In 2021, the French Parliament voted in favour of adopting the Darcos Law, which sets a minimum delivery fee of €3 for all online book purchases under €35. For purchases above €35, books can be shipped from €0.01. The aim of the law is to level the playing field in the French books sector by countering retail giants' aggressive commercial practices of shipping individual books for as little as €0.01.
Prior to the the European Commision's authorisation, they have opened a consultation to hear from relevant actors in the French book sector.
Today, EIBF submitted its contribution to the European Commission's consultation on the French measure, fully supporting the position and arguments laid out by our members, the Syndicat de la librairie française (SLF) and the Syndicat des distributeurs de loisirs culturels (SDLC).
EIBF Co-President Jean-Luc Treutenaere said: "The Darcos Law is supported in France by all booksellers, from the most important chains to the smallest independent stores. We are all united to fight the players who are eager to sell books at a loss in order to gain customers on any other products. This law would lead to fairer competition and is beneficial for the environment. With more than 4000 bookstores and more than 15 000 points of sales, France offers a dense network, making it possible for every person to either buy a book near their home or to collect it for free through click & collect."
SLF President Anne Martelle added: "The Darcos Law is a very important piece of legislation that will hopefuily prevent the damaging practices of the bigger online players. The entire French book chain is a unit on this matter"
You can find our contribution attached, as well as the full consultation on the following link. You can submit your input until midnight on January 16 2023.