On 29 March, the French Senate discussed in second reading the sixth simplification bill, tabled in August 2009. As already reported here, there is a disagreement between the two chambers on what such a text can include and up to a point how legal simplification should proceed. But they agree that the texts are too numerous and not always consistent, creating complexity for the economic actors. There are also misgivings about the size of the "omnibus:" this 6th edition already comprised 150 articles when tabled, a figure that reached 200 after first reading in the NA. Following a fiercely critical report by its legal commission, the Senate has repealed 8 articles for not being appropriate for a simplification law, and re-established 10 from the initial draft, which had been deleted by the NA. In coming weeks the two houses will be negotiating a compromise. The items are in general quite arcane in spite of the good explanations on the online dossier, so it is difficult to judge who is right (from a BR point of view). We may however regret that article 8, opening alternatives channels of consultation (called "open" because they rely on internet) has been a victim of the purge. For others, such as the protection of users against "abnormal variations of their water bill" it may appear reasonable to avoid clogging the reform with such minor changes. Another problem is that the legislator may also be too process-oriented, as shown by another litigious item: the reduction of a number of government reports to parliament, which does not have a direct impact on users. So, in summary, watch this space !
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