France

Last update: November, 2016

All of the legislation of the French Republic is available online at: http://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/

The site has many translations to different languages: http://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/Traductions

The preamble to the Constitution of the V Republic (of 4 October 1958) quotes the preamble of the Declaration of Human and Civic Rights (Déclaration des droits de l'homme et of citoyen, August 1789), and the preamble of the Constitution of 27 October 1946. The 1946 preamble states that "The Nation shall provide the individual and the family with the conditions necessary to their development" (§ 10); "It shall guarantee to all, notably to children, mothers and elderly workers, protection of their health, material security, rest and leisure" (§ 11); and "The Nation guarantees equal access for children and adults to instruction, vocational training and culture" (§ 13). This foundational legal statement is part of the current Constitution.

The 1958 Constitution underlines that the conception of citizens' rights and duties, and the conception of the State, of political power and representation, has remained stable in France despite the evolution of international and European laws. We can notice that the first article of this Constitution makes irrelevant any "community" feature (ethnic, religious…) of French citizens and citizens living in France.

Last update: November, 2016

In the framework of "generalised contractualisation of cultural policy", most of the public subsidies and grants are bound by specific agreements between territorial authorities, between the authorities and cultural institutions, in particular the institutions that hold a special title (see chapter 1.1 and chapter 1.2.6). Nonetheless, many subsidies like grants to artists (to projects, to creation, etc.) do not require specifications or agreements (agreement is compulsory for any subsidy greater than 23 000 EUR). The legal conditions of the allocation of public funds pertain to different legislative and regularity fields.

Concerning public expenditure, French law makes a major distinction between the authority that approves the expense (ordonnateur) on the one hand, and the management accounting authority (comptable) on the other hand. This principle was updated and reaffirmed by decree no 2012-1246 of 7 November 2012 on the budget and public management accounting. The approving authority, which is the executive authority of the budget (mayor, president of regional or county council, minister, director of institution or department, etc.), agrees to undertake expenditure and collect receipts, but cannot have access to public funds. The public accountant carries out the orders but is not subordinated to the requesting authority. The accountant is personally responsible for these operations and is a State civil servant from the staff of the Accountants of Treasury (comptables du Trésor).

Last update: November, 2016

Civil servants have a specific social security regime, salaried workers are managed by the Social Security Office and independent workers have their own sectoral social security offices.

Paralleling the emergence of the Welfare State, public authorities tried to improve the social status of artists and creators: with the creation of the Caisse nationale des lettres in 1946 (nowadays the National Centre for Books and Literature), the Copyright Law of 1957, social security for artists-authors in 1964 (see for instance: law n° 75-1348 of 31 December 1975 on social security for artists, authors of literary and dramatic, musical and choreographic, audiovisual and cinematic, graphic and visual works; article L.382-1 and following with the Social Security Code).

A specific social security regime for temporary and occasional workers (intermittence) was set up in 1936 for the technicians of the cinema industry and from 1969, performing artists and interpreters were also covered, followed by technicians in the performing arts. With this regime, named "intermittence du spectacle", performing artists and technicians benefit from the presumption that they are salaried: consequently, they have access, despite discontinuity in their employment, to various measures for social security coverage (health insurance, unemployment benefit, insurance for incapacity and death, retirement pensions, housing aid, etc.) and professional training. The question of preserving this exceptional regime has to be regularly addressed, partly because of its cost and of certain abuses that can be observed (see circular of Prime Minister of 6 August 2003 on the mobilisation of State departments relating to the economic and social situation in the audiovisual, cinema and performing arts sector). In 2003, 2014 and 2016 several festivals were troubled, sometimes cancelled, theatres were occupied. Following the work of a conciliation board (mission « Archambault-Combrexelle-Gille », names of the coordinators), the social partners of the concerned sectors came to an agreement  in April 2016, to maintain the regime while modifying some points (increasing participation of employers to the financing, for instance).

