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Article L3331-1 of the French Public Health Code

On-trade drinks outlets are divided into two categories according to the extent of the licence they hold: 1° (Repealed) 2° (Repealed) 3° The 3rd category licence, known as a “restricted licence”, includes authorisation to sell group one and three drinks for consumption on the premises; 4° The 4th category licence, known as a “grand licence” or “full licence”, includes authorisation to sell for consumption on the premises all drinks whose…

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Article L3331-2 of the French Public Health Code

In order to sell alcoholic beverages, restaurants that do not hold an on-trade licence must hold one of the following two categories of licence: 1° The “small restaurant licence”, which allows drinks from the third group to be sold for consumption on the premises, but only during the main meal and as an accessory to the food; 2° The “restaurant licence” itself, which allows all drinks authorised for consumption on…

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Article L3331-3 of the French Public Health Code

Establishments holding an on-licence or a restaurant licence may sell to take away the drinks corresponding to the category of their licence. In order to sell alcoholic beverages, other takeaway outlets must hold one of the following two categories of licence: 1° The “small takeaway licence” includes authorisation to sell drinks from the third group; 2° The “takeaway licence” itself includes authorisation to sell for takeaway all drinks the sale…

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Article L3331-4 of the French Public Health Code

The distribution of drinks by means of automatic machines for immediate consumption is considered as a sale for consumption on the premises. In all businesses other than on-trade drinks outlets, any person wishing to sell alcoholic beverages between 10 p.m. and 8 a.m. must first undergo the training provided for in article L. 3332-1-1. Remote sales are considered to be takeaway sales.

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Article L3331-6 of the French Public Health Code

The owner of a leased premises may not, notwithstanding any agreement to the contrary, even if previously entered into, oppose the conversion, by the lessee or the transferee of the right to the lease, of a 3rd or 4th category public house into another business, provided, however, that this does not cause greater inconvenience to the building, its occupants or the neighbourhood than the inconvenience resulting from the operation of…

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Article L3331-7 of the French Public Health Code

In each municipality in which the mayor exercises, by delegation of the representative of the State in the department, the prerogatives mentioned in the first paragraph of 2 of article L. 3332-15, a municipal drinks commission is set up, made up of representatives of municipal services appointed by the mayor, representatives of State services appointed by the representative of the State in the department and representatives of professional organisations representing…

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Article L3332-1 of the French Public Health Code

A 3rd category on-trade public house may not be opened in municipalities where the total number of establishments of this type and 4th category establishments reaches or exceeds the proportion of one public house per 450 inhabitants, or fraction thereof. The population taken as the basis for this estimate is the total municipal population, excluding the population counted separately, as obtained from the most recent census. For tourist municipalities within…

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Article L3332-1-1 of the French Public Health Code

Any person declaring the opening, transfer or relocation of a third or fourth category on-trade drinks outlet or any person declaring an establishment with a “petite licence restaurant” or “licence restaurant” must undergo specific training on the rights and obligations associated with operating a drinks outlet or an establishment with a “petite licence restaurant” or “licence restaurant”. All persons referred to in article L. 3331-4 must undergo specific training on…

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Article L3332-3 of the French Public Health Code

Any person wishing to open a café, cabaret or on-trade public house and sell alcohol there must make a written declaration at least fifteen days in advance, stating : 1° Surname, first names, place of birth, occupation and place of residence; 2° The location of the outlet; 3° the capacity in which the premises are to be managed and the surname, forenames, profession and address of the owner, if any;…

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