France's transparency authority vows to bring unregistered foreign influence actors into compliance

Jean Maia, president of France's High Authority for Transparency in Public Life (HATVP), said the agency will work to bring in individuals and organizations that have not yet registered as required under France's foreign influence transparency rules, in an interview with RFI.

Maia's comments come as the HATVP oversees a registry of foreign influence activities in France, established to address concerns about foreign interference in French public life.

The registry, which opened on October 1, 2025, requires individuals and organizations engaged in foreign influence activities in France to declare their activities, part of a broader effort to increase transparency around lobbying and influence campaigns linked to foreign interests.

Maia said the HATVP's role includes monitoring compliance with the registration requirement and working to identify entities that should be registered but have not yet done so, though he did not specify enforcement mechanisms or penalties for non-compliance in the excerpt of the interview.

The transparency measure reflects growing concern in France and across Europe about the risk of foreign interference in domestic politics and public discourse, with authorities seeking greater visibility into who is conducting influence activities and on whose behalf.

France's approach follows similar transparency registries established in other countries aimed at tracking foreign lobbying and influence operations, as governments across the West have moved to formalize oversight of such activities in response to growing interference concerns.

Maia's remarks suggest the HATVP views expanding registration compliance as an ongoing priority, one year after the registry's launch, as the authority continues efforts to ensure entities engaged in foreign influence activities are properly declared under French law.