Last update: November, 2016

There is no general tax legislation for culture, but many special measures operate in the different domains. More information is available on http://www.culture.gouv.fr/culture/infos-pratiques/fiscal/index.htm.

Tax laws for culture pertain to five major sectors:

• artistic and literary creation;
• preservation of cultural heritage;
• promotion of culture;
• cinema, broadcasting and the music industry; and
• press and publishing.

Law n° 2003-709 of 1 August 2003 on sponsorship, associations and foundations aimed at enhancing the tax regime in these areas.

The main tax laws concern tax exemptions, wealth tax or also the implementation of specific VAT rates. There are several VAT rates in France (some are specific to Corsica and overseas territories):

• normal rate 19.6%
• intermediary rate 7%;
• reduced rate 5.5%; and
• particular rate 2.1%.

The normal rate applies to the majority of goods and services.

The intermediary rate applies to cinemas, feasts and funfairs, and the entrances to zoos, museums, monuments, exhibitions and cultural sites.

In 2013, the VAT rate (changed from 5.5% to 7% in 2012) was restored to 5.5% for:

• books (paper and digital) and book rental activities; and
• ticket-selling for the performing arts: theatre, cabaret, circus, concerts and shows (except in establishments where food and drinks are served).

The particular rate of 2.1% applies to press publishing, to the public licence fee for broadcasting and to ticket prices for the first 140 performances of newly created or newly staged theatres works.

From 1 January 2014, the main VAT rates will be modified by article 68 of Law n° 2012-1510 of 29 December 2012, the third corrective finance act of 2012:

• the reduced rate will be lowered from 5.5% to 5%;
• the intermediary rate will be raised from 7% to 10%; and
• the normal rate will be increased from 19.6% to 20%.

Last update: November, 2016

A specific social insurance regime applies to authors and to "artists-authors" (writers, music composers, film and television authors, software authors, choreographers, photographers, visual artists, graphic artists, etc.), by which they can benefit from social coverage under the same conditions as salaried workers.

Artists and technicians working in the performing arts or audiovisual and entertainment industries (film, television, etc.) can have specific social security coverage designed for people without regular activity or steady employment, a regime commonly called the intermittence du spectacle (see chapter 4.1.3).

Last update: November, 2016

France is part of the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works of 9 September 1886, which is currently followed by the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO).

At national level, the Intellectual Property Code regulates copyright provisions. French law distinguishes between:

• patrimonial rights, which are the economic rights that proceed from the exploitation of  works (art. L.122-1 and following of the Intellectual Property Code); and
• moral rights that protect the link between the author and his / her work (art. L.121-1 and following this, the Intellectual Property Code).

French law makes the creator the central element: "The author of a work of the mind shall enjoy in that work, by the mere fact of its creation, an exclusive incorporeal property right which shall be enforceable against all persons. This right shall include attributes of an intellectual and moral nature as well as attributes of an economic nature". This property does not concern the tangible artefact in which the creative process is embedded, but the creation itself. This system is different from the Anglo-Saxon system of copyright.

70 years after the death of the author, the work becomes public. It can be freely used in respect of the moral rights of the authors. The Intellectual Property Code also recognises the "neighbouring rights" of performing artists, music and video producers and broadcasting companies.

The authors' rights and neighbouring rights policy of the Ministry of Culture responds to two challenges: the globalisation of exchanges and the development of networking digital technologies. Since 1997 it is based on two constant principles: works of the mind are not commodity goods and creation is not a mere economic process of production.

Authors' rights and neighbouring rights can be managed by dedicated societies (see chapter 7.2.4). Following some controversies and complaints about the functioning of some of these societies, a commission was set up in 2001 to supervise their activity (accounting, auditing). In 2016, the law on freedom of creation, architecture and heritage installs a Music Mediator (Médiateur de la musique) who is in charge of regulating the disputes between artists-performers and producers.

