France Laws: A Round Up of New Laws Coming Into Effect In 2018 In France

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France Laws: A Round Up of New Laws Coming Into Effect In 2018 In France
France Laws: A Round Up of New Laws Coming Into Effect In 2018 In France

France will see the introduction of several new laws as well as price hikes in the new year. Here is a list of some of the major anticipated changes :

Increased Number Of Compulsory Vaccinations:

The number of vaccinations that are now mandatory for children has gone up from three to 11 in 2018.

So far only three child vaccinations were obligatory under law in France: diphtheria, tetanus and polio.

But health minister Agnes Buzyn has said that this was causing “a real public health problem”, and therefore the number of compulsory vaccinations has been increased to include immunization against other dangerous conditions such as such as measles, hepatitis B, meningitis C, rubella, mumps and whooping cough.

Petrol and diesel price rises

The price of petrol is set to increase by 7.6 cents per litre in France while the price of diesel is going up by 3.84 cents.

Small Increase In Minimum wage

A marginal increase in minimal wage is being effected in the new year.

The hourly rate is expected to rise by 12 cents going from €9.76 to €9.88, which will result in a hike of around €15 per month  The monthly minimum wage for a regular 35-hour week will now be €1,498.

This hike of 1.24 percent is better than  last year’s when it was just 0.93 percent.

Govt. Bonus For Trading Old Cars

In an effort to address pollution levels in the country, the French government has introduced a scheme under which car owners are being offered a bonus of between €1,000 and 2,000 if they trade in their old car for a new one.

In order to qualify for the bonus, owners must own an old petrol car from before 1997 or a diesel car from the years between 2001 and 2006. Anyone choosing to buy an electric car will be eligible for a bonus of up to €2,500.

Daily Hospital Charges To Be Increased

From January onwards, the amount that patients are required to pay for staying in hospital (forfait hospitalier) is slated to go up by 2 euros to 20 euros. This cost is typically covered by insurance (mutuelles).

Payslips To be Simplified

Companies are now required to provide simplified versions of payslips, although there is no clarity on how simple they are required to be.

Hike In Dentistry Bills

An array of charges related to dentistry services is set to change in 2018:

  • Cost of false teeth and crowns has been capped although the amount that will get reimbursed for a crown will be reduced in 2019.
  • The costs for regular treatments such a filling will jump from €41 to €67.
  • In cases where dental surgeons perform check-ups on patients with severe mental or psychological disabilities, the price per session will go up to €60 or €90 depending on the need for sedation.

 First Aid Skills Mandatory For Getting Driving Licences

All those taking driving test in France from now on will be required to know basic first aid skills which will be taught by the driving schools.

Jump In Cost of Back Pain Pills

A few of the medicines usually used to treat back pain like Coltramyl, Miorel, Myoplege will not be reimbursed by insurance from January 2nd 2018.

HIV/Hepatitis Patients To Receive Funeral care 

From 2018 onwards, people who have died of AIDS or viral hepatitis will be allowed to receive after death funeral care in order enable preservation of the body.

However it is still forbidden to preserve the bodies of people who have died from other diseases like rabies, cholera and the plague.

Town Halls To Set Varying Parking Fees And Fines

Starting January 1, motorists who don’t pay for parking (or only pay in part) will be required  to pay a “post-parking fee”  .

The amount will change from one municipality to another, a change from current rules where the fine is fixed at  €17 for the whole of France.

Driving License Testing To Include First Aid

The practical exam for driving licence is set to include additional test areas. Along with technical and road safety elements, the exam will now include a test on the basic concepts of first aid.

 Social Housing Rules Tightened

Rules surrounding social housing and available related resources are changing  in 2018.

New regulations make it easier to evict tenants, since:

  • The limit that a person needs to earn before they lose their right to live has been lowered
  • The amount of time mandated for kicking out people has also been reduced
  • The termination of a tenant’s lease is also now possible in cases where there is no response to the annual resources survey for two consecutive years if the dwelling is located in an area facing a supply and demand issue.

 Stamp prices To Go Up

The price of stamps will go up by around 5 percent from 2018 onwards.

The green stamp will now increase by 73 cents to 80 cents while red stamps used for priority letters will jump from 0.85 cents to 0.95 cents.

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