Paragraph 1: Constitution.

Subject to the derogations resulting from this section, insurance and capitalisation undertakings nationalised pursuant to Article 1 of Law no. 46-835 of 25 April 1946 relating to the nationalisation of certain insurance companies and to the insurance industry in France have the status of commercial companies.

The main purpose of the central insurance companies created by law no. 73-8 of 4 January 1973 relating to the implementation of employee shareholding in national banks and national insurance companies is to hold directly or indirectly all the shares of the companies making up the groups of national insurance companies, to exercise the rights attached to these shares and to allow their own shareholders to benefit from these rights….

The central insurance companies are public limited companies which belong to the public sector by virtue of the aforementioned law no. 46-835 of 25 April 1946 and the aforementioned law no. 73-8 of 4 January 1973.