In 1985, a law sets up a commission of private copying levies (commission pour la rémunération de la copie privée). 75% of the collected sums are allocated to the beneficiaries, and 25% to cultural actions. In 2008, 43 million EUR were allocated for aids to creation, circulation of the performing arts, training actions for artists and cultural events such as the Avignon Festival, the Francofolies of La Rochelle or the Quinzaine des réalisateurs of Cannes (Cannes Directors' Fortnight).

For years, the question of authors' rights has been involved in different conflicts and controversies: opposition between authors' rights and copyright conceptions in the framework of the WTO or the EU, a debate about library loans, creation of the HADOPI (High Authority for Transmission of Creative Works and Copyright Protection on the Internet), launching of the mission Culture Acte2, legal conflicts between Google and the press and publishing unions, etc. (see chapter 3.5.1).

In order to adapt authors' rights to the evolution of digital technologies, a Conseil supérieur de la propriété littéraire et artistique (High Council for artistic and literary property) was installed in the Ministry of Culture. In order to regulate free access to creative works and to protect copyright on the internet, the French government created a dedicated public body in 2009: the Haute Autorité pour la Diffusion des Œuvres et la Protection des droits sur Internet (HADOPI: High Authority for Transmission of Creative Works and Copyright Protection on the Internet). This creation results from a long legislative process that started with the law of 1 August 2006 on authors' rights and neighbouring rights in the information society, which itself proceeds from the European directive 2001/29/CE of the European Parliament and of the Council on the harmonisation of certain aspects of copyright and related rights in the information society. HADOPI was created by law n°2009-669 of 12 June 2009 promoting the distribution and protection of creative works on the internet, commonly known as the Creation and Internet law. The Constitutional Council demanded a revision of the constitutional validity standards of this law, especially regarding the disciplinary power of HADOPI, and a second law was necessary to comply with this demand and then finalise the HADOPI system: the law of 28 October 2009 on the penal protection of artistic and literary protection on the internet, called the HADOPI 2 law.

Last update: November, 2016

• Law n° 78-17 of 6 January 1978, called the "IT and Liberty Act" (Loi informatique et libertés). This law was modified in 2004 so as to transpose directive 95/46/ of 24 October 1995 on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data into French law;
• Law n° 2000-230 of 13 March 2000 adapting the law of evidence to information technology and on the electronic signature;
• Law n° 2004-575 of 21 June 2004 called the "Confidence in digital economy Act" (Loi pour la confiance dans l'économie numérique).

In 1978, an Independent administrative authority (non-departmental public body) was installed to follow up the application of the "IT and Liberty Act": the Commission nationale de l'informatique et des libertés (CNIL, Commission on Information Technology and Liberties).

In 2013, the departments of the Ministry drew up a "Culture Data Guide" to help cultural actors to choose from the various available legal instruments in building a digital strategy for the circulation and reuse of their data: https://semaphore.culture.gouv.fr/documents/10746/1502772/GUIDE+DATA+CULTURE/

Last update: November, 2016

The major legal milestones concerning the use of the French language as the one and only official language of the French Republic are:

• Ordinance of Villers-Cotterêts of 1539;
• Law of 2 Thermidor, An II (25 September 1792);
• Constitutional Law of 25 June 1992;
• Law of 4 August 1994 relative to the use of the French language; and
• Decree of 3 July 1996 relative to the enrichment of the French language.

The Constitution (Article 2) specifies that the national, administrative and daily language of the Republic is French, while remaining open to the use of other languages. Translations of official legal, administrative or financial texts can be made, but they cannot have any constitutional or legal dimension. Nonetheless, a constitutional revision in 2008 introduced in the Constitution Article 75-1 that recognises the heritage dimension of regional languages: "Regional languages are part of France's heritage".

Last update: November, 2016

Information is currently not available.

