Eurofound's EU PolicyWatch collates information on the responses of government and social partners to the COVID-19 crisis, the war in Ukraine, rising inflation, as well as gathering examples of company practices aimed at mitigating the social and economic impacts.
Factsheet for measure FR-2023-44/3380 – Updated – measures in France
| Country | France , applies nationwide |
| Time period | Open ended, started on 01 November 2023 |
| Context | Green Transition, Digital Transformation |
| Type | Legislations or other statutory regulations |
| Category |
Protection of workers, adaptation of workplace
– Changes of management approach |
| Author | Frédéric Turlan (IRshare), Pascale Turlan (IRshare) and Eurofound |
| Measure added | 04 November 2023 (updated 03 November 2025) |
Law no. 2023-171 of 9 March 2023 containing various provisions for adapting to European Union law in the fields of the economy, health, labour, transport and agriculture, which transposes Directive (EU) 2019/1152 of 20 June 2019 on transparent and predictable working conditions in the European Union, was the subject of a decree of 30 October 2023. This decree specifies the main information relating to the employment relationship that the employer must provide to the employee, as well as the procedures for preparing and providing this information. This information includes the right to training. This is particularly important in the context of the digital and environmental transition.
The law stipulates that the employer must provide the employee with one or more written documents containing the main information relating to the employment relationship. The decree of 30 October 2023 stipulates that this information includes "the right to training provided by the employer in accordance with article L. 6321-1 of the Labour Code". This article of the Labour Code specifies that the employer must ensure that employees are adapted to their jobs and that their ability to hold a job is maintained, particularly in the light of changes in jobs, technologies and organisations (Labour Code, article R. 1221-34). The provision of this information may take the form of a simple reference (article L. 6321-1 of the Labour Code).
The employer is not obliged to explain or detail this "right to training". The decree specifies that this information must be given to the employee within one month of the date of recruitment (art. R. 1221-35 new of the Labour Code). An employee who has not received the information referred to in the first paragraph may only apply to the competent court to obtain it after giving his employer formal notice to provide him with the required documents or, where applicable, to supplement the documents provided (art. L. 1221-5-1 of the Labour Code).
The following updates to this measure have been made after it came into effect.
| 18 July 2025 |
Decree No. 2025-663 of July 18, 2025 defines the eligibility conditions for using the CPF (Personal Training Account) to fund actions to the VAE (Validation of Acquired Experience) as outlined in the French Labour Code. The decree, clarifies that the CPF can now fully cover the VAE process, including support services, provided the action follows the regulatory framework of the Labour Code. Support must be provided by approved organizations, and when the certification is listed on the official digital platform, CPF users are required to register through it. The decree also aligns the funding rules for job seekers with those of employed individuals. |
It applies to the whole workforce of the private sector, and specifically for the workers hired from 1 November 2023.
| Workers | Businesses | Citizens |
|---|---|---|
|
Employees in standard employment
Workers in non-standard forms of employment |
Applies to all businesses | Does not apply to citizens |
| Actors | Funding |
|---|---|
|
National government
EU (Council, EC, EP) |
No special funding required
|
Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:
| Trade unions | Employers' organisations | |
|---|---|---|
| Role | Consulted | Consulted |
| Form | Consultation through tripartite or bipartite social dialogue bodies | Consultation through tripartite or bipartite social dialogue bodies |
Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:
Social partners were consulted in the framework of the National Commission for Collective Bargaining, Employment and Vocational Training (Commission nationale de la négociation collective, de l'emploi et de la formation professionnelle) on the draft law and on the draft decree.
Trade unions welcomed the changes introduced in the French legislation.
Citation
Eurofound (2023), Information on the right to training, measure FR-2023-44/3380 (measures in France), EU PolicyWatch, Dublin, https://static.eurofound.europa.eu/covid19db/cases/FR-2023-44_3380.html
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Disclaimer: This information has not been subject to the full Eurofound evaluation, editorial and publication process.