The European Commission said France will provide detailed new legislation on the provision of its gambling services to its EU internal markets services by autumn.

A spokesman for EU internal market commissioner Charlie McCreevy said: „France is working on this new legislation…(it) has promised the Commission to come forward with detailed legislation as early as autumn this year.“

The spokesman added that an infringement case against France on this issue, launched last year, is running alongside this activity. McCreevy met French budget minister Eric Woerth on Wednesday to discuss the matter.

French gaming sector is composed of two monopolies – Francaise des Jeux and PMU. The EU’s highest court, the European Court of Justice, has ruled that gaming firms registered in one EU state must be allowed to operate across the 27 member state bloc, except in matter of overriding national public interest.