Last update: November, 2016

The majority of the legal provisions relative to cultural policies are in the following codes:

• Cinema and Animated Images Code (Code du cinema et de l'image animée);
• Architecture Deontological Code (Code de déontologie des architectes);
• Education Code (Code de l'éducation);
• General Code of the Territorial Authorities (Code général des collectivités territoriales);
• Heritage Code (Code du patrimoine);
• Intellectual Property Code (Code de la propriété intellectuelle);
• Research Code (Code de la recherche);
• Social Security Code (Code de la sécurité sociale); and
• Labour Code (Code du travail).

Many other texts that relate to cultural policies pertain to other codes or legal provisions, as we can see in chapter 4.2.

The law on freedom of creation, architecture and heritage (Loi n° 2016-925 du 7 juillet 2016) modified several of these codes. The 119 articles of this law form an ambitious act on cultural policies, with for instance:

Artistic creation

• affirmation of the principle of freedom of creation (similar to freedom of expression or freedom of the press) and the principle of free cultural programming
• relation between artists-performers and producers, creation of a music mediator to regulate disputes
• transparency of the production and operating accounts of cinema works
• restructuring and clarification of the remit of the stakeholders of artistic and cultural higher education
• access to culture and the arts for all, including the disabled
• new rules to encourage musical diversity in broadcasting
• creation of an observatory on cultural diversity and artistic creation

Heritage and architecture

• legislative consecration of the fonds régionaux d’art contemporain (FRAC), cf. chapter 7.2.2
• creation of a single label “remarkable heritage sites” (site patrimonial remarquable) to replace the three existing labels secteurs sauvegardés, aires de mise en valeur de l'architecture et du patrimoine (AVAP) and zones de protection du patrimoine architectural, urbain et paysager (ZPPAUP)
• reinforcement of the fight against illicit traffic in cultural goods
• inclusion of the Unesco World Heritage into the Heritage Code
• possibility to have limited and controlled derogations to urbanism rules for architectural creation projects and creation of experimentation zones dedicated to architects.

Last update: November, 2016

The legislative and regulatory provisions in French law regarding heritage and some cultural services are contained in the Heritage Code.

This Code gives a broad definition of cultural heritage, covering all public and private buildings and movable property of historical, artistic, archaeological, aesthetic, scientific or technical interest (article L1).

The Code is divided into seven thematic books (book II to VI) and crosscutting books (books I and VII):

• book I: common legal provisions for the whole sector;
• book II: archives: different services and competences for public archives;
• book III: libraries (see chapter 4.2.5);
• book IV: museums, in particular, definition of the statute "musée de France";
• book V: archaeology : creation, statute and missions of the National Institute for Preventive Archaeology (Institut national de recherches archéologiques préventives) ; creation and functioning of the National Council for Archaeological Research…;
• book VI: historical monuments, protected spaces and sites: there are two levels of protection of historical monuments: a monument can be "classified" (classé) or "registered" (inscrit) on the list of historical monuments, the highest level of protection is the classification (classement); and
• book VII: specific provisions for overseas territories.

Furthermore, there is a specific scheme: the general inventory of cultural heritage (inventaire général du patrimoine culturel), which is in charge of the inventory, study and promotion of the heritage elements with a cultural, historical or scientific interest. An inventoried element does not systematically become an historical monument. Created in 1964, this body was progressively devolved to the regions from 2004 onwards, even though the State holds authority for the coordination and control of the inventory operations:

• Article 95 of the law n° 2004-809 of 13 August 2004 relative to local liberties and responsibilities;
• Decree n° 2007-20 of 4 January 2007 that specifies the definitive transfer process of the regional departments of the general inventory of cultural heritage to the regional councils; and
• Administrative order (arrêté) of 17 February 2009 on the scientific and technical norms and standards to conduct the general inventory of cultural heritage.

