French government spokesperson Benjamin Griveaux said the fine, which is part of a sweeping effort to fight sexual violence and sexism was “better than nothing”.
Mr Griveaux the fines handed out to men caught harassing women in the street would start at £80.
The fine for street harassment and sexist comments is in line with a parliamentary report recommending a penalty of between £80 and £670, depending on how quickly the offender pays up.
Mr Griveaux said: “It’s the preferred amount. “
When told that the on-the-spot fine would be difficult to enforce as a police officer would need to catch harassers in the act, Mr Griveaux said: “We are aware of that, but it’s better than nothing.”
The government wants to push men to take responsibility for their actions by tapping into the “phenomenon of exemplarity,” he continued.
Mr Griveaux also pointed to a recent survey which showed that 90 percent of female public transport users in the Paris region said that they had been the target of either verbal or physical sexual harassment.
“We have to put a stop to all that,” he said, adding that President Emmanuel Macron’s pledge to revive community policing meant that there would be more law enforcement officers patrolling the streets to confront harassers.
The new bill criminalising behaviour that infringes on the “freedom of movement of women in public spaces and undermines self-esteem and the right to security” will be unveiled later this month.
The need to rethink attitudes towards sexual harassment in France was first addressed by gender equality minister Marlène Schiappa, who said last September that new laws were needed to address the “grey zone between consented seduction and sexual aggression”.
On Monday, Mr Macron’s government confirmed that the age of sexual consent would be set as 15 following nationwide outrage over two cases of sex involving 11-year-old girls.
The new age limit is also part of the package of laws designed to combat sexual violence and harassment.