Not to mention that for certain passports, a transit visa is required by some countries even if remaining airside.Depends entirely what the airline will accept.
Note, when you say 'layover', or 'transit', I'm assuming this is not leaving the international/transit section of the airport. If you want to leave the international zone or go into the city, you have to enter via passport control. Whether France lets you in or not with a short-validity passport is entirely up to ... well, France.
Using the example here, an Indian national traveling from Canada to India via France would require a transit visa from France.