Global Scans · France · Weekly Summary

WHAT'S NEXT?: Discontent with political elites and country performance is driving the discourse and demand for action from the French public. With Presidential elections due in May 2017 it remains to be seen whether another political earthquake may happen in one of the EU's founding countries.

• [New] Strategic leaders meet here to align on AI ethics, safety protocols, and Verified Human labeling standards, which will become a major competitive differentiator for brands in late 2026. / France Peter Fisk
• [New] Belgium and Romania too are introducing voluntary military service, while in the summer of 2026 France will bring in its own form of paid voluntary military training lasting ten months, aimed at 18 - to 19-year-olds. CIDOB
• [New] Starting in late 2026, travelers from visa-exempt countries, including the U.S., will need a €20 ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorization System) clearance to enter France and other Schengen-area countries - an increase from earlier €7 proposals. R and D Accounting
• [New] French energy provider EDF is building six new nuclear plants and is creating a data space for 2,500 suppliers in its ecosystem that will help to build and manage the nuclear facilities. The Register
• [New] As tools which allow individuals to avoid surveillance, VPNs have begun to elicit behaviour we might generally associate with regimes such as Russia and China from Western countries like France and the UK. Tom's Guide
• [New] Unlike Chat Control, which pushed for client-side scanning, France took a different approach: allowing so-called ghost participants, where law enforcement could silently join encrypted chats. Electronic Frontier Foundation
• [New] Other European nations - such as France and Germany - have recently re-introduced some form of voluntary national service in response to the threat posed by Russia. BBC News
• [New] In 2026, several European countries will hold national elections, including Denmark, Hungary, Latvia, and Sweden, but the French municipal elections are a key indicator of what lies ahead for Europe. The Sunday Guardian
• [New] Prime headline rents are forecast to grow roughly 2.2% between 2026 and 2027, with the strongest increases in UK, Spain, Sweden and France. Cushman & Wakefield
• [New] Europe is advancing similar efforts through an EU-wide restriction proposal that could phase out most uses within the decade, while Belgium and France are preparing national action plans combining phase outs with monitoring and remediation. Water Digest
• [New] France-based Agreenculture will expand production and commercial availability of its automation kits following a €6 million ($7 million) Series A raise. AgFunderNews
• [New] The heightened spending offers lucrative opportunities for the private-sector players which is evident by France and Germany's partnership in the Main Ground Combat System. Research Nester
• [New] By 2030, the defence budget is expected to be double the amount allocated in 2017. / France Research Nester
• [New] The proposed 2024-2030 military programming law is poised to increase the defence budget of France by USD 3.2 billion in 2024, USD 3.1 billion in 2025, and USD 4.5 billion in 2030. Research Nester
• [New] A greater number of work days will lift 2026 GDP; we forecast 1.2% growth. / France ING Think
• [New] France announced last week that it would reintroduce military service, which was abolished in 1996, from 2026 on a voluntary basis, following similar moves by Belgium and the Netherlands. Al Jazeera
• [New] The United States leads spend, while Australia, Germany, and France represent immediate expansion opportunities for buyers seeking incremental reach. Podnews
• [New] The next French presidential election is due to be held in 2027. BBC News
• [New] France could begin using drone swarms in military operations within the next two years. Euro Weekly News
• [New] If current trials progress as planned, the first operational swarms could be active within two years, with wider use following soon after. / France Euro Weekly News
• [New] As a result of Iran's significant non-performance of its JCPoA commitments, the United Kingdom, alongside France and Germany, triggered the snapback process in full accordance with Security Council resolution 2231. GOV.UK
• [New] FranceEUDI Wallet capabilities will be built on top of France Identite, an application (in production) allowing users to create an online version of their identity cards which also act as an eID on Level of Assurance high. Signicat

Last updated: 07 January 2026