15 recent and upcoming changes in France you may have missed in June 2026
Includes water restrictions and new blood donation rules
Clockwise from top left: more tap water restrictions, blood donation rule changes, reimbursement of weight loss drugs and a takeover agreed for SFRT.Dallas / Rebel Red Runner/ New Africa / photofort 77/ Shutterstock
The state health insurance system will cover 65% of the cost, with some patients eligible for full reimbursement depending on their insurance coverage and medical situation.
Eligibility is limited to patients with severe obesity, including those eligible for bariatric surgery or with a body mass index (BMI) of at least 35 who also have obesity-related health conditions.
The drugs must be used as a second-line treatment after dietary measures alone have proved unsuccessful and should be combined with diet and exercise.
Initial prescriptions can only be issued by specialists working in approved obesity treatment centres or related hospital services, although GPs can issue follow-up prescriptions.
A total of 15 departments are currently subject to water-use restrictions, while a further 36 are under vigilance warnings, which ask residents and businesses to be mindful of their water consumption but do not impose formal restrictions.
Officials are still hopeful of avoiding widespread droughts this year, but low rainfall in spring – particularly in eastern France – has increased pressure on water resources in some areas.
Among the 15 departments with restrictions, warnings are divided into three levels of severity:
Alerte: restrictions on certain water uses, including in departments such as Ardèche and Hérault.
Alerte renforcée: stricter measures, including in Ain and Ardennes.
Crise: the highest level of alert, currently affecting departments including Loiret, Cher and Pyrénées-Orientales, where all non-essential water use is prohibited.
Local authorities are responsible for implementing restrictions and setting the specific measures that apply in each area.
Generally, areas under vigilance face no restrictions for households, although some limits may apply to agricultural users. At the alert level, measures can include bans on filling swimming pools, watering gardens or washing cars. High-alert measures impose tougher restrictions, while crisis-level warnings prohibit all but essential water use.
Residents can check the latest situation in their area via the government's drought monitoring website, Vigieau.
People with a fever of 38C or higher must now wait two weeks after their symptoms end before donating blood.
Travel to areas where West Nile virus occurs requires a 28-day wait or a negative test result, while people infected with the virus cannot donate until 120 days after recovery.
For malaria, waiting periods range from four months to three years depending on exposure and risk level.
Following medical operations, waiting times vary from one week to four months, including for dental procedures once pain has subsided.
People who have had tattoos or piercings must wait two months before donating. Certain medications can also trigger waiting periods, as can some sexually transmitted infections and multiple recent sexual partners.
People who lived in the UK between 1980 and 1996 remain ineligible to donate due to concerns linked to the BSE outbreak.
The legislation contains more than 100 measures designed to tackle social security, tax and employment fraud.
Companies employing undeclared workers face tougher sanctions, while additional controls target abuse of sick leave, unemployment benefits and the Compte Personnel de Formation (CPF) training scheme.
Ride-hailing platforms such as Uber will face stricter checks on drivers and vehicles, while medical transport taxis will be geolocated to verify journeys claimed for reimbursement.
The government hopes the measures will help generate an additional €1.5 billion annually.
The recalled products include toys, clothing, electrical appliances, jewellery and household goods that may pose risks including fire, burns, injury, choking or chemical exposure.
Many were sold through major online marketplaces including Amazon, eBay, AliExpress, Temu and Shein.
Platforms are required to remove the products from sale and notify customers who purchased them.
Consumers are advised to stop using recalled items immediately and dispose of them safely.
The tariffs offer discounts of up to 60% during periods when electricity production is highest or demand is lowest.
The initiative is designed to encourage electricity use at quieter periods, particularly as France increases its reliance on electric vehicles and heat pumps.
Households able to shift energy use to cheaper periods could significantly reduce bills, although higher peak-hour rates mean the tariffs may not suit everyone.
Bouygues Telecom would take over most of SFR's consumer and business customers, while Free would acquire the RED by SFR brand and some contracts. Orange would receive nearly five million customers.
The transaction still requires regulatory approval and could face competition concerns.
Existing customer contracts, phone numbers and internet services are not expected to change immediately. Any customer migration is unlikely before the second half of 2027.
Industry observers estimate around 75% of SFR shops could eventually close under the plans.
Scientists say a tsunami is likely to occur somewhere within the Mediterranean basin in coming decades, although the risk to Nice from any individual event remains low.
The city has established evacuation routes, refuge sites and designated risk zones along the coast and river mouths.
