-1 to L. 228-3-2 is bound by professional secrecy under the conditions and penalties set out in articles 226-13 and 226-14 of the Penal…