COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT 2026 Rule of Law Report Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in France Accompanying the document Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions 2026 Rule of Law Report The rule of law situation in the European Union
Date: 2026-07-17
Institutions: European Commission, Secretariat-General
Subjects: France, administrative transparency, corruption, democracy, freedom of the press, human rights, independence of the judiciary, pluralism in the media, rule of law, whistleblowing

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 17.7.2026  SWD(2026) 910 final  COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT 2026 Rule of Law Report                  Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in France Accompanying the document Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions 2026 Rule of Law Report                   The rule of law situation in the European Union {COM(2026) 900 final} - {SWD(2026) 901 final} - {SWD(2026) 902 final} - {SWD(2026) 903 final} - {SWD(2026) 904 final} - {SWD(2026) 905 final} - {SWD(2026) 906 final} - {SWD(2026) 907 final} - {SWD(2026) 908 final} - {SWD(2026) 909 final} - {SWD(2026) 911 final} - {SWD(2026) 912 final} - {SWD(2026) 913 final} - {SWD(2026) 914 final} - {SWD(2026) 915 final} - {SWD(2026) 916 final} - {SWD(2026) 917 final} - {SWD(2026) 918 final} - {SWD(2026) 919 final} - {SWD(2026) 920 final} - {SWD(2026) 921 final} - {SWD(2026) 922 final} - {SWD(2026) 923 final} - {SWD(2026) 924 final} - {SWD(2026) 925 final} - {SWD(2026) 926 final} - {SWD(2026) 927 final} - {SWD(2026) 928 final} - {SWD(2026) 929 final} - {SWD(2026) 930 final} - {SWD(2026) 931 final}  
 
 
ABSTRACT 

In France, the implementation of the reform of the status of magistrates continued and there 
were renewed calls to further strenghten the autonomy of prosecutors. The High Council for 
the Judiciary continued defending judicial independence in response to concerns raised by an 
increasing number of attacks on magistrates related to   judicial decisions. Budgetary efforts 
have been sustained in  2025 and 2026 to  increase further the number of  magistrates. Some 
further  steps  were  taken  to  implement  tools  to  digitalise  court  procedures.  Small  court  fees 
were  reintroduced  for  access  to  courts  and  alternative  dispute  resolutions  methods  are 
increasingly  encouraged.  Reforms  are  being  considered  to  improve  the  efficiency  of  the 
justice system, in particular through streamlining appeal and criminal procedures. 

The  2025-2029  National  Plan  Against  Corruption,  setting  the  priorities  for  the  next  five 
years, was adopted in November 2025. Further efforts are being made in the prosecution of 
corruption cases. The High Authority for the Transparency in Public Life has been entrusted 
with  new  tasks.  Some  further  steps  have  been  taken  in  strengthening  the  rules  on  lobbying 
with the start of operation of the Registry on Foreign Influence, while other draft laws remain 
under discussion and the obligation to  report lobbying  has not  been extended to  officials  at 
top-executive  level.  Measures  continue  to  be  implemented  to  reinforce  the  ethics  culture 
within  the  Government  and  the  Parliament  and  their  staff.  The  integrity  frameworks  for 
police officers and magistrates are being further reinforced. The framework for the protection 
of  whistleblowers  remains  robust,  while  the  increase  of  reports  represents  a  challenge  in 
terms  of  resources  needed  to  ensure  their  follow-up.  The  law  on  Anti-Narcotics  and 
Organised  Crime  that  introduced  several  measures  aimed  at  reinforcing  the  fight  against 
corruption when linked to organised crime is being implemented. 

France’s  media  regulator,  ARCOM,  is  continuing  to  expand  its  regulatory  scope  and 
activities in response to new obligations and mandates. Recourse to media self-regulation has 
increased  in  recent  years,  indicating  growing  engagement  with  journalistic  ethics.  While 
public service media are restructuring  their  activities due to  budget  constraints, pressure on 
them  has  intensified  in  the  public  debate.  Further  steps  were  taken  to  improve  the 
transparency  of  media  ownership  with  the  development  of  a  preliminary  transparency 
database,  while  media  concentration  is  an  increasing  concern.  The  Committee  on  access  to 
administrative  documents  (CADA)  received  a  record  number  of  referrals  in  recent  years, 
while  requests  from  journalists  were  in  minority.  As  regards  the  working  conditions  for 
journalists,  new  positive  developments  include  case  law  strengthening  the  protection  of 
sources, alongside continued challenges related to safety and broader working environment.  

Stakeholder  engagement  in  law  making  is  stable,  while  the  reduction  of  legislative  and 
administrative burdens remains an important priority for the Government. Public authorities 
continue to support civil society organisations, including through substantial public funding, 
while some organisations continue to face challenges to their operations.  

1 

 
 
 
RECOMMENDATIONS  

Overall,  based  on  the  recommendations  in  the  2025  Rule  of  Law  Report  and  considering 
other developments that took place in the period of reference, the Commission concludes the 
following:  

•  Some further progress has been made on the digitalisation of judicial procedures. As this 
process has faced some delays, it is recommended to France to step up efforts to complete 
ongoing projects aimed at digitalisation of civil and criminal court proceedings. 

•  Some  further  progress  has  been  made  regarding  the  recommendation  on  lobbying,  in 
particular through the strengthening of the transparency framework on foreign influence 
activities.  As  the  obligation  to  disclose  lobbying  activities  only  applies  to  interests’ 
representatives,  it  is  recommended  to  France  to  continue  efforts  to  ensure  the 
transparency of lobbying activities by extending the scope of the disclosure obligation, in 
particular to officials at top executive level. 

As regards the other 2025 recommendations, the Commission concludes that:  
•  Some further progress  has been made to  improve the transparency of media ownership, 
including through the development of a preliminary transparency database by the media 
regulator.  Its  full  deployment  remains  dependent  on  the  adoption  of  the  necessary 
legislative  measures.  Given  that  the  topics  of  this  recommendation  are  covered  by  the 
provisions of the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA), while the Rule of Law Report 
will  continue  to  monitor  significant  developments  and  report  on  their  impact,  further 
follow-up  will  be  ensured  as  part  of  the  Commission’s  support  to  Member  States  and 
enforcement of the EMFA 

2 

 
 
 
I. 

JUSTICE SYSTEM1  

Independence  

The level of perceived  judicial independence in France continues to be average among 
both the general public and companies. Overall, 56% of the general population and 53% of 
companies perceive the level of independence of courts and judges to be ‘fairly or very good’ 
in  20262.  The  perceived  judicial  independence  among  the  general  public  has  increased  in 
comparison  with  2025  (51%)  and  is  at  the  same  level  as  in  2022  (56%).  The  perceived 
judicial independence among companies remains at the same level as in 2025 (53%), and it 
has significantly decreased in comparison with 2022 (61%).  

The implementation of the reform of the status of magistrates continued and there were 
renewed calls to further strengthen the autonomy of prosecutors. Among the steps taken 
to implement this reform3, the High Council for the Judiciary (‘HCJ’) adopted in December 
the Ethics Charter for Magistrates of the Judiciary, which was welcomed by the magistrates4. 
Additionally,  a  new  third  grade  was  created  in  the  magistracy  to  extend  opportunities  for 
magistrates to be promoted, either at management positions in courts, or in relation to their 
“exceptional  professional  value”.  Αssessment  criteria  still  need  to  be  defined  by  the  newly 
established  Promotion  Committee5,  to  ensure  the  transparency  of  this  career  advancement6. 
The implementation of the 360° evaluation process for presidents of courts and tribunals, also 
created by the 2023 law, remains a priority for the HCJ. Furthermore, the 2023 reform of the 
voting  rules  for  the  elections  to  the  HCJ  will  be  implemented  in  2026  through  new 
regulations7.  Until  now,  the  implementation  of  the  reform  of  the  magistrates’  disciplinary 
regime8 has not led to an increase of cases submitted by litigants against magistrates9. On 13 
January 2026, the President of the National Assembly has called to relaunch the discussions 
on  the  reform  of  the  statute  of  prosecutors,  to  make  the  HCJ’s  opinion  mandatory  on  the 
Minister  of  Justice  when  nominating  prosecutors,  as  is  the  case  for  judges10.  The  HCJ 
supported  this  initiative  and  further  called  for  establishing  an  independent  disciplinary 
authority for prosecutors11. 

1  An overview of the institutional framework for all four pillars can be found here.  
2  Figures 48 and 50, 2026 EU Justice Scoreboard and Figures 51 and 53, 2024 EU Justice Scoreboard. The 
level  of  perceived  judicial  independence  is  categorised  as  follows:  very  low  (below  30%  of  respondents 
perceive judicial independence as fairly good and very good); low (between 30-39%), average (between 40-
59%), high (between 60-75%), very high (above 75%). 

3   Organic Law no. 2023-1058 of 20 November 2023 on the opening, modernisation and accountability of the 
judiciary, adopted in November 2023. See 2025, 2024, 2023 Rule of Law Reports, chapters on France, resp. 
pp. 3, 4, 4. 

4   Country visit France, Magistrates’ Associations. 
5   Composed of 12 magistrates and 1 representative of the Ministry of Justice. 
6   The  use  of  the  concept  “exceptional  professional  value”  was  questioned  both  by  the  HCJ  and  MEDEL. 

Medel (2026) written input, p. 9. HCJ (2026) Annual Report 2025, p. 45. 

7    French Government (2026), written input, pp. 7-9. 
8   On this regime and previous elements mentioned, see also 2025 Rule of Law Report, France, p. 3 and 2024 

Rule of Law Report, France, p. 4. 

9    National Bar Association (2026), written input, p. 5. 391 decisions were taken in 2025 and 446 in 2024. HCJ 

(2026), p. 72. 

10   This  reform  was  adopted  by  both  chambers  of  Parliament  in  2016.  However,  it  needs  approval  by  2/3  of 
deputies  of  both  chambers.  The  HCJ,  magistrates’  and  the  bar  association  welcomed  this  reform.  Country 
visit France, Magistrates’ Associations. 

