7 As part of its mission to regulate In this respect, the Apple case is a good illustration: the regulated legal professions, in March 2020, the Autorité imposed the largest the Autorité proposed to the individual fine ever, namely €1.1 billion*. Government new maps for Another notable case in 2020 in terms of the establishment of new offices, the sanction applied was the so-called AMD (age-related macular degeneration) case, can you tell us about them? which involved three pharmaceutical companies The Autorité has indeed brought out proposals for collective abuse of a dominant position*. for the period 2021-2023. For this new analysis, This year, a total of more than €1.7 billion it was a highly specific context with the public health in fines were imposed. crisis and its economic consequences for professionals, But the impact of our work goes beyond the amount which prompted, firstly, a revision of the map that of the fines handed down. For the last three years, we had drawn up in 2019 for the setting up of court the Autorité has estimated the overall impact of its work bailiffsand judicial auctioneers, and secondly, on the basis of a proven methodology recommended to keep a decidedly prudent approach for drawing by the OECD. This calculation involves taking into up the map for the establishment of new notaries. account not only the amount of the fines imposed With regard to all the data, we estimated that the on the companies that have infringed competition rules potential for liberal professions setting up by 2029 but also the economic gains resulting from the effect is between 2,400 and 2,600 new notaries and of putting an end to anticompetitive behaviours and between 550 and 600 new court bailiffs. To achieve the remedies put in place prior to a merger. these objectives, while observing the mandatory Over the measured period (2011 to 2020), progressive approach provided for by the legislator, our activities helped the French economy spare and keeping in mind a "lasting crisis" scenario, €17.6 billion, a considerable sum that highlights we recommend, over the period of validity of the "systemic" effect of a rigorous competition policy. the next maps (2021-2023), that only 250 new notaries and 50 new court bailiffs set up office. *This decision is being appealed (case pending). As regards judicial auctioneers, we recommend that no additional offices be established over the period 2021-2023, due to the serious difficulties faced by this profession in the current context. I would like to take this opportunity to reiterate the positive results of this reform, and emphasise in particular the strengthening of the territorial coverage following the first two waves of creating new offices. For example, the total number of private notaries has increased by more than 30% and, according to the Conseil Supérieur du Notariat (Higher Notarial Council), France currently has one notary every 8 km. I have also seen that the offices established since 2017 have not, at this stage, led to a reduction in the operations of established notaries and that, on the contrary, their practices have grown strongly since the reform came into force (+33% over five years). This year, the Autorité imposed the highest level of fines in its history. Have you observed a deterrent effect? I think that companies have understood the risks that they run. Financially, they risk up to 10% of their worldwide turnover, which can represent very large sums in certain cases. INTERVIEW