PARIS, France: French Prime Minister Manuel Valls (right) speaks during a press conference to present the \"growth and activity\" bill, a package of measures aimed at stoking employment by freeing up some of France\'s notoriously inflexible labor rules an
PARIS, Dec 10 (AFP): France Wednesday unveiled a controversial package of reforms to energise its crisis-hit economy, including a plan to expand Sunday trading for shops that has sparked outrage in some quarters.
The proposed measures also included a plan to open up traditionally closed-shop sectors of the economy, such as for bailiffs and notaries, who plan to hit the streets in an unusual white-collar protest.
"This is not a law about the protected professions or about working on Sundays," the proposed legislation states.
"This is a law which seeks to remove, in a pragmatic way, obstacles we have identified in several sectors to free up untapped potential for growth and activity."
Emmanuel Macron, France's youthful banker turned economy minister, was presenting the measures under the watchful eye of the European Union and Germany, which has recently chided its neighbour for not doing enough to revamp its economy.
Other moves include opening up inter-city coach travel within France, and selling between five and 10 billion euros ($12 billion) in state-owned assets.
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