11   HCJ  (2026).  This  reform  is  also  supported  by  Magistrates’  and  Bar  Associations.  Country  visit  France, 

Magistrates’ Associations. National Bar Association (2026), written input, p. 4. 

3 

 
 
The  High  Council  for  the  Judiciary  continued  defending  judicial  independence  in 
response to an increasing number of attacks on magistrates related to judicial decisions. 
Several  judgments  relating  to  candidates  to  national  elections  or  previous  officials  at  top-
executive  level  have  been  faced  with  strong  criticism  from  the  public  and  some  elected 
officials. In some cases, judges have been facing personal attacks, including serious threats to 
their  safety.  They  benefit  increasingly  from  police  protection  while  several  cases  were 
transmitted  to  prosecutors.  The  HCJ,  magistrates’  associations,the  National  Consultative 
Committee  on  Human  Rights  (CNCDH)  and  the  President  of  the  Cassation  Court  have 
brought these incidents to the attention of public authorities, as these attacks would in their 
view jeopardise the perception by citizens of the independence of the justice system12. In this 
context,  lawyers  have  set  up  the  Rule  of  Law  Observatory,  an  initiative  to  support  public 
debates with thorough analyses of potential infringements of the rule of law13. 

Quality  

Budgetary efforts have been sustained in 2025 and 2026 to increase further the number 
of magistrates, in line with the law on the orientation and programming of justice 2023-
2027.  Despite  budgetary  constraints,  the  objective  to  recruit  1 500  magistrates  and  1 800 
clerks  by  2027  will  be  kept14.  Salaries  of  magistrates  have  also  increased  as  planned15.  In 
order to recruit more magistrates, the number of candidates accepted at the National School 
of Magistracy has increased fourfold since 201016. While the number of magistrates has thus 
slightly  increased  between  2023  and  2024,  it  remains  comparatively  low,  in  particular  in 
overseas territories17. The Observatory of the magistrates’ workload met in 2025 and twice in 
2026 to present the results of a study18 and discuss the integration of updated benchmarks in 
the  existing  case  weighting  system,  which  was  however  criticised  by  the  magistrates’ 
associations as limited in scope19.  

Some further progress has been made on the digitalisation of judicial procedures20. The 
digitalisation  of  the  criminal  procedures  continued.  For  felonies  and  misdemeanours,  the 
digital  procedure  was  fully  implemented.  Since  2025,  regarding  other  categories  of  crimes, 
criminal courts have opened at least one digital procedure (e.g. for convocation by the police, 
criminal orders) and court of appeals can create digital documents for all procedures. On the 
digitalisation of civil proceedings, the deployment of the civil electronic reporting continued 

12  Communications from the CNCDH of 2 April 2026, from the Magistrates’ Union (USM) of 26 September 
and  16  December  2025.  Country  visit  France,  Magistrates’  Associations,  State  Council,  Constitutional 
Council. ENCJ (2026), written input, p. 24. Liberties (2026). HCJ (2026), pp. 11-13. 

13   National Bar Association (2026), written input, pp. 23-24. The response from public authorities would have 

been particularly weak according to ENNHRI (2026), p. 10 and EAJ (2026), p. 16. 

14   French Government (2026b), p. 2. By 1 December 2025, 489 magistrates and 571 clerks were appointed in 
court  and  all  of  the  planed  1 100  judicial  assistants  were  recruited.  The  2026  budget  of  the  Ministry  of 
Justice plans the recruitment of 617 magistrates, 576 clerks and 32 judicial assistants.  

15   Regulation n° 2025-659 of 18 July 2025. 
16   While 118 trainees became magistrates in 2010 the number rose to 470 in 2025. 
17   Country  visit  France,  Defender  of  Rights.  Defender  of  Rights  (2026c),  p.  57.  Figure  36,  2026  EU  Justice 

Scoreboard. 

18   Supported  by  the  EU  Technical  Support  Instrument  The  study  allowed  to  develop  a caseload-driven 

methodology for allocating resources in the judiciary. 

19   Magistrates’  associations  criticised  the  discrepancy  between  the  results  of  this  study  and  the  previous 
assessment done by the Ministry of Justice in cooperation with magistrates (the conclusions of this 10-year 
project have not yet been made public). 

20   The  2025  Rule  of  Law  Report  recommended  to  France  to  “step  up  efforts  to  complete  ongoing  projects 
aimed at full digitalisation of civil and criminal court proceedings”. Some progress was previously assessed 
on this recommendation in 2025, 2024 and 2023. 

4 

 
 
in 2025. The digital management of documents is being tested until the end of 2026, with a 
view to a possible roll out in 2027. The Portalis tool, which concerns the digitalisation of civil 
judicial  proceedings,  was  deployed  in  2025  in  all  labour  courts.  It  is  now  rolled  out  in 
proximity courts21 (46%) followed by all civil courts. According to the European Association 
of  Judges  (EAJ),  many  technical  difficulties  remain22.  The  litigant’s  portal,  which  allows 
citizens to launch certain procedures online, was further developed. By the end of 2026, for 
example, citizens will be able to file a digital request for  almost all civil litigation, with no 
requirement for a legal representation. A new portal on legal aid is being developed, which 
will allow attorneys to both view pending legal aid applications for their clients and submit 
such  applications  with  their  clients’  consent.  In  2025,  the  website  of  the  ministry  was 
enriched with a portal for victims, to guide them in their judicial steps. The possibility to sign 
documents  electronically  was  further  developed  in  202523.  Decisions  of  civil  and  criminal 
courts  were  published  through  open  data  in  September  2025  while  this  process  was 
postponed  for  other  courts  until  the  end  of  202824.  France  is  supported  by  the  Technical 
Support  Instrument  to  facilitate  and  accelerate  the  processing  of  mass  litigation25.  Further 
efforts are needed to enhance the use of digital technology in courts and to improve electronic 
communication  between  the  courts,  prosecutors  and  other  judicial  actors26.  Taking  into 
account the positive developments regarding the criminal and civil procedures, some further 
progress was made on the recommendation. 

Small  court  fees  for  access  to  courts  were  reintroduced  and  alternative  dispute 
resolutions  methods  are  increasingly  encouraged.  Court  fees  of  EUR  50  have  been 
introduced  for  some  civil  and  labour  courts  through  the  2026  Finance  Act27.  This  does  not 
apply to beneficiaries of legal aid. In addition, on a trial basis from 2025 to 2028, another tax 
is  due  in  proceedings  before  the  economic  affairs  courts28,  which  also  provides  for  a 
contribution  of  up  to  5%  of  the  requested  amount,  within  the  limit  of  EUR  100 000.  Both 
these  contributions  were  declared  constitutional  by  the  Constitutional  Council,  with  some 
interpretation  guidelines29.  New  legislation  was  adopted  to  clarify  and  better  structure  the 
rules relating to amicable settlement of disputes, to facilitate their use by practitioners30. The 
‘amicable  settlement  hearing’,  a  conciliation  procedure  by  the  judge,  was  extended  to  all 
courts, with  the exception of the labour courts.  The recourse to  amicable  settlement  is  now 
mandatory in certain cases, e.g. for claims brought before a judicial court when the amount of 
the dispute is less than EUR 5 000 or when the claim is related to a neighbourhood dispute. In 
general, this reform was welcomed, including by the HCJ, as long as it does not jeopardise 
the right to effective legal protection nor gives a comparative advantage to big companies to 
the detriment of SMEs31. 

21   Civil courts for cases valued under EUR 10 000. 
22   EAJ (2026), written input, p. 31. 
23   French Government (2026), written input, pp. 2-5. 
24   National Bar Association (2026), written input, p. 4. 
25   Project on the “Automation of Routine Tasks in Judicial Proceedings (ARTJP)”, started in October 2025. 
26   Figures 41, 42 and 43, 2026 EU Justice Scoreboard. 
27   Article 126. 
28   12  economic  affairs  courts  replaced  12  commercial  courts  on  1  January 2025.  This  pilot  will  last  until  31 

December 2028. 

29  Decision n° 2025-1184 QPC, 6 March 2026.  The judge must assess the proportionality of the contribution     

with regard to the economic situation of the contributor. 

30   See also Figure 27, EU Justice Scoreboard. Decree of 18 July 2025 recasting Books I and V of the Code of 

Civil Procedure. 

31   Country visit France, Magistrates’ associations and business organisations. See also MEDEL (2026), written 

input, p. 12. Defender of Rights (2026a), p. 25. 

5 

 
 
Efficiency 

Reforms  are  being  considered  to  improve  the  efficiency  of  the  justice  system, 
particularly through the streamlining of appeal and criminal procedures. The estimated 
time needed to resolve litigious civil and commercial cases at first instance increased to 434 
days  in  2024  (430  days  in  2023)32  while  the  clearance  rate  remained  stable  around  95%33. 
The  draft  Decree  ‘Rivage’34  is  part  of  a  series  of  reforms  aimed  at  modernising  and 
rationalising  the  functioning  of  justice.  It  proposes  that  the  threshold  for  last  resort  claims 
increases  from  EUR  5 000  to  EUR  10 000  in  most  courts  (e.g.  civil,  commercial,  labour 
courts). Appeal to a higher court would be limited for certain decisions35. The introduction of 
a  mechanism  allowing  the  President  of  the  Chamber  to  declare  an  appeal  manifestly 
inadmissible  of  his  own  motion  would  allow  for  a  better  screening.  A  compulsory  prior 
attempt  at  mediation  would  become  mandatory  in  cases  valued  below  EUR  10 000. 
Magistrates’  associations,  bars  and  the  European  Network  for  National  Human  Rights 
Institutions (ENNHRI) consider this reform to amount to a restriction to the right to appeal36. 
The  Government  is  therefore  conducting  additional  consultations  with  lawyers  and 
magistrates37.  With  regard  to  criminal  cases,  the  number  of  pending  cases  at  first  instance 
courts in serious criminal cases and the regional criminal courts rose by 60% between 2020 
and 202438. The Government adopted a draft law39 with the objective to decrease the duration 
of  criminal  procedures.  This  draft  would  introduce  plea  bargaining  in  criminal  matters  and 
propose  to  reorganise  regional  criminal  courts.  Legal  professionals  and  CSOs  criticised  the 
lack  of  publicity  of  the  plea  bargaining  as  criminal  convictions  would  thus  result  from 
negotiations  between  prosecutors  and  accused,  without  the  public  and  victims  being 
present40.  As  a  result,  this  part  of  the  proposal  was  dropped  entirely  in  June  2026  by  the 
Minister  of  Justice,  following  a  negative  vote  in  the  Laws’  Committee  of  the  National 
Assembly, rejecting the whole draft law. The draft also proposes to modify the composition 
of  the  regional  criminal  courts  with  the  replacement  of  two  of  the  five  magistrates  by 
qualified citizen assessors41, to restore a form of popular jury in criminal justice. 

