The Bank of France has published a first-half 2026 update on its corporate credit mediation service, saying the mechanism remains insufficiently known and is often used too late, even though it continues to produce solutions when companies seek help early. Eligible referrals fell 8.3% from the same period a year earlier and remained below pre-pandemic levels. At the same time, nearly 60% of eligible cases resulted in an outcome that allowed firms to overcome financing difficulties and continue operating. The service is available nationwide through the Bank of France’s departmental directors for companies facing a credit refusal, the withdrawal or non-renewal of an existing facility, or a reduction or removal of a guarantee. Within 48 hours of a filing, the departmental mediator contacts the company to review the difficulties and assess eligibility. In the first half of 2026, the eligibility rate rose to 47% from 42% in the first half of 2025, but remained below the 64% recorded in 2019. Most eligible requests came from very small companies with fewer than 11 employees, which accounted for 86% of cases, with services representing 52%, commerce 22%, extractive and manufacturing industries 12%, construction 10% and agriculture 4%. The mediators’ interventions preserved 2,594 jobs across 231 companies. Requests mainly related to previously granted financing, including the withdrawal of existing bank funding or bank debt restructuring, whether or not it involved state-guaranteed loans. The share of cases linked to restructuring state-guaranteed loans fell to less than 8%, although that restructuring route remains available until the end of 2026 under the existing marketwide agreement. The Bank of France said the mediation network remains fully mobilized as economic growth slows and business failures rise. It also linked that work to the broader corporate distress prevention charter launched on 10 February 2026, which is scheduled for a progress review with signatories on 22 July 2026.
Bank of France2026-07-22
Bank of France reports corporate credit mediation remains underused, resolves nearly 60 percent of eligible cases in the first half of 2026
The Bank of France said its corporate credit mediation service remains underused in the first half of 2026, with eligible referrals down 8.3% year on year and still below pre-pandemic levels. Even so, nearly 60% of eligible cases led to a solution, preserving 2,594 jobs across 231 companies. Most cases came from very small businesses and mainly involved problems with existing bank financing or debt restructuring.