Last update: November, 2016

• Ordinance n°45-2339 of 13 October 1945 (modified) on shows and performances, which regulates the professional activity of performing arts entrepreneurs and defines conditions under which licences are allocated (licence d'entrepreneur du spectacle vivant);
• Labour Code, articles L7122-1 and following ; articles D7122-1 et R7122-2 and following;
• Decree n°72-904 of 2 October 1972 on the contracts for decentralisation of support to drama (contrats de décentralisation dramatique);
• Decree n°2013-353 of 25 April 2013 on the National Council of Performing Arts Professions (Conseil national des professions of spectacle);
• Charter of the Public Service Missions for Performing Arts of 1998: specifies the principles of State action in favour of the performing arts;
• Circular of Prime Minister of 6 August 2003 on the mobilisation of the State departments on the economic and social situation in the audiovisual, cinema and performing arts sectors;
• Circular of 4 March 2004 on the installation of regional bodies for social dialogue in the performing arts sector: the regional committees of the performing arts (comités régionaux des professions of spectacle, Coreps);
• Circular n°2007/006 of 5 March 2007 on public financing and employment in the performing arts;
• Circular of 28 January 2010 on the implementation, for performing artists and technicians, of the provisions of the Economic Modernisation Act of 4 August 2008 (loi de modernisation de l'économie) that created the statute of "auto-entrepreneur" (this is a specific status for independent and self-employed workers (like some artists, creators, performers…) who can benefit from reduced taxes and charges);
• Note-Circular of 31 August 2010 (modified) relative to the national titles and networks in the performing arts – implementation of the partnership-based policy of the State; and
• Administrative order (arrêté) of 20 December 2012 that applies the Labour Code (regulatory part) regarding the licence of performing arts entrepreneur (licence d'entrepreneur du spectacle vivant).

Last update: November, 2016

The obligation to use artworks to decorate public buildings, commonly named "1% for Arts" Commission, established in 1951, is a special body created for visual artists. It is based on the principle that 1% of the total amount spent on the construction, renovation or extension of a public building must be reserved for a contemporary artwork specially conceived for the building in question. This obligation now applies to both territorial and State governments. This system allowed the creation of more than 12 300 artworks over 60 years (1951-2011).

The executive and operational framework of the "1% for Arts" system is defined by decree n°2002-677 of 29 April 2002 (modified), which applies to Article 71 of the Public Contracts Code (Code des marchés publics). The circular of the Minister of Culture and Communication of 16 August 2006 specifies the procedure involved.

There is also a Charter of Public Service Mission for Contemporary Art Institutions (Charte des missions de service public pour les institutions d'art contemporain, circular of 27 November 2000). The Charter specifies the respective responsibilities of the State, the territorial authorities and the institutions to favour creation and cultural decentralisation.

Last update: November, 2016

• Decree n°94-3 of 3 January 1994 creating the Bibliothèque nationale de France (French National Library): it is the successor of the royal collections that were constituted since the end of the Middle-Ages and the major library of France;
• Decree n° 76-82 of 27 January 1976 creating the Bibliothèque publique d'information, main Parisian library; and
• Administrative order (arrêté) of 9 May 1989 (modified) creating the Scientific National Council of Public Libraries (Conseil national scientifique du patrimoine des bibliothèques publiques).

County libraries (Bibliothèques départementales de prêt, notably in charge of reading in rural areas)

• Law n°83-8 of 7 January 1983 about the repartition of competences between communes, départements, regions and the State; and
• Heritage Code, book III, title II: articles L320-1 to L320-4 and R320-1 to R320-2

Technical supervision of the State on territorial libraries

• Heritage Code, articles L310-1 à L310-6 et R310-1 à R310-3, R310-9 à R310-10; and
• General Code of Territorial Authorities, articles L1421-4 and L1421-5, articles R1422-9 and R1422-10 and article D1421-4.

