The Bank of France published a readout of the plenary meeting of France’s Payment Terms Observatory, where stakeholders reviewed an upcoming annual report pointing to a deterioration in private-sector payment behaviour in 2024 and discussed initiatives intended to curb late payment, including the electronic invoicing programme. The annual report, due to be published in the coming weeks, finds that payment terms in France tightened more than in Europe in 2024, with French companies paying suppliers an average of 13.6 days late in the fourth quarter of 2024 versus 13.4 days in other European countries. It will also include the latest available data on payment delays in the public sector in 2024 and set out levers for action drawn from the Observatory’s work and member contributions. On electronic invoicing, the tax administration presented progress and a phased generalisation timetable starting on 1 September 2026 for large companies and mid-sized companies, extending to micro-enterprises and small and medium-sized enterprises from 1 September 2027. The meeting also heard research showing a negative relationship between changes in economic activity and both customer and supplier payment terms, and agreed to continue work on the role of statutory auditors in payment-term compliance and to simplify the presentation of payment tables required under the 20 March 2017 order implementing Article D. 441-4 of the Commercial Code.
Bank of France 2025-04-16
Bank of France reports Payment Terms Observatory finding of worsening 2024 payment delays and outlines electronic invoicing rollout from September 2026
The Bank of France's Payment Terms Observatory meeting highlighted a deterioration in private-sector payment behaviour in 2024, with French companies paying suppliers an average of 13.6 days late. Initiatives to address late payments include an electronic invoicing programme starting in 2026 for large companies. The Observatory will publish an annual report detailing these findings and proposed actions soon.