Government slows the pace of new notary installations

It thus follows the recommendations of the Competition Authority made on April 28, which was particularly cautious because of the health crisis.

Since 2016, with the Macron law, the notariat has experienced relative liberalization, while the opening of new offices were hitherto extremely limited.

At the time, the target for appointing new notaries was set at 1.650 by 2018. During the second map for the creation of notarial offices, which covered the period 2018-2020, it was set at 700 .

This opening arouses the opposition of the bodies of the profession who fear the economic consequences of an opening to competition considered too abrupt.

For this third stage of the liberalization of the profession, the Superior Council of Notaries (CSN) "notes the marked slowdown in the pace of installation", but maintains that the initial objectives of the Macron law have already been "largely exceeded", has he said in a press release.

The CSN estimates that 746 offices have been created in addition to the objectives set since 2016.

"We believe that it was unnecessary to create any additional office. The offer is currently filled," said David Ambrosiano, the president of the CSN, quoted in the press release.

According to him, a break in the new installations was "more necessary than ever" in the face of economic uncertainties.

For the period 2021-2023, the government has also limited the total number of notary settlements to 293, instead of 306. 112 of them will be free settlements, and 181 settlements. controlled.

Due to the health crisis, the Competition Authority estimated in April that new installations would be needed until 2029, instead of 2024.