FRANCE Law and Practice Contributed by: Véronique Millischer, Léna Sersiron, Eléonore d’Anthonay, Guillaume Nataf, Olivia Chriqui-Guiot, Pauline Celeyron, Damien Berruyer and Nella Picou, Baker McKenzie Paris
In a cross-border context, the CNIL co-operates with other EU data protection authorities within the frame - work established by the GDPR, in particular through the “one-stop shop” mechanism, whereby a lead supervisory authority co-ordinates decisions concern - ing organisations operating in several Member States. Overall, the CNIL plays a central role in both guiding organisations and enforcing compliance, ensuring the consistent and effective application of data protection rules in France and across the EU. Several legislative developments are expected to influence the French legal and tax landscape in the short to medium term: • Finance Bill for 2027 : The Finance Bill for 2027 ( Loi de finances pour 2027 ) is expected to be presented to Parliament in the autumn of 2026 and adopted by the end of the year. It is, at this stage, too early to anticipate the content of the measures that will be included, although this bill should be influenced by the sustained pressure on French public financ - es and the government’s commitment to a credible deficit consolidation path. This bill will be the last finance bill before the 2027 presidential elections. • EU AI Act : Key obligations applicable to high- risk AI systems, originally scheduled to enter into force on 2 August 2026, are now expected to be deferred to late 2027 under the EU’s Digital Omni - bus simplification package. 9. Looking Forward 9.1 Upcoming Legal Reforms • EU FDI Screening Regulation : Formally adopted by the Council on 8 June 2026, the revised regulation will need to be implemented by Member States within 18 months, with expected application in January 2028. • Pay transparency : The draft bill transposing EU Directive 2023/970 of 10 May 2023 is currently before the French Parliament and will replace the existing gender equality index with seven new indicators applicable to employers with 50 or more employees.
• Merger control : Following the ECJ’s Illumina / Grail decision, the FCA is considering adopting new guidelines introducing a call-in power, enabling it to review below-threshold transactions in strategic sectors such as technology and healthcare.
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