II. 

ANTI-CORRUPTION FRAMEWORK  

The  perception  among  experts,  citizens  and  business  executives  is  that  the  level  of 
corruption in the public sector remains relatively low. In the 2026 Corruption Perceptions 

32  After the publication of the 2026 EU Justice  Scoreboard (based on CEPEJ Study), the figure for 2023 has 

been revised following a change in national methodology. 

33   Figures  5  and  10,  2026  EU  Justice  Scoreboard.  See  also  pending  cases  at  the  European  Court  of  Human 

Rights for excessive length of civil proceedings (Group Suty (34/38) (standard supervision)). 

34   « Rationalisation des Instances en Voie d’Appel pour en Garantir l’Efficience ». Streamlining Appeal Bodies 

to ensure their effectiveness. 

35   Particularly those of the family court on maintenance obligations and for commercial leases with an annual 

rent of less than EUR 15 000. 

36   National  Bar  (2026),  written  input,  pp.  11-12.  Country  visit  France,  Magistrates’  Associations  and  bars. 
Consultation of the Magistrates’ Union by the Government, website of the Union. ENNHRI (2026), p. 9. 

37   Country visit France, Ministry of Justice. 
38   From 2 303 in 2020 to 3 892 in 2024. Ministry of Justice (2025). See also MEDEL (2026), written input, p. 

12. 

39   Draft law on criminal justice and respect for victims, n° 456 (2025-2026). 
40   Country visit France, CSOs and Magistrates’ associations. 
41   Magistrates’  associations  are  concerned  about  the  criteria  which  will  be  used  for  the  selection  of  these 

citizens. Country visit France, Magistrates’ associations. 

6 

 
 
Index by Transparency International, France scores 66/10042 and ranks 11th in the European 
Union and 27th globally. This perception has deteriorated over the past five years43. The 2026 
Special  Eurobarometer  on  Corruption  shows  that  77%  of  respondents  consider  corruption 
widespread  in  their  country  (EU  average  71%)  and  12%  of  respondents  feel  personally 
affected by corruption in their daily lives (EU average 30%). As regards businesses, 65% of 
companies consider that corruption is widespread (EU average 65%) and 47% consider that 
corruption  is  a  problem  when  doing  business  (EU  average  37%).  Furthermore,  28%  of 
respondents find that there are enough successful prosecutions to deter people from  corrupt 
practices  (EU  average  38%),  while  34%  of  companies  believe  that  people  and  businesses 
caught for bribing a senior official are appropriately punished (EU average 31%)44.  

The 2025-2029 National Plan Against Corruption, setting the priorities for the next five 
years,  was  adopted  in  November  2025.  It  is  organised  around  four  pillars:  fighting 
corruption and integrity in central government departments, helping local authorities to fight 
corruption45, protecting economic stakeholders against corruption and combating corruption 
at  the  international  level.  The  plan  lists  a  total  of  36  measures  covering  prevention  and 
repression as well as all actors involved in anti-corruption activities. A large majority of the 
measures cover central government departments,  while the remaining measures relate to the 
introduces  an 
local 
Interministerial  Committee  in  charge  of  overseeing  its  implementation47.  The  French  Anti-
corruption  Agency  (AFA)  is  tasked  with  the  coordination  of  the  work  of  this  committee48. 
The  focus  is  now  on  the  implementation  of  the  National  Plan49  and  the  identification  of 
resources (human, financial) available for its implementation50. 

level  administration  and  private  sector46.  The  National  Plan 

Further  efforts  are  being  made  in  the  prosecution  of  corruption  cases.  Investigation 
services  dealing  with  corruption  are  being  reinforced51,  although  resource  constraints 
remain52.  Paralegal  staff  members  have  been  recruited  at  the  National  Financial  Prosecutor 
Office (PNF)53 and reinforcement as regards prosecutors’ positions is being considered54. The 

42  The level of perceived corruption is categorised as follows: low (the perception among experts and business 
executives  of  public  sector  corruption  scores  above  79);  relatively  low  (scores  between  79-60),  relatively 
high (scores between 59- 50), high (scores below 50). 

43   In 2021, the score was 71, while, in 2025, the score is 66. The score significantly increases/decreases when it 
changes  more  than  five  points;  improves/deteriorates  (changes  between  4-5  points);  is  relatively  stable 
(changes from 1-3 points) in the last five years. 

44   Data from Special Eurobarometer 573 (2026) and Flash Eurobarometer 582 (2026). 
45   2025  Rule  of  Law  Report,  France,  p.  6.  CSOs  had  called  on  the  development  of  integrity  plans  for 

municipalities above 100 000 inhabitants.   

46   Country  visit  France,  Anticor  and  Transparency  International  France.  CSOs  have  been  involved  in  the 
preparation  of  the  National  Plan  only  to  a  limited  extent.  Transparency  International  France  published  its 
“Alternative Plan: 19 measures to sustainably reduce corruption in France” as a reply to the NACP. 

47   NACP 2025-2029, Measure 1.   
48   Ibidem and French Government (2026), written input, p. 19. 
49   Court  of  Audit  (2025),  Evaluation  of  the  Anti-Corruption  Policy  2013-2024,  pp.  10  and  92.  The 

implementation of the NACP must be based on clear governance and strong political ownership.  

50   Transparency  International  France  (2026),  written  input,  p.  17;  Country  Visit  France,  Anticor  and 
Transparency International France. The lack of references to the resources dedicated to the implementation 
of the Plan has been mentioned by several stakeholders, in particular CSOs. 

51   Recruitments  of  magistrates  are  planned  until  2027,  see  pillar  1.  Part  of  these  reinforcements  will  be 

dedicated to the fight against corruption. 

52   Court  of  Audit  (2025),  Evaluation  of  the  Anti-Corruption  Policy  2013-2024,  p.  77.  Country  visit  France, 

Magistrates’ Associations, Anticor and Transparency International France.  

53   French  Government  (2026),  written  input,  p.  28.  Website  of  the  First  Instance  Court  of  Paris:  9  legal 

assistants (+1) and 19 clerks (+1) are now working at the PNF. 

54   Country visit France, Government. 

7 

 
 
number of pending  cases at the PNF shows a stabilisation since 2023 after several years of 
increase55.  A  National  Prosecutor  Office  for  Organised  Crime  was  created56  and  is 
operational since January 2026. Its competences include complex cases of bribery linked to 
organised  crime.  Prosecutors  of  these  National  Prosecution  Offices  are  selected  based  on 
experience  and  knowledge  of  the  field.  They  also  benefit  from  dedicated  specialised 
trainings57.  Changes  within  the  National  Police  and  the  National  Gendarmerie  have  also 
aimed at reinforcing the fight against corruption58.   

The High Authority for the Transparency in  Public Life has been  entrusted with new 
tasks. The High Authority for the Transparency in Public Life (HATVP) continues to verify 
assets  and  interests’  declarations,  issue  opinions  on  issues  related  to  revolving  doors59,  and 
manage  the  Repository of  Interest  Representatives.  Since  October  2025,  the  Authority 
acquired  new  competences  regarding  the  new  Foreign  Influence  Repository60.  Despite  past 
increases in resources61, the Authority and civil society noted that the current resources of the 
HATVP  constrain  its  ability  to  satisfactorily  carry  out  its  additional  tasks62.  The  HATVP 
President presented on 28 May 2026, an assessment of the work of the HATVP since it was 
created in 201463. Work is ongoing on the framework of assets and interest declarations64 to 
ensure compliance with the GRECO’s recommendation on examination of the declaration of 
the  elected  presidential  candidate65,  the  transparency  and  scope  of  interest  declarations  of 
officials  at  top-executive  level66  and  accessibility  of  assets  and  interest  declarations  of 
members of Parliament67. 

Some  further  progress  has  been  made  regarding  the  recommendation  on  lobbying,  in 
particular  through  the  strengthening  of  the  transparency  framework  on  foreign 
influence  activities,  while  other  draft  laws  remain  under  discussion  in  the  Parliament 
and  disclosure  requirements  do  not  apply  to  officials  at  top-executive  level68.  The 
decree69  related  to  the  implementation  of  the  2024  law  on  the  prevention  of  foreign 
interference70 entered into force in October 202571. It provides for the creation of a Foreign 

55   Country  visit  France,  Government;  PNF  (2025):  771  cases  were  pending  at  the  end  of 2025;  772  in  2023 

(highest recorded number); only 211 in 2014.  

56   Law n° 2025-532 of 13 June 2025 on Anti-Narcotics and Organised Crime. 
57   Country visit France, French Government. 
58   French  Government  (2026),  written  input,  p.  17.  The  former  National  Investigation  Division  has  been 
replaced by the National Delegation Against Corruption which is now in charge of anti-corruption mission. 

59   French Government (2026), written input, p. 26. The HATVP issued 593 opinions in 2025. 
60   Decree n° 2025-733 of 31 July 2025 on transparency of lobbyists acting on behalf of foreign entities. 
61   2025 Rule of Law Report, France, p. 7. 
62   Country visit France, HATVP: four positions were created in 2025 to cover previous needs, but they are not 
considered as sufficient by the HATVP and CSOs. Transparency International France (2026), written input, 
p. 19.  Country visit France, HATVP.  

