LexBlog (LexBlog France)

In Allouche v. France, (ECHR, April 11, 2024) (full text in French), the European Court of Human Rights in a Chamber Judgment awarded damages of 15,000 Euros plus costs and expenses to a Jewish woman for violation of her right to respect for her private life. As explained by the Court in an English language...

MHCS brought an action at the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) seeking to cancel Les Grand Chais de France’s registered mark VEUVE OLIVIER for “sparkling wines,” arguing that it creates a likelihood of confusion with, and dilutes, MHCS’s VEUVE CLICQUOT mark for “champagne.” Although MHCS asserted numerous registrations in its petition for cancellation, all...

On 3 April 2024, the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) together with a group of central banks announced plans to join forces with the private sector to explore how tokenisation of wholesale central bank money and commercial bank deposits on programmable platforms can improve the monetary system. The project, named Project Agorá, will bring together...

On December 28, 2023, Arbitrator Roger P. Kaplan handed down one of the strongest decisions ever issued in the National Football League Players Association’s (NFLPA) history. Arbitrator Kaplan ordered that NFLPA Contract Advisor Todd France pay France’s competitor, Jason Bernstein, a total of $810,846.47, with $450,000 as punitive damages. The basis for the punitive damages...

 As reported by AP, France’s Parliament yesterday gave final approval to a Constitutional amendment that guarantees abortion rights: The measure was approved in a 780-72 vote in the Palace of Versailles. Abortion enjoys wide support in France across most of the political spectrum, and has been legal since 1975…. Both houses of France’s parliament, the...

France reported a record high number of foodborne outbreaks in 2022, according to recently released data. Notified outbreaks were at their highest since the start of surveillance in 1987 and continued the upward trend observed before the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, 1,924 outbreaks were declared, affecting 16,763 people, of whom 643 went to hospital, and...

In three decisions handed down on 13 September 2023, the French Supreme Court took an unprecedented position reversing the previous case law concerning accrual of paid leave for employees absent from work due to sickness. In these decisions, the French Supreme Court ruled that all employees on sick leave, regardless of whether the illness is...

Key Points The number of activist campaigns launched against European companies rose again in 2023, with a new focus on German targets. Many activists surveyed believe that France offers them good opportunities. Most of the companies surveyed said they have moved to install defenses against activists, or plan to in the near future. The boards...

With the 2024 Summer Olympics approaching, visa applicants may see longer wait times for appointments at U.S. embassies and consulates in Paris and across Europe. The Summer Olympics are set to take place in Paris, France from July 26 to Aug. 11, 2024. The Paralympics will take place from Aug. 28 to Sept. 8. Drawing...

With the 2024 Summer Olympics approaching, visa applicants may see longer wait times for appointments at U.S. embassies and consulates in Paris and across Europe. The Summer Olympics are set to take place in Paris, France from July 26 to Aug. 11, 2024. The Paralympics will take place from Aug. 28 to Sept. 8. Drawing...

The number of children sick in a severe E. coli outbreak in France linked to raw milk cheese has risen to 11. The 11 hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) cases were reported in late 2023. HUS is a severe complication associated with E. coli infections that causes kidney failure. Santé publique France surveillance on HUS only...

On February 8, 2024, the French Data Protection Authority announced the priority topics for its inspections in 2024. This blog entry provides a summary of the key topics.

Rather techno optimism based actions where ingenuity and science can produce our way out of our predicament.

A Green Challenge: France's Struggle with High Emission Rental Properties

Norovirus has been determined to be the suspected cause of a large outbreak at Airbus in France in late 2023, according to public health officials. The Loire-Atlantique regional health agency (ARS) believes norovirus was behind almost 700 people falling sick at the Airbus Atlantic Christmas lunch in mid-December. Findings are based on the clinical symptoms...

According to the Guardian, a gourmet Christmas dinner for 2,600 workers at the French aerospace group Airbus Atlantic left 700 of the staff sick.  The health authorities have launched an investigation to establish what caused the mass outbreak of gastroenteritis among a reported 700 employees.  The festive feast was organized and provided by the company’s own restaurant...

