On December 4, the National Assembly, the lower house in the French parliament, passed a bill that would impose a fine of at least 1,500 euros on those caught paying for sex. The act of soliciting will not be punished. The bill is expected to be presented to the upper house early in 2014.
There have been public demonstrations both in favor of and opposition to the bill. Advocates for the proposal cite the spike in trafficked individuals, mostly from Romania, Bulgaria, Nigeria, and China, as a key reason for more restrictive legislation.
Compiled from: French lower house votes to fine prostitutes' clients, France 24, December 4, 2013 and French lower house passes bill to fine prostitutes' clients, CNN, December 4, 2013.