63   HATVP (2026).  
64   Country visit France, French Government. 
65   GRECO (2025), Recommendation viii. 
66   Ibidem, Recommendation ix. 
67   GRECO (2024), Recommendation v. 
68   The 2025 Rule of Law Report recommended to France to “Continue ongoing efforts to ensure that rules on 
lobbying activities are consistently applied to all relevant actors, including at top-executive level, and take 
forward the legislative process on the draft laws on lobbying”. Some progress was assessed previously on 
this recommendation in 2025, 2024, with no progress in 2023. 

69   Decree n° 2025-733 of 31 July 2025 on transparency of lobbyists acting on behalf of foreign entities. 
70   Law n°2024-850 from 25 July 2024 on the prevention of foreign interference.  
68   On  12  December  2023,  the  Commission  adopted  a  proposal  for  a  directive  on  transparency  of  interest 
representation  on  behalf  of  third  countries  which  aims  are  similar.  This  proposal  is  currently  being 
negotiated.  

8 

 
 
three  months.  This 

Influence  Repository  managed  by  the  HATVP.  Since  October  2025,  persons  carrying  out 
lobbying  activities  on  behalf  of  foreign  entities  are  required  to  be  registered  in the  Foreign 
Influence  Repository72.  As  of  1  January  2026,  those persons must  declare  their  activities 
every 
Interests 
repository  exists  besides 
Representatives that has been in place since 2017. Both chambers of Parliament are actively 
working  on  training  activities  to  raise  awareness  among  their  members  on  the  law  on  the 
prevention  of  foreign  interference73.  The  draft  laws  on  the  transparency  of  interests’ 
representatives74 filed in 2023 have not been further discussed, while a new proposal on that 
topic75 has been filed at the National Assembly.  The scope of declaration obligation has been 
extended with the creation of the Foreign Influence Repository but disclosure requirements in 
both repositories continue to apply to interest representatives only and not to officials at top-
executive  level  or  to  Members  of  the  Parliament.  On  this  basis,  some  further  progress  has 
been made in relation to the recommendation. 

the  Repository  of 

Measures  continue  to  be  implemented  to  reinforce  the  ethics  culture  within  the 
Government,  Parliament  and  their  staff.  An  ethics  guide  for  Presidential  staff76  was 
published  in  October  2025.  An  ethics  contact  point  was  appointed,  awareness  raising 
activities as well as training sessions were organised. The Senate also adopted and published 
a  new  ethics  guide  in  view  of  its  partial  renewal,  taking  place  in  September  202677.  The 
National Assembly updated its ethics guide to include changes related to the extension of the 
competence  of  the  ethics  contact  point  in  matters  related  to  control  of  political  party 
financing78.  The  Ethics  Offices  of  both  Chambers  of  the  Parliament  report  an  increased 
awareness of ethic-related matters by their members79. Concerning political party financing, 
TRACFIN, a French Financial Intelligence Service, can now send information to the National 
Commission  on  Campaign  Accounts  and  Political  Financing  (CNCCFP)  that  allow  better 
information sharing on financial flows80.  

The  integrity  frameworks  for  police  officers  and  magistrates  are  being  further 
reinforced.  The  general  inspectorate  for  the  national  police  (IGPN)  and  the  general 
inspectorate for the national “gendarmerie” (IGGN) are preparing a strategy or action plan for 
fighting  corruption  in  their  respective  fields81.  They  have  introduced  ethics  contact  points 
who  play  a  preventive  role  and  follow-up  on  cases  of  non-compliance  with  professional 
ethics  rules82.  The  HCJ  published  the  Ethics  Charter  for  Magistrates  of  the  Judiciary 
reaffirming existing ethical principles and presenting them in a more structured and guiding 

72   Country visit France, HATVP. Nine entities were registered on 3 June 2026. 
73   Country visit France, Deontologist of the National Assembly and Ethics Committee of the Senate. 
74   Draft law n° 834 presented at the Senate on 5 July 2023 and draft law n° 1577 presented on the same date at 

the National Assembly. The latter has become obsolete. 

75   Draft  law  n°  1516  on  reinforcing  the  transparency  of  interest  representatives  presented on  4  June 2025. It 
mirrors  the  precedent  draft  law  in  proposing  to  strengthen  the  transparency  of  the  activities  of  interests’ 
representatives and addresses some issues faced by the HATVP in implementing the current system.  

76   Country visit France, Government. The ethics guide is available on the website of the  Presidency. 
77   Country visit France, Ethics Committee of the Senate.  
78   Country visit France, Deontologist of the National Assembly. 
79   Country visit France, Deontologist of the National Assembly and Ethics Committee of the Senate. 
80   Country visit France, CNCCFP. 
81   French Government (2026), written input, p. 20 (IGPN) and p. 21 (IGGN). 
82   French Government (2026), written input, p. 31. 

9 

 
 
form83.  Requests  for  ethical  counselling  addressed  by  judges  to  their  ethics  support  service 
(SAVD) continued to increase84. 

The framework for the protection of whistleblowers remains robust, while the increase 
of reports represents a challenge in terms of resources needed to ensure their follow-up. 
Measure  14  of  the  National  Anticorruption  Plan  refers  to  better  familiarising  all  national 
administration  staff  with  whistleblowing  systems  and  mentions  awareness  raising  and 
training  as  possible  implementation  tools  of  the  measure.  On  8  December  2025,  the  AFA 
organised a symposium focussing on how to tackle the steady increase in the number of alerts 
and on how to ensure the protection of whistleblowers. It was underlined that the legislation 
provides for a sound legal framework for the collection and handling of alerts while national 
administrations and their staff must be better trained85. The number of whistleblowers reports 
increased  significantly.  The  number  of  whistleblowing  reports  received  by  the  Defender  of 
Rights (Defender) almost doubled86. Given the high number of alerts, the Defender and CSOs 
emphasize that more financial resources are needed to ensure the continuous well-functioning 
of the whistleblower framework87.  

As  regards  high  risk  areas  for  corruption,  the  law  on  Anti-Narcotics  and  Organised 
Crime  that  introduced  several  measures  aimed  at  reinforcing  the  fight  against 
corruption when linked to organised crime, is being implemented. Businesses’ attitudes 
towards  corruption  in  the  EU  shows  that  47%  of  companies  in  France  (EU  average  37%) 
think that corruption is a problem when doing business and 26% of companies (EU average 
30%) think that corruption has prevented them from winning a public tender in practice in the 
last  three  years88.  62%  of  companies  perceive  the  level  of  independence  of  the  public 
procurement  review bodies  (the regular courts) as very or fairly  good89. The Single Market 
and Competitiveness Scoreboard on access to public procurement in  France reports  19% of 
single  bids  for  2023  (EU  average  27%).  The  fight  against  corruption  linked  to  organised 
crime  figures  prominently  in  the  National  Anticorruption  Plan90.  Measures  related  to 
bolstering  the  fight  against  corruption  linked  to  organised  crime  include  a  compulsory 
mapping of the risks for public actors in the fight against narcotraffic and in high risks areas 
such  as  ports  and  airports,  as  well  as  targeted  anti-corruption  training  for  security  officers 
operating in those areas. Public procurement also remains a sector exposed to high corruption 
risks  and  therefore  constitutes  another  focus  area  of  the  national  plan.  Measures  primarily 
target prevention, notably through training of public officials, law enforcement and financial 
experts, as well as support for the implementation of anti-corruption frameworks for private 

83   French  Government  (2026),  written  input,  pp.  8-9,  and  Country  visit  France,  HCJ.  Ethics  principles  were 
until  then  listed  in  the  Collection  of  Ethics  obligations  for  Magistrates  published  in  2010.  The  Charter 
remains a non-binding instrument. As prescribed by Law n° 2023-1058 of 20 November 2023, it was drafted 
after broad consultations.  

84   HCJ (2026), p. 60: In 2025, the SAVD received 124 requests, compared to 119 in 2024, 112 in 2023 and 74 

in 2022. 

85   AFA website. Possible areas of improvement have been identified such as reinforcing training on ethics or 
developing a network of professionals, Symposium “Alerts: key tools to fight corruption”, summary of the 
panel “Challenges for the collection and handling of internal alerts by public actors”.   

86   Defender of Rights (2025a), p. 120.  The number of reports received by the  Defender of Rights went  from 

519 in 2024 to 900 in 2025, around 20% of them being corruption-related reports.  

87   Country visit France, Defender of Rights, Transparency International - France and Anticor. The Defender of 
Rights  welcomed  the  awareness  raising  activities,  which  could  increase  the  number  of  alerts,  requiring  a 
possible increase of resources for organisations in charge of whistleblowers. 

88   Country visit France, Government.  
89   Figure 59, 2026 EU Justice Scoreboard. 
90   NACP, objective 2, measures 8 to 13. 

10 

 
 
companies91.  A  decree  adopted  in  December  202592  increased  the  threshold  for  exemption 
from advertising and competitive tendering for supplies and services93 as well as for works94, 
limiting the spendings by public authorities subject to publicity and transparent competition95. 
Those  contracts  are  nonetheless  still  subject  to  the  fundamental  principles  of  public 
procurement,  in  particular,  freedom  of  access  to  public  procurement,  equal  treatment  of 
candidates and transparency96. 

