The French Government is set to follow several other European countries in recognising civil unions and legal partnerships.

The bill which was passed by the French National Assembly on 29 April states that foreign partnerships will receive the same recognition in France as in their own country. The bill is expected to receive the support of President Sarkozy.

The French National Assembly has approved a measure in which civil unions or legal partnerships contracted in other countries will be recognised legally under the existing French legal definition of civil unions. The bill, which passed in the early hours of April 29, had already been accepted in the Senate and is expected to be endorsed by President Sarkozy.

The bill means that foreigners living in France could receive tax privileges. Until now other EU countries have recognised partnerships formed in France, while France has not returned the favour.

In 1999 France passed the Partes Civil de Solidarité (PacS), which allowed civil unions between unmarried couples with access to the same legal benefits as marriage.

Gay “marriage”, however, is still illegal in France as was shown when the courts overturned a “marriage” ceremony conducted in 2006 for a same sex couple by the Mayor of Begles, a suburb of Bordeaux. The French high court defined a marriage as being only between a man and a woman.

In 2006 a commission also affirmed that gay “marriage”, adoption and artificial procreation should not be allowed under French law.

This weeks bill was sponsored by senator Alima Boumediene-Thiery of the Green Party and was supported largely by senators by the Green and Socialist parties.