Standards' word count has blown up by 84% over the past 2 decades, totaling a whopping 48 million words.
Toss the tide of rules, edicts, and decrees, for God's sake! Even better, trim the fat from existing documents to shrink the current mountain of laws. François Bayrou, our prime minister, has taken up this challenge. "This simplification, by stripping things down to the essentials, lies at the heart of the government's overhaul", he declared during the Simplification Conference at the Senate on April 3. Yet, for now, the promised relief remains nothing more than a wish, as the cascade of norms continues.
Witness the statistics published on Monday, May 5, by the prime minister's services. Despite a year of unusual legislative inactivity, the volume of current law has continued to expand in 2024, albeit at a slower pace compared to previous years. By January 25, 2025, the total number of articles in the entire body of texts in force, from the Constitution to simple circulars, increased by 1.35%, hitting a whopping 359,851. This multitude of regulations represents a record high and reflects a 20% increase in the last ten years and a staggering 53% increase since the turn of the millennium.
But, you ask, what about Bayrou's vow to curb this ever-growing sea of regulation? Well, my friend, herein lies the challenge—a conundrum as old as sand itself. You see, simplifying the legal landscape is less like taming a wild beast and more like plucking hairs from a gargantuan hedgehog. The growth of regulations in France, and indeed many other countries, is driven by a medley of factors that conspire to frustrate simplification efforts, like the Siren's song luring sailors to their doom.
Factors Behind the Growth of French Law
Evolution of the Economic and Social Landscapes
As economies, societies, and technologies evolve, new areas demand legal regulation or updates, such as digital privacy, environmental protection, and novel sectors like fintech and AI. In addition, France, like many European countries, must comply with evolving EU regulations, adding more complexity.
Crisis-Driven Legislation
Legislation often stems from crises, scandals, or public outcry, resulting in reactive and piecemeal laws rather than holistic reforms. This culminates in a jumbled mess of legal texts.
Ongoing Adaptation
Existing laws are frequently amended, interpreted by high courts, or supplemented with secondary regulations to ensure enforcement and to patch any loopholes. In addition, sector-specific rules need updating to reflect current realities, leading to additional or revised legislation.
Regulatory Oversight
Strict oversight in areas like consumer protection, competition, and public safety necessitates intricate regulatory frameworks, complete with penalties and compliance mechanisms. Businesses, therefore, must traverse a tangled web of laws covering corporate, civil, tax, labor, and sector-specific regulations.
International and EU Obligations
France's involvement in international treaties and its membership in the EU require it to implement supranational regulations, which add to the complexity of the national legal landscape.
In conclusion, despite the best intentions of political leaders like François Bayrou, the wave of laws in France remains unwieldy, owing to the need to tackle new challenges, comply with international obligations, and ensure effective enforcement. This ever-shifting landscape frequently fosters a net increase in legal intricacy, even as old regulations are reviewed or eliminated [1][2][3].
- Despite François Bayrou's vow, the ever-growing sea of regulation in France continues, particularly due to the need to address evolving economic, social, and technological landscapes, including digital privacy, environmental protection, and fintech.
- The growth of regulations is also driven by crisis-driven legislation, which often leads to reactive and piecemeal laws rather than holistic reforms, resulting in a jumbled mess.
- Furthermore, international and EU obligations require France to implement supranational regulations, adding to the complexity of the national legal landscape.
- Despite efforts to simplify, the overwhelming burden of regulatory oversight in areas like consumer protection, competition, and public safety necessitates intricate regulatory frameworks, making it challenging for businesses to navigate the tangled web of laws.