III.  MEDIA PLURALISM AND MEDIA FREEDOM  

The  Regulatory  authority  for  audiovisual  and  digital  communication  (ARCOM)  is 
continuing to expand its regulatory scope and activities in response to new obligations 
and mandates. ARCOM, the media regulator, has seen its role further strengthened in recent 
years97.  In  the  near  future,  ARCOM  is  expected  to  play  a  key  role  also  in  ensuring  the 
application of the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA) at national level98, as well as under 
a draft law to strengthen the effectiveness of neighbouring rights for the press99, which would 
entrust it with new powers to oversee negotiations between publishers and digital platforms 
and  to  impose  sanctions  in  case  of  non-compliance100.  This  expansion  of  responsibilities 
takes place in a context where resources remain broadly stable or are slightly declining101. In 
parallel, ARCOM is reflecting on how to enforce impartiality in public service media and has 
commissioned  a 
forward  17 
recommendations, which ARCOM will discuss with public service media providers and the 
Ministry of Culture over a six-week consultation period before presenting an action plan on 
the  proposals102.  Following  the  decision  of  the  Council  of  State  of  13  February  2024103, 
ARCOM  has  initiated  a  process  of  adapting  its  methodology  to  broaden  its  assessment  of 
pluralism,  notably  regarding  the  plurality  of  viewpoints  and  editorial  balance,  including 
through  a  more  qualitative  approach,  while  stakeholders  remain  attentive 
its 
implementation. In this context, a formal complaint submitted by Reporters Without Borders 

report.  Published 

in  May  2026, 

report  puts 

this 

to 

91   NACP, measures 4, 6, 26, 27 and 28. 
92   Decree n° 2025-1386 of 29 December 2025 modifying some thresholds in public procurement. 
93   The threshold increased from EUR 40 000 to 60 000. 
94   The threshold of EUR 100 000 that had been provisionally set in 2020 (until 2022) has been confirmed. 
95   Transparency  International,  written  input,  p.  25.  Country  visit  France,  Anticor  and  Transparency 

International France. CSOs raised concerns on these measures. 

96   Country visit France, Government.  
97   ARCOM  also  exercises  competences  under  Regulation  (EU)  2022/2065  (Digital  Services  Act)  and 

Regulation (EU) 2024/900 on political advertising. 

98   Government  aims  to  grant  ARCOM  new  competences  to  ensure  the  effective  implementation  of  the 
Regulation,  notably  with  regard  to  the  oversight  of  media  concentration  from  a  pluralism  perspective,  the 
development  of  a  media  ownership  transparency  database,  the  regulation  of  user  interface  personalisation, 
and the transparency of state advertising. French Government (2026), written input, p. 35. 

99   Reference  to  this  draft  law  is  made  in  the  last  paragraph  of  this  section.  It  seeks  to  address  persistent 
difficulties faced by publishers in obtaining fair remuneration from online platforms for the use of their press 
content. 

100  Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 June 2024. 
101  Country  visit  France,  ARCOM  and  Ministry  of  Culture.  According  to  the  Ministry  of  Culture  (not 
responsible for these appropriations, ARCOM being an independent authority funded from the state budget), 
ARCOM’s budget (voted in the initial finance law) remains broadly stable between 2025 and 2026 (with an 
increase  of  0.2%),  following  a  decrease  of  2%  between  2024  and  2025.  Over  the  period  2024–2026, 
ARCOM’s  staffing  ceiling  has  been  reduced  by  2  full-time  equivalent  posts  (French  Government  (2026), 
written input, pp. 28-29). 
102  ARCOM (2026 b and c). 
103  Council of State (2025). 

11 

 
 
(RSF)  concerning  alleged  structural  imbalances  on  one  TV  channel  is  currently  under 
examination104.  

Recourse  to  media  self-regulation  has  increased  in  recent  years,  indicating  growing 
engagement with journalistic ethics. Based on the most recently available consolidated data 
(financial  year  2024),  the  Journalistic  Ethics  and  Mediation  Council  (CDJM),  a  body  for 
mediation between journalists, the media or news agencies and the public, received over 200 
complaints and issued a growing number of opinions, reflecting increased public engagement 
with  journalistic  ethics105.  Complaints  mainly  concern  inaccuracies,  lack  of  verification, 
conflicts  of  interest  and  breaches  of  ethical  standards,  with  all  types  of  media  concerned, 
particularly print/online press and television. The CDJM has also introduced new tools, such 
as  a  confidential  hotline,  to  support  journalists  in  addressing  ethical  issues.  More  recent 
signals (internal monitoring in 2025 and 2026) suggest that this trend continues. However, its 
effectiveness remains constrained by limited participation of major media outlets, as well as 
restricted  resources,  and  a  mandate  focused  on  individual  cases  rather  than  systemic  media 
pluralism issues106. 

While public service media are restructuring their activities due to budget constraints, 
pressure on them has intensified in the public debate. The reform of public broadcasting 
governance  aiming  to  create  a  holding  with  public  service  media  outlets  is  currently  on 
hold107.  In  parallel,  a  parliamentary  inquiry  committee  has  been  established  in  November 
2025  to  examine  the  neutrality,  functioning  and  financing  of  public  service  media.  Its  final 
report108,  published  on  5  May  2026,  contains  around  70  non-binding  recommendations, 
including  recommendations  for  significant  funding  cuts,  the  closure  or  merger  of  several 
public  media  outlets,  stricter  neutrality  obligations,  and  the  reintroduction  of  presidential 
appointments  for  public  broadcasting  executives.  On  12  May  2026,  the  Committee’s 
rapporteur  tabled  a  bill  aimed  at  preventing  conflicts  of  interest  within  public  audiovisual 
media. The bill was scheduled for consideration by the National Assembly in plenary on 25 
June 2026 but was ultimately not examined. On the funding side, the reform linking public 
broadcasting  financing  to  a  share  of  VAT  revenues,  adopted  in  December  2024,  has  been 
welcomed by public service media as improving predictability109. The Draft Finance Law for 
2026  nevertheless  includes  reductions  in  the  context  of  broader  fiscal  consolidation  efforts, 
with a budget cut of around EUR 80,2 million for France Télévisions110 and EUR 4,1 million 
for Radio France111 compared to 2025112. The savings will include workforce reductions113, a 

104  RSF (2025). 
105  In its 2024 annual report published on 21 May 2025, the CDJM declared it has been seised 216  times (146 
times in 2023, 297 in 2020), mostly for printed/online press (45.6%), TV (28.4%), radio (11.2%) and online 
media (9.3%). To these procedures, the association published 74 responses (50 in 2023, 20 in 2020). 

106  Country visit France, CDJM. 
107  Draft  law  on  the  reform  of  public  audiovisual  and  audiovisual  sovereignty,  aimed  at  reforming  the 
governance structure of public audiovisual media. The draft bill was rejected at first reading by the National 
Assembly in July 2024 and adopted by the Senate on 11 July 2025, pending a second reading in the National 
Assembly. This draft bill is currently on hold. 

108  Parliament (2026), pp. 67-80. 
109  In December 2024, France enacted an organic law reform that shifts public service medias funding to a tax-
based  revenue  stream  (share  of  VAT),  improving  stability  and  predictability;  the  Constitutional  Council 
(2022-842 DC) requires the legislature to set resources at levels enabling PSM to fulfil their remit. 

110 EUR 80,2 million in the adopted budget and an additional EUR 15 million announced in a letter sent by the 
Prime Minister the France Télévisions CEO, as reported during the country visit France, Ministry of Culture 
and France Télévisions.  

111  French Government (2026b), additional written input, p. 27. 

12 

 
 
strict control of operating and structural costs, the sale of real estate assets, lower programme 
spending114,  and  reductions  in  certain  FM  broadcasting  frequencies.  Both  operators 
welcomed  the  ongoing  discussions  with  the  Government  on  new  multiannual  contracts  of 
objectives  and  means  (COM),  which  are  expected  to  restore  greater  predictability  to  their 
financial  framework115  identified  strengthening  news  coverage,  particularly  at  national  and 
local  level,  and  accelerating  digital  transformation  as  key  priorities.  Both  operators  have 
launched initiatives to strengthen transparency and audience trust, including the introduction 
of  a  “pluralism  barometer”  for  Radio  France  Group  and  a  new  section  entitled 
"Transparency"  on  the  France  Télévisions’  website      aimed  at  improving  public  access  to 
information on its costs and use of resources. 

Further  steps  were  taken  to  improve  the  transparency  of  media  ownership,  including 
through  the  development  of  a  preliminary  transparency  database,  while  media 
concentration  is  an  increasing  concern116.  A  preliminary  media  ownership  transparency 
database  has  been  developed,  although  its  full  deployment  remains  contingent  on  the 
adoption  of  the  necessary  national  measures,  for  which  no  definitive  timeline  has  yet  been 
confirmed by the  Government. The current  scope of the database  covers audiovisual  media 
(television  and  radio  services  authorized  for  terrestrial  broadcasting),  but  it  should  be 
extended  to  include  print  media  and  online  news  services  once  the  relevant  legislation  is 
adopted in France. In this context, the authorities are considering extending the powers and 
competences of ARCOM so that it can carry out an assessment of certain transactions in the 
media market from the pluralism standpoint, in collaboration with the Competition Authority. 
Stakeholders,  including  journalists’  organisations,  report  increasing  concerns  regarding  the 
concentration  of  media  ownership,  notably  driven  by  acquisitions  by  a  limited  number  of 
large  private  groups117.  They  highlight  that  these  developments  may  affect  editorial 
independence,  transparency  and  the  diversity  of  viewpoints,  including  through  reported 
changes  to  internal  safeguards  within  media  outlets.  In  the  context  of  growing  economic 
pressures  on  the  sector,  stakeholders  underline  that  these  trends  may  further  weaken  media 
pluralism118. The 2025 Media MPM report identified market plurality as the most concerning 
area  for  France,  highlighting  persistent  structural  issues,  and  the  2026  Media  Pluralism 
Monitor  (MPM)  reports  an  increased  risk  of  71%  for  market  plurality119.  In  light  of  the 
development  of  the  media  ownership  transparency  database,  there  has  been  some  further 
progress on this recommendation. 

The Commission for Access to Administrative Documents received a record number of 
requests  for  access  to  official  documents,  while  requests  from  journalists  were  in 
minority. The Commission for Access to Administrative Documents (CADA) plays a central 

112  Decrease of 212 full-time equivalent positions compared with 2024. 
113  Le  Conseil  d'administration  de  France  Télévisions  approuve  les  comptes  2025,  13  March  2025,  France 

Télévisions website. 