France’s Sapin II Law was created in 2016 to address corporate corruption and implement antibribery measures. The legislation took effect in 2017, marking a significant shift in the country’s regulatory compliance landscape. The law, which tracks closely with similar laws in the US, UK, and other EU countries, requires large companies [1] to implement a...

A cheese made from raw milk has been linked to half a dozen serious E. coli infections in France. Six cases of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) have been reported. HUS is a severe complication associated with E. coli infections that causes kidney failure.  Following severe diarrhea, young children attending the Minimes crèche in Toulouse had...

Operation Pangea XVI INTERPOL’s Operation Pangea is an annual week-long operation which relies on the efforts of police, customs, regulatory bodies, and private sector companies to to dismantle the illegal networks that contribute to the sale of illegal and counterfeit drugs. This year’s operation spanned from October 3 to 10, taking place throughout 89 of...

The Forward (Dec. 11) reports that a new controversy over the meaning of secularism is raging since last week in France: The scene of the figurative bonfire was, remarkably, the official home of the president, the Elysée Palace…. [Emmanuel] Macron was awarded the Lord Jacobovits Prize, an award … to honor individuals who have distinguished...

Santé Publique France has published details on Campylobacter infections in 2022, including 60 outbreaks. Epidemiological surveillance findings are based on the National Reference Center (CNR) for Campylobacter and Helicobacter and mandatory declaration of outbreaks. CNR data shows that 9,160 strains were identified as Campylobacter. Campylobacter jejuni was the most frequently identified species...

The owner of a restaurant in France linked to a botulism outbreak is facing charges in relation to the incident. In September 2023, during the Rugby World Cup, foodborne botulism affected 16 people in Bordeaux. Sick people came from Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States. One Greek woman died...

An outbreak of foodborne botulism in France has highlighted the effectiveness of using credit card data to identify potential patients, according to researchers. In September 2023, a botulism outbreak affecting 15 people occurred in Bordeaux during the Rugby World Cup. Sick people came from Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States....

Eurofins has called a compensation claim against one of its labs by Lactalis in relation to a 2017 Salmonella incident “frivolous.” Production at Lactalis’ Craon site in France was suspended in December 2017 as part of a Salmonella Agona outbreak investigation. Lactalis was allowed to restart sales of infant formula made at the plant in...

The State Department has recently extended the validity of certain visas for citizens of France, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Cuba.  This trend may signal an effort is underway to adjust visa validity periods for other nationalities and visa types.  Travelers are advised to monitor the State Department’s website for announced changes.  The...

A pilot study in France has pointed to a significant under-reporting of shellfish-related foodborne outbreaks. The objectives of the research were to quantify and describe the health impact of shellfish-related outbreaks as well as the circumstances of occurrence in Brittany, with the end goal of reducing their frequency. An online questionnaire looked at shellfish consumption...

In November 2023, the National Commission on Informatics and Liberty (CNIL), the French data protection authority, has announced having issued 10 new sanctions under its new simplified procedure following complaints with respect to geolocation of vehicles and video surveillance of employees, data minimization, right to object and lack of response to CNIL requests. The New...

INTERPOL’s Commission for the Control of INTERPOL’s Files (CCF’s) third session of the year occurred from October 16th to the 20th. As no further sessions are publicly scheduled for this year, this will likely be the last session during which the CCF will review INTERPOL notice subjects’ requests for notice removal and access to information.  ...

French law has traditionally provided that absences due to non-occupational illness are not taken into account when determining the amount of paid leave accrued, as they do not constitute a period of actual work. Periods of absence due to an occupational accident or illness lasting more than one uninterrupted year are not taken into account...

The number of children who suffered a potentially fatal complication of E. coli infection in France reached a record high in 2022, influenced by the Nestlé pizza outbreak, according to statistics recently released. Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which can be a complication of E. coli infection, is a type of kidney failure that can result in...