Attendees at undeclared free parties in France could face on-the-spot fines of €1,500 ($1,713) or up to six months in prison under proposed new legislation currently being reviewed by the French National Assembly.
France’s National Assembly has begun reviewing the proposed legislation just a day after Paris’s hugely popular Fête de la Musique came to a close.
The annual event in the French capital, which sees residents stage free concerts in public spaces and parks, draws millions of revellers onto the city’s streets.
In recent years, the festival has attracted increasing numbers of visitors from the UK and neighbouring countries, as awareness of the event has spread on social media.
The new legislation is unlikely to affect Fête de la Musique, where local authorities permit smaller events and larger performances are subject to regulation.
However, the tighter restrictions and penalties outlined in the so-called "Ripost" bill could threaten the free-to-attend, unlicensed party scene that spread from England to France during the 1990s.
Under the proposed measures, gatherings of 250 people or more would have to be reported to authorities, down from the current threshold of 500.
Attendees, as well as organisers, could face criminal prosecution. Those convicted could receive up to six months in prison or a fine of up to €7,500 ($8,569).
Organisers of undeclared parties could face up to two years in prison and fines of up to €30,000 ($34,276).
French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said the new laws would provide a “shock of authority” and would ensure “the safety of the French people”.
He added that the bill targeted raves, squatting and violence in sport, as well as drug use and the consumption of nitrous oxide.
Free-party support group Tekno Anti Rep criticised the bill in a statement posted on Facebook in May, arguing that it was based on stereotypes.
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