114  Without prejudice to the constitutional principle of annual budgeting, the predictability of funding is ensured 
by the contracts of objectives and means (COM), which originate from Article 15 of Law No. 2000-719 of 1 
August 2000 amending the Law of 30 September 1986. 
115  Country visit France, Radio France and France Télévisions. 
116  The  2025  Rule  of  Law  Report  recommended  to  France  to  “Complete  ongoing  reforms  to  improve  the 
transparency  of  media  ownership,  in  particular,  complex  shareholding  structures,  building  on  the  existing 
legal  safeguards”.  Significant  progress  was  previously  assessed  on  this  recommendation  in  2025,  an  no 
progress in 2024 and 2023. 

117  E.g.  one  acquisition  has  been  challenged  before  both  the  State  Council  and  the  Competition  Authority,  to 
assess a potential abuse of dominant position. Country visit France, RSF, Press Council, AFP and SNJ. 

118  SNJ (2026). 
119  2026 Media Pluralism Monitor, country report for France, p. 18. 

13 

 
 
role in overseeing the right to access official documents, including through advisory opinions 
and guidance to administrations. Requests submitted by journalists represent a limited share 
of its activity, based on the most recently available consolidated data (financial year 2024), 
accounting for around 2% in 2024 and not exceeding 5% overall, and mainly concern areas 
such as public procurement, public finances, public security and government policy120. At the 
same  time,  some  stakeholders  indicate  that  access  procedures  are  sometimes  complex  in 
practice,  particularly  given  the  non-binding  nature  of  CADA’s  opinions  and  the  potential 
need to seek judicial review to obtain access to certain documents121. 

Developments  affecting  the  working  conditions  for  journalists  included  a  Court  of 
Cassation  judgment  strengthening  the  protection  of  sources,  while  challenges  persist 
related to their safety. The draft law to strengthen the effectiveness of neighbouring rights 
for  the  press122  supported  by  the  Government  and  adopted  at  first  reading  by  the  National 
Assembly  in  March  2026,  aims  to  strengthen  the  effective  enforcement  of  neighbouring 
rights  for  the  press  by  improving  access  to  data  from  digital  platforms,  facilitating 
negotiations,  and  granting  ARCOM  new  regulatory  and  sanctioning  powers.  The  bill  was 
adopted  by  the  Senate  in  June  2026.    Meanwhile,  the  protection  of  journalistic  sources  has 
been  identified  as  an  area  of  ongoing  concern  from  stakeholders  notably  due  to  the  broad 
interpretation  of  “overriding  public  interest”  exceptions.  A  judgment  of  17  March  2026  by 
the Court of Cassation123 clarified that journalists may invoke source protection regardless of 
where  their  material  is  seized,  including  outside  professional  premises  such  as  in  public 
places, which was welcomed as an important clarification by stakeholders124. Concerning the 
safety  of  journalists,  stakeholders  pointed  to  instances  of  violence  and  intimidation  against 
journalists  and  media  outlets,  including  local  media.  More  broadly,  concerns  persist 
regarding125  violence  during  demonstrations,  while  the  National  policing  scheme  (SNMO), 
provides for specific safeguards. The law aiming to transpose the anti-SLAPP Directive has 
been  adopted  in  May  2026  and  covers  both  cross-border  and  domestic  cases.  Stakeholders 
also  highlighted  an  increase  in  strategic  lawsuits  against  public  participation  (SLAPPs), 
particularly targeting local and investigative media, contributing to financial strain and risks 
of self-censorship126. Since the 2025 Rule of Law Report, 24 new alerts have been recorded 
on  the  Council  of  Europe’s  Platform  to  promote  the  protection  of  journalism  and  safety  of 
journalists127. The Media Freedom Rapid Response mechanism has identified 92 alerts. These 
alerts include harassment and threats128. 

120  CADA (2026), written input. 
121  RSF, written input, p.19. 
122  This  law  is  building  on  Article  15  of  Directive  (EU)  2019/790  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the 
Council  of  17  April  2019  on  copyright  and  related  rights  in  the  Digital  Single  Market  and  amending 
Directives  96/9/EC  and  2001/29/EC  (Text  with  EEA  relevance).  It  is  intended  to  address  persistent 
difficulties faced by publishers in obtaining fair remuneration from online platforms for the use of their press 
content,  with  potential  positive  effects  on  the  distribution of  revenues  and  the  remuneration  of  journalists. 
Neighbouring rights are related rights granted to entities involved in the dissemination of protected content; 
under  Article  15,  press  publishers  are  given  the  right  to  control  certain  online  uses  of  their  publications, 
without affecting authors’ rights. 

123  Court of Cassation, 17 March 2026, No. 25-81.815. 
124  SNJ website. 
125  Country visit France and written input, SNJ. 
126  RSF (2026), p. 19.  
127   France has so far not replied to any of the alerts. Out of the 24 alerts, replies are expected for seven. 
128    France has so far not replied to any of the alerts. Out of the 24 alerts, replies are expected for seven. 

14 

 
 
IV.  OTHER INSTITUTIONAL ISSUES RELATED TO CHECKS AND BALANCES 

Stakeholder engagement in law making is stable, while the reduction of legislative and 
administrative  burdens  remains  an  important  priority  for  the  Government.  According 
to  the  OECD129,  consultations  with  selected  groups  take  place  frequently  and  public 
consultations  are  accessible  online.  Stakeholders’  engagement  is  slightly  stronger  for 
subordinate  regulation  than  for  primary  legislation130,  which  is  often  adopted  through 
accelerated  procedures  in  the  Parliament131.  The  Government  has  not  used  the  Agora 
application, which allows citizens to give their opinion  on specific public policies, between 
July 2024 and July 2025. Since then, citizens were consulted on 7 topics, and 27 000 replies 
were  submitted132.  The  Government  organised  citizens’  conventions  on  different  topics, 
where around 130 citizens were randomly selected to participate. According to the National 
Consultative  Commission  on  Human  Rights  (CNCDH)133,  the  Fundamental  Rights  Agency 
(FRA)134  and  the  European  Civic  Forum135,  despite  frequent  consultations,  citizens’ 
recommendations  have  limited  influence.  In  their  view,  public  consultations  are  often  a 
formal  exercise136.  SMEs  have  been  increasingly  consulted  on  draft  laws  and  proposals137. 
Businesses still face some challenges related to legislative and administrative burdens, which 
they see sometimes as an obstacle to investment138. However, several steps have been taken 
to  improve  the  situation.  Businesses  have  actively  participated  in  a  consultation  on 
simplifying their administrative obligations139, leading to the adoption of new legislation140, 
which  contains  twenty-six  simplification  measures  for  businesses.  The  law  has  three 
objectives:  reducing  the  burden  of  administrative  procedures,  reviewing  the  relationship 
between administration and business and streamlining the procedures. 

More than half of companies surveyed in France express confidence in the effectiveness 
of investment protection. 61% of companies are very or fairly confident that investments are 
protected by law and courts, a figure which has slightly decreased in comparison with 2025 
(62%)141. As regards authorities relevant for economic operators,  55% perceive the level of 
independence of the national  competition  authority (French Competition  Authority) as very 
or fairly good, a figure which has significantly decreased in comparison with 2025 (62%)142. 

129   OECD  (2025),  Chapter  6,  France,  p.  148.  Composite  indicators:  stakeholder  engagement  in  rulemaking, 

2018-2024. 

130   Ibidem. 
131   Out of 71 laws adopted in the parliamentary session 2024-2025, 51 were adopted by accelerated procedure, 

according to Art.45(2) of the Constitutions. Statistics of the National Assembly 2024-2025. 

132   French Government (2026b), p. 37. 
133   CNCDH is the national human rights institution. 
134   FRA(2026), pp. 21-22. 
135   European Civic Forum (2026), p. 15. 
136   CNCDH (2025), p. 14. Country visit France, Business Organisations. 
137   Country visit France, Business Organisations. 
138   Ibidem and European Investment Bank, EIB Investment Survey. In the context of the European Semester, 
the  Commission  has  proposed  that  the  Council  recommends  that  France  “further  simplif[ies]  national 
regulation,  reduce[s]  administrative  burden,  and  regulatory  restrictions  on  firms  (…)”.  European 
Commission (2026) 210 final, CSR 3. 

139   The consultation had received 700 000 votes and more than 5 000 proposals. French Government (2026b), 

p. 38.  

140   Law on Simplifying economic life, adopted by the Parliament on 26 May 2026. 
141   Figure  52  and  53,  2026  EU  Justice  Scoreboard.  31%  and  28%  of  the  surveyed  investors  respectively 
perceive  the frequent  changes  in  legislation  or  concerns  about  the  quality  of  the  law-making  process  and 
concerns  about  quality,  efficiency  or  independence  of  justice  as  a  reason  for  the  lack  of  confidence  in 
investment protection.   

142   Figure 60, 2026 EU Justice Scoreboard.  

15 

 
 
The  Council  of  State  has  jurisdiction  in  several  business-related  cases,  including  in  cases 
related to public procurement, public concessions, public contracts and economic regulation. 
There are no judicial mechanisms to improve efficiency in these cases143. 

On 1 January 2026, France had 18 leading judgments of the European Court of Human 
Rights  pending  implementation,  a  decrease  of  8  compared  to  the  previous  year144.  At 
that  time,  France’s  rate  of  leading  judgments  from  the  past  10  years  that  had  been 
implemented  was  at  76%  (compared  to  66%  in  2025;  24%  remained  pending),  and  the 
average  time  that  the  judgments  had  been  pending  implementation  was  3  years  and  10 
months  (compared  to  3  years  in  2025)145.  The  oldest  leading  judgment,  pending 
implementation for almost 16 years, concerns the inaction of the authorities in the execution 
of  judiciary  measures  of  expulsion  regarding  illegally  occupied  lands146.  As  regards  the 
respect  of  payment  deadlines,  on  31  December  2025  there  were  6  cases  in  total  awaiting 
confirmation  of  payments  (compared  to  9  in  2024)147.  On  17  June  2026,  the  number  of 
leading judgments pending implementation had remained at 18148.  