Statute of the personnel of libraries (State or territorial civil servants)

• Decree n°92-26 of 9 January 1992 that specifies the different statutes and grades of library curators (conservateurs des bibliothèques, conservateurs généraux des bibliothèques), modified by decree 2010-966 of 26 August 2010;
• Decree 2011-1140 of 21 September 2011 on the staff of specialised library assistants (bibliothécaires assistants spécialisés);
• Decree 2007-655 of 30 April 2007 (art. 33 and 34) modifying decree 88-646 of 6 May 1988 on the statute of the personnel for collection management (magasinage spécialisé des bibliothèques); and
• Decree n°91-841 of 2 September 1991 on the staff of territorial library curators (conservateurs territoriaux de bibliothèques).

Fixed book price

• Law n° 81-766 of 10 August 1981 relative to book prices;
• Judgment of the Court of Justice of the European Communities of 10 January 1985 (declares that the law of 10 August 1981 conforms to the European treaties); and
• Law n° 2011-590 of 26 May 2011 relative to the digital book prices.

Authors' rights protection

• Law n° 95-4 of 3 January 1995 completing the Intellectual Property Code and relating to the collective management of reproduction and reprography rights (articles L.122-10 to L.122-12 of the Intellectual Property Code); and
• Law n° 2003-517 of 18 June 2003 relative to the remuneration proceeding from library loans, and to the reinforcement of the social protection of authors (articles L.133-1 to L.133-4 of the Intellectual Property Code). Two sources of financing are used to support the social insurances of these professions: a 6% tax on the buying price of library books, an annual fixed payment from the State, which is indexed on the amount of registrations in the library.

Last update: November, 2016

Film, video and photography

• the Cinema and Animated Images Code regulates the specific system of support to the French cinema and broadcasting industries: system of taxation / redistribution, regulation of competition, advocacy of diversity, etc. (see chapter 4.2.3); and
• European Convention of 2 October 1992 on Cinematographic Co-production, signed by France on the 19 March 1993.

Examples of decrees relative to cinema:

• Decree n° 90-174 of 23 February 1990 modified, on the classification of cinematographic works;
• Decree n° 98-750 of 24 August 1998 modified, on financial support to the diffusion of certain cinematographic works in cinemas and on financial support to create and modernise cinemas;
• Decree n° 99-130 of 24 February 1999 modified, on financial support to the cinema industry; and
• Decree n° 2002-568 of 22 April 2002 modified, defining and classifying the establishment of auteur cinema (cinéma d'art et d'essai).

Photography pertains to:

• Intellectual property rights: a photograph can be a creative work of the mind in the sense of article L. 112-2 2° of the Intellectual Property Code; and
• Image rights: proceeding from article 9 of the Civil Code "Everyone has the right to respect for their privacy"; also articles 23 and 39bis of the law of 29 July 1881 on the Liberty of the Press, articles 226-1, 226-2 and 227-23 of Penal Code, etc.

Mass media

Public authorities are involved at three levels:

• regulation of the overall sector via the allocation of frequencies by the French broadcasting authority: the Conseil supérieur de l'audiovisuel (CSA, see chapter 2.5.3);
• funding of public television (via licence fees) and licensing guidelines;
• regulatory measures: quotas on the music content of radio broadcasts and the programming of films on television; and
• regulation of the press sector and support to the press companies in their actions of modernisation and development.

Freedom of expression

• Law of 29 July 1881 on the Liberty of the Press: foundational legal statement on freedom of the press and freedom of expression, inspired by article 11 of the Declaration of Human and Civic Rights of 26 August 1789: "The free communication of ideas and of opinions is one of the most precious rights of man. Any citizen may therefore speak, write and publish freely, except what is tantamount to the abuse of this liberty in the cases determined by Law."

Protection of sources

• Code of criminal procedure: articles 56-1, 56-2, 60-1, 100-5, 326 and 437.

Children and youth publications

• Law n°49-956 of 16 July 1949 on publications aimed at youth.

Press agencies

• Ordinance n°45-2646 of 2 November 1945 regulating press agencies.

Distribution

• Law n°47-585 of 2 April 1947 relative to the statute on newspapers and periodicals' distribution and delivery companies.

