BOOK VIII: Some regulated professions.

If the number of working hours normally required to carry out the work programme of the statutory auditor(s) appears to be excessive or insufficient, the president of the regional company shall be asked by the most diligent party to apply for a derogation from the numbers indicated in Article R. 823-12. This application must state the estimated number of hours required and the reasons for the exemption requested. It must…

For statutory audit engagements, the amount of the hourly fee is set by mutual agreement between the statutory auditor(s) and the audited person or entity, prior to the performance of the engagement. Travel and subsistence expenses incurred by the statutory auditors in the performance of their duties are reimbursed by the person or entity, on justification.

The provisions of article R. 823-12 shall not apply to the remuneration of each activity or assignment provided for in the second paragraph of article L. 823-9.

The provisions of articles R. 823-12 and R. 823-13 are not applicable to: 1° Persons and entities whose balance sheet total plus operating income and financial income, excluding tax, exceeds €122,000,000; 2° Persons and entities that issue securities admitted to trading on a regulated market; 3° Companies governed by the Insurance Code and the Mutual Insurance Code; 4° Credit institutions, finance companies, financial holding companies and parent companies of finance…

For engagements other than the certification of accounts and for services, an engagement letter must be drawn up by the parties prior to the performance of the engagement or service. In particular, it sets out the commitments of the parties and the amount of the fees, which takes into account the extent of the work to be performed.

For audit certification engagements, in the event of disagreement between the statutory auditor(s) and the management of the audited person or entity on the amount of remuneration, the president of the regional company, referred to in writing by the interested party, shall attempt to reconcile the parties. Where the statutory auditors are attached to separate regional companies, the conciliation attempt is conducted by the president of the regional company to…

The secretariat of the restricted formation summonses the parties to appear before it at least fifteen days before the hearing, by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt. Where appropriate, the parties’ lawyers are notified of the date of the hearing by the secretariat of the restricted formation by simple letter. On receipt of the summons to appear, the parties may acquaint themselves with the case file. They may be assisted…

The decision handed down by the High Council’s restricted panel on fees may be appealed to the Court of Cassation on the initiative of the interested parties, under the conditions set out in Articles 612 et seq. of the Code of Civil Procedure.

The statutory auditor appointed to a public interest entity or finance company for a statutory audit engagement shall publish on its website a transparency report, relating in particular to its own structure, drawn up in accordance with the provisions of Article 13 of Regulation (EU) No 537/2014 of 16 April 2014, within four months of the end of the financial year. The statutory auditor shall inform the High Council of…

The supplementary report drawn up pursuant to III of article L. 823-16 is submitted to the specialised committee mentioned in article L. 823-19 or to the body performing the functions of this committee, no later than the date of signature of the report referred to in article R. 823-7. At the request of the High Council, the statutory auditor shall provide it with this report without delay. At the request…