FRANCE Trends and Developments Contributed by: Eric Weil, Victor Gozzerino and Giada Cancemi, Weil & Associés
However, this abolition was ultimately rejected, with a consensus emerging around the CJIP’s effectiveness, bolstered by reference to its role in enabling France to resolve major international corruption and complex economic crime cases, such as the landmark CJIP concluded with Airbus in 2020, while generating close to EUR4 billion for the Treasury since 2016. International organisations such as Transparency International also opposed abolition, taking the view that it would be contrary to the fight against corrup - tion, even while acknowledging that particular atten - tion must be paid to the reasoning set out in decisions, that validation hearings receive wide publicity and that they serve an educational function. For corporates, the CJIP remains an instrument of predictability. For prosecuting authorities, it remains a lever of effectiveness. For the public, it must con - tinue to demonstrate that it is not merely the price of criminal peace. PNACO The Parquet national anticriminalité organisée (PNA - CO), which became operational on 5 January 2026, signals a change in enforcement methodology. Established by the Act of 13 June 2025 aimed at extracting France from drug trafficking, the PNACO is modelled on the Parquet national financier (PNF) and the Parquet national antiterroriste (PNAT). Its mandate is to handle the most serious organised crime cases and to co-ordinate judicial action at regional, national and international level. For corporates, its significance lies less in the fight against drug trafficking per se than in the methodol - ogy adopted: following the money. The PNACO was endowed from the outset with 16 magistrates, with further expansion planned. It also draws on a multidisciplinary team incorporating pro - files from customs, intelligence, the national police and the gendarmerie. The objective is clear: to identify the points through which criminal proceeds enter the legitimate economy. Its early months confirm this orientation.
The Cour de cassation nevertheless clarified, in its judgment of 20 January 2026, No 26-80.113, that this national jurisdiction is not intended to absorb all organised crime cases. The PNACO therefore appears as an instrument of concentration for the most struc - turally significant matters, assessed by reference to the criterion of exceptional complexity. At this stage, the PNACO remains an institutional promise. Its effectiveness will be measured by its capacity to develop a doctrine of action, and to trans - late financial tracing into concrete outcomes. E-Invoicing: The 2026 Reform Electronic invoicing will constitute one of the major compliance undertakings of 2026. With effect from 1 September 2026, all VAT-registered entities will be required to receive electronic invoices; large enterprises and mid-sized companies will also be required to issue them from that date. The invoice must be issued, transmitted and received in a standardised electronic format, through an accredited platform. For corporates, the implications extend beyond the purely fiscal. Accounting systems, internal proce - dures, supplier contracts and data flows will all require adaptation. A non-compliant invoice may delay pay - ment, disrupt supplier-client relationships or create cash flow tension. The reform also pursues a control objective. Entities will be required to transmit to the tax authorities cer - tain invoicing, transaction and payment data, in par - ticular through the e-reporting mechanism for transac - tions not directly governed by e-invoicing. The authorities will thereby gain a more rapid and structured visibility over commercial flows. The stated aim is two-fold: to simplify corporate administration, while enabling more effective detection of irregulari - ties, in particular in relation to VAT. The reform already provides for a coercive mechanism with fines of up to EUR15,000 per calendar year. The amounts are modest, but the signal is clear: fiscal data
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