Aids to the press

• Post and Electronic Communications Code: articles L.2, L.4, D.18 and following, R.1-1-17 and R.1-1-26;
• General Tax Code: articles 39 bis A, 81, 298-7 to 298-13;
• Annex III to the General Tax Code: articles 72, 73 and 73-0 A;
• Decree n°98-109 of 6 November 1998 on the support fund for press delivery;
• Decree n°2004-1312 of 26 November 2004 on the support fund for regional and local weekly press, modified by decree n°2010-1214 of 13 October 2010;
• Decree n°2002-629 of 25 April 2002 creating aid for the daily distribution of the national political and general information press;
• Decree n°86-616 of 12 March 1986 creating aid for the national political and general information dailies that have few advertising resources, modified by decree n°2008-1192 of 17 November 2008;
• Decree n°2012-484 of 13 April 2012 relative to the reform of the aids to the press, and to the strategic fund for press development (in particular, digital transition)
• Decree n° 2015-1440 of 6 November 2015 relative to the State support to press pluralism

Aids to the press were reformed in 2016 to reinforce press pluralism, encourage the creation of new media and support innovation. The decree n° 2016-1161 of 26 August 2016 plans:

• the creation of a Fund for emergence and innovation in the press: creation of new press companies for printed and online press, call for projects to favour innovative schemes (incubators, research programmes, consultancy and training)
• the enlargement of the beneficiaries of the Strategic Fund for press development, notably to online knowledge press and to all the general and political information press
• the generalisation of the aids to the local press

Journalists

• Labour Code: articles L.7111-1 and following, R. 7111-1 and following;
• Social Security Code: articles L.311-2 and L.311-3, articles L.382-1 and following; and
• Intellectual Property Code: articles L.121-8 and L.132-35 and L.132-45.

Audiovisual and broadcasting

• Law n° 86-1067 of 30 September 1986 on the liberty of communication, called the "Léotard Act", last modified on 3 February 2012: legal framework of the communication services (functioning and missions of the Audiovisual High Council, recognition of free radio stations, deregulation of the sector, allocation of frequencies, communication services online, responsibilities and identification of web providers, right of reply, press offences, etc.);
• European Convention on Transfrontier Television of 5 May 1989, signed by France on 12 February 1991;
• Decree n° 95-110 of 2 February 1995 modified, relative to State support to the audiovisual programmes industry;
• Law n° 2004-575 of 21 June 2004 called the "Confidence in digital economy Act": French Internet Law that transposes European directive 2000/31/CE of 8 June 2000 on electronic commerce and some provisions of the European directive of 12 July 2002 on privacy and electronic communications; and
• European directive 2007/65/EC of 11 December 2007 amending Council Directive 89/552/EC on the coordination of certain provisions laid down by law, regulation or administrative action in Member States concerning the pursuit of television broadcasting activities ("Audiovisual media services" Directive).

Last update: November, 2016

• Law n° 77-2 of 3 January 1977 modified, on architecture, which intends to preserve and promote architectural quality, with the creation in each département of a council of architecture, urbanism and environment. The preamble of the law states: "Architecture is an expression of culture";
• Article L 431-1 of the Urbanism Code, proceeding from law n° 77-2 of 3 January 1977, sets a general rule: any architectural or construction project that requires planning permission must engage a professional architect;
• Decree n° 2005-734 of 30 June 2005 relative to architecture studies;
• Decree n° 2007-436 of 25 March 2007 relative to the accessibility of buildings for disabled people;
• Decree n°2003-447 of 19 May 2003 creating a National Council for Parks and Gardens (Conseil national des parcs et jardins): promotes the knowledge, the creation and the renovation of parks and gardens in France, with in particular the title "Jardins remarquables"; and
• Administrative order (arrêté) of 5 July 2005 that specifies the mission and the composition of the National Council for Artistic and Historical Towns and Areas (Conseil national des villes et pays d'art et d'histoire), with the titles "ville d'art et d'histoire" or "pays d'art et d'histoire".