French parents are allowed a "right to discipline" children
Europe's top human rights watchdog has criticised France for its failure to explicitly ban smacking children.
The Council of Europe said that France's laws on corporal punishment were "not sufficiently clear, binding and specific".
French law forbids violence against children, but recognises the parents' "right to discipline" children.
The ruling follows a complaint by a British children's charity against France and six other EU countries.
The charity, Approach, says the countries are violating a section of the European Social Charter calling on signatories to protect children.
The Council of Europe, which has no power to sanction member states, has called for all of its 47 members to ban corporal punishment of children. So far, 27 have banned the practice.
'Violent punishment'
In its decision published on Wednesday, the Council's European Committee of Social Rights said: "There is now a wide consensus at both the European and international level among human rights bodies that the corporal punishment of children should be expressly and comprehensively prohibited in law."
Welcoming the ruling, Approach spokesman Peter Newell said: "In many countries, violent punishment of children is the only form of inter-personal violence in the family that is still legal.
"We are pleased that the Council finds France in violation of the Social Charter."
