Insurance distribution (French Insurance Code, article L. 511-1)

Article L. 511-1 of the French Insurance Code, resulting from the transposition of the EU Insurance Distribution Directive, defines insurance distribution as the activity of providing recommendations on insurance contracts, presenting, proposing or assisting in concluding such contracts, carrying out other work preparatory to their conclusion, or contributing to their management and performance, particularly in the event of a claim. It also covers providing, through a website or other media, information on contracts according to criteria chosen by the customer and a ranking of products, where the customer can conclude the contract directly. Carried out for remuneration by anyone other than an insurer, this activity is reserved to registered intermediaries. The definition is broad and its boundaries are decisive for every service around insurance: comparison sites, platforms, risk management consultants, analytical tools. A service that merely provides general information, analyzes a risk without steering toward a specific contract or supplies data remains outside; a service that recommends a cover, a deductible level or an insurer, or prepares the purchase of a specific contract, falls within. Crossing the line without registration exposes one to criminal penalties.