Fighting corruption

A Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions was signed in Paris on December 17, 1997 by the 30 OECD countries. It came into force on September 29, 2000, and was transposed into France's Penal Code by two laws of June 30, 2000 and November 13, 2007. The convention recalls that "corruption is a widespread phenomenon in international business transactions, including trade and investment, which raises serious moral and political concerns, affects good governance and economic development, and distorts international conditions of competition", and recognizes "the role of governments in preventing solicitation of bribes by individuals and companies in international business transactions".

Article 3 of the Convention requires signatory states to punish the bribery of a foreign public official...