It’s done. Without the slightest surprise, the French National Assembly largely adopted the new version of the Olympic bill on Tuesday 28 March. The text had been examined last week, with the debates focusing mainly on its security aspects, including the use of so-called “intelligent” video surveillance during the next Games. It was approved by the deputies by 400 votes to 93. The bill had already been validated at the end of January, just as widely, by the Senate. Deputies and senators will now have to find a final agreement on the text in the joint committee. In addition to its security aspects, the Olympic law provides for the extension of “screening” to accredited persons, i.e. the conduct of administrative investigations into individuals, the creation of a mandatory stadium ban in the event of serious security breaches at sporting events, the opening of a health centre in the future athletes’ village, measures to waive the rules on Sunday rest, support measures for the transport of spectators with disabilities and, finally, authorisation for genetic testing to combat doping.
