The assisted dying law is not expected to take effect in practice until early 2027 at the earliest.

Paris – 16 July 2026: The National Assembly’s final decision on the right to assisted dying does not yet mean that seriously ill people in France can immediately access the new procedure. The French National Assembly passed the text in its final reading on 15 July 2026. Under the current plan, practical implementation is expected at the earliest in early 2027, as numerous legal and medical steps still need to be completed.

First, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced that he would refer certain parts of the law to the Constitutional Council for review. Key issues include the period during which the person concerned may withdraw their decision, the protection of adults under legal guardianship, and the freedom of conscience of healthcare staff. The new law can only be promulgated after the Constitutional Council has issued its decision.

The government must then issue numerous implementing regulations. These will define the specific procedure for applications and the duties of the professionals involved. During the legislative process, a decree, following an opinion from the Council of State, is expected to clarify important procedural issues. Other administrative texts are also necessary for the provisions to be implemented uniformly nationwide.

The High Authority for Health, HAS, will play a central role. The Ministry of Health has tasked it with identifying the active substances that may be used and developing recommendations on their prescription and use. It will also define safe support procedures and ways of dealing with complications. HAS began its work in July 2026; its recommendations are expected to be published before the end of 2026.

The adopted text provides this right to adults who reside permanently and lawfully in France, have a serious and incurable illness, and whose life expectancy is affected. The illness must be at an advanced, irreversible, or terminal stage. Another condition is that the person must still be able to express their wishes freely and be fully informed.

The decision on an application will be placed within a clearly regulated medical procedure. The legal conditions and professional guidelines are still pending in order to prevent individual facilities or medical groups from applying different standards. However, until the law is promulgated, the necessary implementing provisions are issued, and HAS recommendations are available, this new right will not yet be effective in practice.

At the same time, France’s existing end-of-life care legislation continues to apply. Under certain conditions, it allows, among other things, the refusal of disproportionate treatment and the use of continuous deep sedation until death. The new law creates an additional, separately regulated procedure. The political decision has therefore been made, but concrete implementation is not yet complete.