#International Arbitration:
Europeans under threat of heavy financial penalties due to old trade treaties signed by Russia
In a report published on 9 December, a coalition of European NGOs reveals that Russian oligarchs and companies are challenging European Union sanctions by resorting to arbitration, notably by relying on old bilateral investment treaties dating back to the Cold War. These mechanisms allow investors to bring claims before arbitral tribunals to seek compensation in cases of alleged abuse of rights. Compensation claims related to the sanctions are estimated to amount to at least 48 billion dollars. The absence of an appeal mechanism increases the uncertainty surrounding rulings issued against EU member states and their enforcement. The European Commission has therefore included, in its summer 2025 sanctions package, measures aimed at protecting member states from such arbitral decisions. > Read article
#White collar crime:
François Pupponi sentenced to 10 months in prison with a suspended sentence and five years of ineligibility
François Pupponi, a former member of parliament for Val-d’Oise and former mayor of Sarcelles, was convicted on 9 December by the Paris Criminal Court for misappropriation of public funds. He was accused of having used the parliamentary expense allowance (IRFM) for personal purposes, for a total amount exceeding €122,000. He admitted the charges as part of the French plea agreement procedure (CRPC). His sentence, negotiated with the French National Financial Prosecutor’s Office (PNF), was set at ten months’ imprisonment with a suspended sentence, five years of ineligibility, and an 80,000-euro fine, 40,000 euros of which were suspended. He had also already reimbursed the full amount misappropriated to the National Assembly. > Read article
Alexandre Djouhri released from prison under judicial supervision following his conviction in the Libyan financing case
On 10 December 2025, the Paris Court of Appeal approved the release under judicial supervision of Alexandre Djouhri, a defendant in the case concerning the alleged Libyan financing of Nicolas Sarkozy’s 2007 presidential campaign. He had been sentenced on 25 September to six years’ imprisonment and a €3 million fine. He remains subject to several obligations includinga ban on leaving the Île-de-France region, surrendering his passports, weekly reporting requirement at the gendarmerie, a curfew, and a prohibition on contacting his co-defendants. The appeal trial in the Libyan financing case is scheduled to take place in Paris from March 16 to June 3. > Read article
#Anti-bribery and Corruption:
National Anti-Corruption Plan 2025–2029: a strengthened and ambitious framework
The International Review of Compliance and Business Ethics, covers the Government’s adoption, on 14 November 2025 of the National Anti-Corruption Plan 2025–2029, developed by the French Anti-Corruption Agency (AFA). This plan extends and strengthens the 2020–2022 framework and is organized around four pillars: strengthening anti-corruption efforts within State administration; supporting local authorities in preventing breaches of probity; protecting economic actors; and intensifying action at the international level. The plan sets out 36 measures designed to guide and support the efforts of all stakeholders involved. > Read article
