Section 3: Approval procedure

National approval may be granted by the Minister for Health to associations which have either at least 5,000 individually paid-up members, or individually paid-up members spread over at least four regions, none of which represents more than 50% of the total number of members. Mayotte, Guyane and Martinique are considered as regions for the application of these provisions. In the case of unions of associations, the number of members of…

The application for approval is sent by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt or electronically by the association’s legal representative, as appropriate, to the Minister for Health or the Director General of the Regional Health Agency. The composition of the file attached to this application is set by order of the Minister for Health. The Minister for Health or the Director General of the Regional Health Agency forwards the application…

The decision taken on the assent of the National Accreditation Commission is notified to the association by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt. If the competent administrative authority remains silent for more than six months from the date of receipt of the complete application by the administrative authority to which the application was initially submitted, this shall be deemed to constitute a decision to reject the application.

Associations are approved for a period of five years from the date of the approval decision. Approval decisions are published in the Recueil des actes administratifs of the regional prefecture or in the Journal officiel de la République française, as appropriate. Approval is renewed under the same conditions. Applications for renewal must be submitted no later than the seventh month prior to the expiry date of the current authorisation.

The members of an association approved at national level may represent users of the healthcare system on national, regional, departmental or local hospital or public health bodies. Members of an association approved at regional level may represent users of the healthcare system on regional, departmental or local hospital or public health bodies located in this region. In the case of unions of associations, the functions of representing users of the…

Approval of a union of associations does not automatically entail approval of the associations that make it up. In the event of a merger of associations, at least one of which is approved, approval must be sought again, but the seniority condition set out in article R. 1114-1 is not required. In the event of a change in its membership, a union of approved associations shall inform the administrative authority…

Approved associations report annually on their activities to the administrative authority which granted approval, in accordance with the procedures laid down by order of the Minister for Health.

Approval may be withdrawn, with the assent of the National Approval Commission, if the association ceases to satisfy the conditions required for approval or if it fails to comply with the obligation set out in article R. 1114-15. The administrative authority considering the withdrawal of an authorisation shall inform the association concerned, by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt, of the reasons for the withdrawal and shall invite it to…

Withdrawal of approval or dissolution of an association shall entail forfeiture of the mandates exercised by the user representatives appointed on the proposal of this association in the bodies mentioned in article L. 1114-1.