Public  authorities  continue  to  support  civil  society  organisations,  including  through 
substantial public funding, while some organisations continue to face challenges to their 
operations. In December 2025, France’s civic space rating was downgraded by Civicus from 
“narrowed”  to  “obstructed”149.  Civil  Society  Organisations  (CSOs)  point  to  an  increasing 
restriction  of  the  freedom  of  association150,  while  cases  of  excessive  use  of  force  by  law 
enforcement during demonstrations have been pointed out by the European Court for Human 
Rights,  the  Defender  of  Rights,  the  CNCDH  and  CSOs151.  Despite  budgetary  restrictions 
leading  to  some  decrease  in  their  funding152,  public  authorities  continue  to  support  CSOs, 
including  through  substantial  public  funding153.  No  human  rights  CSO  has  been  dissolved 
during the reporting period according to the Law of 2021, which establishes the ‘Republican 
Commitment Agreement’154, while in a few cases part of their public funding was removed. 
According to the Defender of Rights, the CNCDH and CSOs, criteria to remove funding from 
CSOs could  be more precise155.  Most  CSOs indicated they have good  relations  with  public 

143   Figures 66 and 67, 2026 EU Justice Scoreboard. The data presented reflects exclusively the mechanisms in   
place at the level of the highest administrative jurisdictions; the same or other mechanisms may be in place 
at lower instance administrative courts. 

144  For an explanation of the supervision process, see the website of the Council of Europe.   
145  All  figures  calculated  by  the  European  Implementation  Network  (EIN)  and  based  on  the  number  of  cases 
that are considered pending at the annual cut-off date of 1 January 2026. EIN (2026), written input, p. 4. 
146  Judgment of the ECtHR, 13829/03, Barret and Sirjean v. France, pending implementation since 2007.  
147  Council of Europe (2026), p.162  
148  Data according to the online database of the Council of Europe (HUDOC). 
149  France’s  score  is  60/100.  Ratings  by  Civicus  are  on  a  five-category  scale  defined  as:  open,  narrowed, 

obstructed, repressed and closed. 

150  FIDH (2025), European Civic Space (ECF) (2026), p. 8-17, Liberties (2026), Civil Society Europe (2026). 
151   European  Court  of  Human  Rights,  judgment  of  30  June  2025,  Fraisse  and  others  v.  France,  22525/21  et 
47626/21. CNCDH (2025), p. 24, Defender of Rights (2026a), p. 108. See also its decisions 2025-129, 2025-
066 and     2025-065. 

152  Country  visit  France,  CSOs.  There  was  more  than  EUR  1  billion  decrease  in  2025,  following  EUR  2.4 
billion  in  2024.  In  2025,  more  associations  were  dissolved  than  in  2022  and  in  2023  in  total.  In  2026,  a 
further cut of EUR 1 billion is planned. FIDH (2025), pp. 60–64, ECF (2026), pp. 84–85, FRA (2026), pp. 
15-17.  The decrease in funding is leading to an increasing number of dissolutions. 

153  EUR 9.5 billion in 2024. French Government (2026b), p. 35.  
154  See 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022 Rule of Law Reports, chapters on France, resp. pp. 14, 22, 24 and 23-24. 
155 E.g. Calvados family planning association, for example, received no subsidies in 2025 on the grounds that it 
had failed to respect the principle of neutrality. CNCDH (2025), pp. 15 - 16; Defender of Rights (2025a), pp. 
142-145,  Decision  2025-199;  Observatory  of  associative  freedoms  (2026a);  FIDH  (2025),  pp.  60-64 
European Civic Space (2025), p. 14, Human Rights Watch (2026), FRA(2026), written input, pp. 139-141. 

16 

 
 
authorities. However, between 27% and 41% of CSOs, depending on the area of work, stated 
that they self-censor as a result of fear of losing funds156. Environmental CSOs have seen the 
number  of  legal  actions  against  them  increase  over  recent  years157.  The  European  Network 
for  National  Human  Rights  Institutions  (ENNHRI)  recommended  France  to  provide  the 
CNCDH, which has an ‘A’ accreditation status, with the required financial resources so that it 
can  effectively  carry  out  its  mandate  at  national  and  international  level;  consult  or  at  least 
inform  the  CNCDH  of  the  preparation  of  legislative  texts  and  public  policies,  particularly 
those that are related or have impacts  on human rights  and climate policies;  and enable the 
CNCDH to intervene before national courts by submitting written observations158.  

ECF  (2026),  p.  8.  It  is  difficult  to  assess  how  often  the  tool  has  been  used  since  it  came  into  force,  as 
highlighted by an assessment of the tool by the French National Assembly's legal commission in 2025. 

156  University of Lille (2025), results of the first national survey on relations between associations and public 
authorities. See also Human Rights Watch (2025). ECF (2026), p. 13. See also FRA(2026), pp.  139 - 141. 
Observatory of Associative Freedoms (2026b). 

157  The Support Movement for Environmentalists recorded 95 legal proceedings in 2025, up from 55 in 2023, 
FRA(2026), written input, pp. 133-135. See also ECtHR, Case Ludes and Others v. France, 3 July 2025. 

158  ENNHRI (2026), p. 1.  

17 

 
 
Annex I: List of sources in alphabetical order* 

* The list of contributions received in the context of the consultation for the 2026 Rule of Law Report 
can 
https://commission.europa.eu/publications/2026-rule-law-report-targeted-
found 
stakeholder-consultation_en.  

be 

at 

ARCOM (2026a), Report of the mission on the Impartiality of the public audiovisual service by Bruno 
Lasserre, 
HTTPS://WWW.ARCOM.FR/SITES/DEFAULT/FILES/2026-05/ARCOM-ETUDE-SUR-LA-
PERCEPTION-DE-IMPARTIALITE-DE-AUDIOVISUEL-PUBLIC.PDF  

ARCOM  (2026b),  Input  from  ARCOM  to  the  2026  Rule  of  Law  Report.CNCDH  (2025),  Report  on 
Preserving  civic  space:  a  major  challenge  for  democracy  and  human  rights.  Préserver  l’espace 
civique : un enjeu majeur pour la démocratie et les droits humains | CNCDH. 

Commission for Access to Administrative Documents (2026), Input from the Commission for Access 
to Administrative Documents to the 2026 Rule of Law Report.  

Constitutional Council (2026), Input from the Constitutional Council to the 2026 Rule of Law Report. 

Council  of  Bars  and  Law  Societies  of  Europe  (CCBE)  (2026),  Input  from  the  Council  of  Bars  and 
Law Societies of Europe to the 2026 Rule of Law Report. 

Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (CCBE) (2026), Letter to the Minister of Justice on the 
reform of the criminal justice. 

Council of Europe (2026), Supervision of the execution of judgments decisions of the European Court 
of Human Rights – 19th Annual Report of the Committee of Ministers – 2025, https://rm.coe.int/2025-
annual-report/48802b1633.  

Council  of  Europe  (2026),  Directorate-General  for  Human  Rights  and  Rule  of  Law,  Input from  the 
Council of Europe to the 2026 Rule of Law Report. 

Council of State, Public statement following the Decision N° 463162. 

Court of Audit (2025), Evaluation of the Anti-Corruption Policy 2013-2024. 

Court of Cassation, President, New Year Speech 2026. 

of 

Defender 
https://www.defenseurdesdroits.fr/sites/default/files/2026-04/ddd_rapport-annuel-
2025_20260407.pdf.  

(2026a), 

Activity 

Annual 

Rights 

Report 

2025, 

Defender of Rights (2026b), Audition at the enquiry committee of the Parliament on Access to justice 
in overseas territories. 

of 

Defender 
https://www.defenseurdesdroits.fr/sites/default/files/2026-04/ddd_rapport_droit-au-
juge_20260415.pdf.   

(2026c), 

Report 

Access 

Rights 

the 

on 

to 

a 

judge, 

ENNHRI  (2026),  State  of  the  Rule  of  Law  in  Europe:  France  country  report,  https://rule-of-
law.ennhri.org/export?country%5B0%5D=69&year%5B0%5D=2026.  

European Association of Judges (2026), Input from the European Association of Judges to the 2026 
Rule for the 2026 Rule of Law Report. 

European  Civic  Forum 
2026  Civic 
https://civicspacewatch.eu/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Civic-Space-Report-2026-European-Civic-
Forum-3.pdf.   

Space  Report, 

chapter 

(2026), 

on  France, 

European Civic Space (2025), Monitoring Action for Civic Space, Country Report France. 

European Commission (2026), Country report France, SWD(2026) 1007 final.  

European Commission (2026), EU Justice Scoreboard. 

European Commission (2025), EU Justice Scoreboard. 

18 

 
European Commission (2025), 2025 Rule of Law Report, Country Chapter on the rule of law situation 
in France. 

European  Commission,  Recommendation  for  a  Council  Recommendation,  on  the  economic,  social, 
employment, structural and budgetary policies of France, COM(2026) 210 final. 

European Court of Human Rights, Barret and Sirjean v. France of 3 July 2007. 

European  Court  of  Human  Rights,  Fraisse  and  Others  v.  France  of  30  June  2025, 
https://hudoc.echr.coe.int/eng#{%22itemid%22:[%22001-241984%22]}.  

European  Court  of  Human  Rights,  Ludes  and  Others  v.  France  of  3  July  2025, 
https://hudoc.echr.coe.int/rum#{%22itemid%22:[%22002-14486%22]}. 

European Federation of Journalists (2026), Input from the European Federation of Journalists to the 
2026 Rule of Law Report. 

European Implementation Network (2026), Input from the European Implementation Network for the 
2026 Rule of Law Report. 

European Investment Bank, EIN Investment Survey.  

European Network of Council of the Judiciary (ENCJ) (2026), Input from the ENCJ to the 2026 Rule 
of Law Report. 

European  Network  of  National  Human  Rights’  Institutions  (2026),  Report  on  the  rule  of  law  and 
human rights in the EU, Country report on France. 

FIDH (2025), France: Dropping out of Democracy. 

French Anticorruption Agency (2025) National Anticorruption Plan 2025 - 2029. 

