Advertisement

France takes baby steps to make life simpler

The Local France
The Local France - [email protected]
France takes baby steps to make life simpler
Photo: AFP

The French government is set to announce a whopping another 30 new measures to simplify life in France.

Advertisement

France is famed for its burden of bureaucracy, but the government is doing its best to make it a little more bearable. 
 
On Wednesday it will announce new measures in the interest of "improving the quality of the public services" and simplifying the administrative procedures for the French. 
 
It's the latest round of a plan to cut red tape launched in 2013 by President François Hollande around 30 new measures will be aimed at making things easier for members of the public in their everyday life.
 
One of the measures that has already caught people's attention is a plan to allow online applications for identity cards - great news for anyone who has found themselves at the wrong end of a queue at a prefecture de police in France. 
 
The move is expected to come into play by early 2017. 
 
 
Passport renewal will also be simplified, with the French only needing to use their fingerprints. 
 
Other changes include a prolongation of the time for declaring a birth which will be good news for parents.
 
Whereas in the UK parents have several weeks to declare the birth of their new child, in France parents have three days to get to the Town Hall. This can often means the father has to declare the birth alone as the mother is often still in hospital.
 
But under the newer simpler life in France, the deadline will be stretched to five days and even eight in cases where the Town Hall or admin officer is far from the hospital. Although it's unlikely to happen before 2017.
 
France cuts more red tape to make our lives simpler
 
There will also quicker access to benefits for those with long term illnesses, and more support for those approaching retirement. 
 
French authorities will also make it easier to get permission for home improvements and renovations by allowing homeowners and landlords to do everything online. Forms and the necessary paperwork known as "justificatifs" will only needed to be handed to one administration body which will then forward them on to the other organisations involved.
 
The new measures come just two days after a similar raft of measures were introduced for French businesses. 
 
France is famous for its complicated red tape at every corner, and Wednesday marks the fifth round of what Hollande has called a "simplification shock". 
 
France introduced its last raft of measures - 80 for businesses and 90 for individuals - in February this year.
 

More

Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.

Please log in to leave a comment.

See Also