France presents new plan to fight corruption

The four-year plan specifically provides for the creation of an inter-ministerial committee dedicated to combating integrity violations. It also emphasizes training of public officials and exchange of information between ministries.

“Fighting corruption means protecting democracy”the government stressed. The executive adopted a new plan to fight corruption in France on Friday 14 November, consisting of 36 main measures including the creation of a new inter-ministerial committee, whose work will be coordinated by the French Anti-Corruption Agency (AFA).

Scheduled for a period of four years (from 2025 to 2029), the plan specifically provides for the appointment of a coordinator for the prevention and detection of integrity violations, an inventory of public records at risk in government administration or even the authorization of the National Campaign Accounts Commission to receive financial information from Tracfin, Bercy’s financial intelligence unit. Other components also propose to support the training of territorial actors and strengthen certain measures to combat corruption linked to organized crime, in particular in terms of port security.

The stakes are big: between 2014 and 2023, “the number of people – legal entities or individuals – who were the subject of public prosecutor decisions (prosecution, alternative actions) for integrity violations increased by 35.46%”. The government also records the geographical distribution of penalties “shows the concentration (relative to population) of criminal sanctions imposed in archipelagic areas or overseas territories”. Reports received by the French Anti-Corruption Agency for alleged honesty violations will almost double by 2024.