VZCZCXYZ0003
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHFR #3955 2640859
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 210859Z SEP 07
FM AMEMBASSY PARIS
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0327

UNCLAS PARIS 003955 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL KTIA FR
SUBJECT: OVERVIEW OF FRENCH TREATY RATIFICATION PROCESS 
 
REF: STATE 116194 
 
¶1.  In response to reftel, Embassy surveyed the French treaty 
ratification process.  The French treaty ratification process 
is complex and generally takes at least a year, although this 
depends heavily on the legislative calendar and may sometimes 
take longer.  Article 53 of the French Constitution makes the 
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Direction for Legal Affairs 
(DAJ), responsible for determining what agreements are 
subject to the formal treaty ratification process.  Once DAJ 
has established that an agreement is subject to the Article 
53 requirements, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs creates 
draft legislation and background on the treaty.  The Ministry 
transmits these documents to General Secretariat of the 
Government dealing with judicial affairs in the Prime 
Minister,s office.   After review by the Prime Minister's 
officer, draft legislatio goes to the Council of State, which 
functions as a supreme court for administrative justice to 
consider the legality of the draft legislation.  This review 
usually takes several meetings.  If the Council of State 
decides the draft legislation is inconsistent with French 
law, the Prime Minister,s office can convoke a special 
inter-ministerial session to revisit this decision.  The 
Ministry of Foreign Affairs must then present the treaty 
legislation to the Council of Ministers for its approval. 
Finally, the legislation considered by the parliament, with 
the Foreign Ministry in charge of shepherding the legislation 
through the internal review that lead  to a vote. 
 
 
 
Please visit Paris' Classified Website at: 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/paris/index.c fm 
 
 
Pekala