French Anti-corruption Agency, https://www.agence-francaise-anticorruption.gouv.fr/fr. 

French  Government 
https://www.agence-francaise-anticorruption.gouv.fr/files/2026-03/National%20Multi-
Year%20Plan%20to%20Fight%20Corruption%202025-2029.pdf. 

(2025),  National  Plan  Against  Corruption  2025-2029  available  at: 

French Government (2026a), Input from France for the 2026 Rule of Law Report. 

French Government (2026b), Additional input from France for the 2026 Rule of Law Report.  

Fundamental Rights Agency (2026a), Civic Space in the EU in 2025. 

GRECO  (2025),  fifth  evaluation  round,  addendum  to  the  2nd  compliance  report  available  at 
https://rm.coe.int/grecorc5-2025-19-final-eng-add-to-the-2nd-compliance-report-france-
pub/488029c290. 

GRECO  (2024),  fourth  evaluation  round,  Second  addendum  to  the  second  compliance  report 
https://rm.coe.int/second-addendum-to-the-second-compliance-report-france-4th-
available 
evaluation-/1680ae51d2. 

at 

High Authority for the Transparency in Public Life (2026), 12 years in the service of public integrity 
https://www.hatvp.fr/wordpress/wp-
available 
– 
content/uploads/2026/05/HATVP_BILAN-RAISONNE_dp.pdf 

stocktaking 

proposals 

and 

at 

High  Council  for  the  Judiciary  (2025),  website,  meeting  with  the  President  of  the  Republic,  23 
November 2025. Le CSM reçu à l'Elysée par le Président de la République | Conseil Supérieur de la 
Magistrature. 

High Council for the Judiciary (2026), Annual Report 2025. 

Human  Rights  Watch,  Backsliding  on  the  Rule  of  Law  in  France  (‘Recul  de  l’état  de  droit  en 
France’),  12  December  2025,  https://www.hrw.org/fr/news/2025/12/12/recul-de-letat-de-droit-en-
france. 

19 

 
International  Federation  for  Human  Rights  (2025),  France:  Dropping  out  of  Democracy, 
https://www.fidh.org/en/region/europe-central-asia/france/public-freedoms-in-danger-alarm-over-
repression-in-france.  

Joint Civil Society Europe, Input on Civic Space to the 2026 Rule of Law Report. 

Journalistic Ethics and Mediation Council (2025), 2024 Annual Report. 

Law No. 1058 (2023), Opening and modernising the responsibilities of the judicial body. 
https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/loda/id/JORFTEXT000048430497?isSuggest=true 

Law 
https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/loda/id/JORFTEXT000054131304?isSuggest=true.  

Simplifying 

(2026), 

403 

No. 

economic 

life, 

Law  No.  531  (2025),  Establishing  the  status  of  the  public  prosecutor  for  anti-organized  crime, 
https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/loda/id/LEGIARTI000051736614/2026-06-04?isSuggest=true 

Law  No. 
https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/loda/id/LEGIARTI000051736628/2026-06-04?isSuggest=true.  

(2025),  Extricating  France 

from 

drug 

trap 

532 

the 

of 

trafficking,  

Law No. 850 (2024), Prevention of foreign interference, 
https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/loda/id/LEGIARTI000050052857/2026-06-04?isSuggest=true 

Liberties (2026), Rule of Law Report, France. 

Magistrates’  Union  (Union  Syndicale  des  Magistrats),  Communication  from  16  December  2025, 
https://www.union-syndicale-magistrats.org/quand-letat-de-droit-vacille-lusm-agit/.  

Magistrates’  Union  (Union  Syndicale  des  Magistrats),  Communication  from  26  September  2025, 
https://www.union-syndicale-magistrats.org/enm-prevenir-les-derives-garantir-la-transparence/.  

Magistrats pour la Démocratie et les Libertés (MEDEL) (2026), Input from MEDEL to the 2026 Rule 
of Law Report. 

Media Pluralism Report (2026),  country report for France, published by the  independent Centre for 
Media Pluralism and Media Freedom (CMPF). 

National Assembly (2026), Report by the Committee to examine the neutrality, functioning and 
financing of public service media. National Assembly (2025), Statistics on Parliamentary Activity, 
https://www2.assemblee-nationale.fr/17/statistiques-de-l-activite-parlementaire. 

National Consultative Commission on Human Rights (2025), Opinion on the restriction of civic 
space: a major issue for democracy and human rights, https://www.cncdh.fr/publications/avis-sur-la-
restriction-de-lespace-civique-un-enjeu-majeur-pour-la-democratie-et-les. 

National Council of Bars (2026), Input from the National Council of Bars to the 2026 Rule of Law 
Report. 

National Council of Bars (2026), Resolution on the draft law on criminal justice, 7 April 2026. 

Observatory of associative freedoms (2026a), Barriers to freedom of association. 

Observatory of associative freedoms (2026b), Neutralizing the associative world - Investigation into 
an injunction to depoliticization. 

OECD (2025), Better Regulation Practices across the European Union 2025. 

Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights (2026), Report on France: UN experts alarmed 
by farmers’ arrests and growing criminalisation of peasant movements. 

Parliament  (2026),  Report  submitted  on  behalf  of  the  Committee  of  Inquiry  on  the  neutrality, 
functioning and financing of public audiovisual broadcasting (Rapport fait au nom de la commission 
d’enquête sur la neutralité, le fonctionnement et le financement de l’audiovisuel public), available at: 
https://www.assemblee-nationale.fr/dyn/17/rapports/ceaudio/l17b2698-t1_rapport-enquete 

20 

 
 
Parliament (2025), Evaluation of the Law  on the respect of Republican principles  (Evaluation de la 
loi 
la  République),  https://www.assemblee-
nationale.fr/dyn/17/documents/cion_lois/l17n870210094_document.pdf.  

respect  des  principes  de 

confortant 

le 

of 

Presidency 
https://www.elysee.fr/admin/upload/default/0001/19/b7c19bfb2f5d5acd875534a0042f33732a2dac01.
pdf . 

Republic 

available 

(2025), 

Ethics 

Guide 

the 

at 

Regulation  (EU)  1689  (2024),  Laying  down  harmonised  rules  on  artificial  intelligence,  https://eur-
lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/1689/oj/eng 

Reporters Without Borders (2026), Input from RSF to the 2026 Rule of Law Report. 

Reporters Without Borders (2026) France, Local information in first line, March 2026. 

Reporters without Borders (2025), Lack of pluralism on the French channel CNews: RSF refers the 
matter to Arcom, January 15, 2025, RSF website. 

Senate, Ethics Guide, published on 25 November 2025. 

SNJ (2026), Input from SNJ for the 2026 Rule of Law Report.  

SNJ,  Pluralism  and  media  concentration  before  the  Council  of  State  (Le  Pluralisme  et  la 
concentration des médias devant le Conseil d’Etat), 9 March 2026, SNJ website. 

SNJ,  The  Court of  Cassation  extends  the  protection of  source  secrecy …  ineffectively. (La  Cour  de 
cassation étend la protection du secret des sources… sans efficacité), SNJ website. 

Transparency International France (2026), Input from Transparency International France to the 2026 
Rule of Law Report. 

Transparency  International  France,  Alternative  Plan :  19  measures  to  fight  corruption  efficiently, 
https://transparency-france.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Transparency-France_Plan-alternatif_19-
mesures-pour-faire-reculer-durablement-la-corruption-en-France.pdf.  

United Nations, Human Rights, Regional Office Europe (2026), Input by the Office of the UN High 
Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to the 2026 Rule of Law Report. 

Université de Lille (CERAPS), University of Lille (2025), with CNRS, AMR and the Observatory of 
associative freedoms, Results of the first national survey on relations between associations and public 
authorities,  Présentation  des  résultats  de  la  première  enquête  nationale  sur  les  relations  entre 
associations et pouvoirs publics - Observatoire Libertés Associatives  

21 

 
Annex II: Country visit to France 

The Commission services held physical and virtual meetings in November 2025 and March 
2026 with: 

•  Agence France Press 
•  Associative Movement  
•  Anticor 
•  Authority for the regulation of the audiovisual and digital communication (ARCOM) 
•  Constitutional Council 
•  Council of State 
•  Defender of Rigths 
•  Deontologist of the National Assembly 
•  Ethics Committee of the Senate 
•  European Civic Forum 
•  Federation of French Entreprises and Entrepreneurs (FEEF) 
•  High Council for the Judiciary (physically and virtually) 
•  Journalistic Ethics and Mediation Council (CDJM) 
•  League of Human Rights (LDH) 
•  Magistracy’s Union (SM) 
•  Magistrates’ Union (USM) 
•  National Advisory Committee on Human Rights (CNCDH) (physically and virtually) 
•  National  Bar  Council,  Delegation  of  French  Bars,  Paris  Bar  and  Conference  of 

Batonniers 

•  National Commission for Campaign Accounts and Political Funding (CNCCFP) 
•  National Union of Journalists (SNJ) 
•  Public  authorities:  Secretariat-General  for  European  Affairs,  Ministry  of  Justice 
(physically  and  virtually),  Ministry  of  European  and  Foreign  Affairs,  Ministry  for 
Culture,  Ministry  of  Sports,  Youth  and  Associative  Life,  Secretariat-General  of  the 
Government for European Affairs (physically and virtually), Interministerial Direction 
for Public Transformation, French Representation to the EU, French Agency against 
Corruption. 

•  Public Service Media (France TV and Radio France) 
•  Regulatory Authority for Audiovisual and Digital Communication (ARCOM) 
•  Reporters Without Borders (RSF) 
•  Superior Council of the Magistracy 
•  Transparency International France 

* The Commission also met the following organisations in a number of horizontal meetings:  

•  Civil Liberties Union for Europe 
•  Civil Society Europe 
•  End FGM EU 
•  European Civic Forum 
•  European Partnership for Democracy 
•  Human Rights Watch 

22 

 
 
• 
ILGA-Europe 
• 
International Federation for Human Rights 
•  Philea - Philanthropy Europe Association 
•  Transparency International EU 

23