France adopts the new world anti-doping code

France has brought itself into compliance with the new world anti-doping code by transposing its principles into law thanks to an ordinance presented to the Council of Ministers on Wednesday. "France thus considerably strengthens the legislative framework allowing an effective and coordinated fight against doping and testifies to its mobilization against any form of cheating, in particular in the perspective of the Olympic and Paralympic games of Paris 2024", according to the press release sent to the from the Council of Ministers.

France was supposed to legally comply with the new World Anti-Doping Code - adopted by the World Anti-Doping Agency at the end of 2019 and entered into force on January 1, 2021 - in particular by removing the statutory link between its analysis laboratory, transferred within the University of Paris-Saclay, and the Anti-Doping Agency (AFLD) on which it depended.

"Total independence of the laboratories for analyzing samples taken in and out of competitions" will now be ensured thanks to this order presented to the Council of Ministers by the Minister of National Education, Youth and Sports Jean-Michel Blanquer and the Minister Delegate Roxana Maracineanu.

It will be possible "to sanction any person who threatens or retaliates against whistleblowers"

The ordinance also provides that the investigative powers of the AFLD are "considerably increased in terms of collecting information from the entourage of athletes, the possibility of hearing before initiating disciplinary proceedings, of access to professional and sporting premises and use of assumed identity on the internet ". The Agency will now be able to "sanction any person who threatens or retaliates against whistleblowers".

The ordinance also gives "new responsibilities to sports federations" in the fight against doping: in addition to "ensuring compliance with the decisions of the AFLD", they must "deploy education and prevention strategies, aimed at athletes. and their supervision, resulting from the national plan for the prevention of doping and doping behaviors piloted by the Ministry in charge of Sports ".