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In a context where consumer and companies’ protection challenges are becoming more and more complex, the Directorate General for Competition, Consumption and Fraud Repression (DGCCRF) plays an essential role. Faced with growing challenges linked to fraud, agreements, false advertising or new online business practices, the administration must be attentive to the vulnerabilities of the various market players.
Sarah Lacoche, Director General of the DGCCRF, returns to the major actions of the year 2024 and the challenges for the coming year and explains the priorities and challenges of its institution to guarantee a more equitable and secure consumption for all.
Franceinfo: You take stock of the past year. What are the specifics of 2024 if there are any?
Sarah Lacoche: The first is the Olympic Games. It was a year of very, very strong mobilization of nearly 900 agents. So this is important since we are 3000. Already prepared from 2023 because we had to anticipate and we did 16,000 checks, which is very important because we made about 65,000 in total over the whole year, in all sectors. So it shows mobilization until the last moment. Very intense mobilization to ensure good information, including tourists in hotels, restaurants, on ticket offices, but also on security subjects since a few alerts have been managed. We found some gourdes with bisphenol A, so it was important to remove them from the market.
Have you encountered special problems or ultimately, overall, as we felt, the Olympic Games went pretty well?
The Olympic Games went rather well from a consumer point of view, we also made efforts to tourists. We had done things translated into English. We have ensured that the information is reliable, especially on the hotel and restaurant. But overall, the fact that we had put the control pressure before the games, it all went well when the time came.
In recent months have been marked by special crises in the territories and overseas departments. Mayotte after the passage of the cyclone, crisis of life dear to Martinique which continues. The Minister of Overseas, Manuel Valls, goes again on the spot these days. Food products have been able to cost up to 40% more on site than in mainland France. How can we avoid this? What are you concretely in place?
It is true that on life dear to overseas, there is a protocol that was signed this fall in Martinique, which was the subject of exchanges, in particular local. It was the prefect who was a lot at the maneuver on it. We have contributed to the reflections and the idea is a bit to mobilize different levers of action. There are some who are on sea grant, but there is also on asking each of the actors, in particular there will be a drop in VAT also on these products, to repercussions that are made by each of the actors to succeed in lowering prices.
And it works?
It has just been put in place. The protocol dates from the fall. The drop in VAT with the vote of the budget, it takes place a little later. So there, we are going to return an assessment by the end of March to precisely measure.
“I think it will be done as you go, because there are also stock effects, that is to say that the products which were already bought on the shelves cannot benefit from the measurement effect.”
Sarah Lacochein franceinfo
But, a priori, we should see the start of a drop in prices in the food component.
There are also all the problems you encounter when you buy online with e-commerce. In 2023, you have destroyed no less than 225,000 dangerous toys. Do we are still on these orders of magnitude or is it happening?
It is true that e-commerce is the record number of reports that we have on Application of our “signalconso”We have no more than 100,000. It is the consumer who can send us a report, it is transmitted to the company. It allows for an amicable resolution form. But for us, it is also a wealth of information to see where there are problems for consumers. So that, we know that e-commerce is a subject that signals a lot of problems. And we also take security samples. And it is true that we see that on online platforms, the danger rate remains greater than on physical trade. So it is really a precautionary message that can be given to consumers.
And from certain countries in particular.
Especially from certain countries actually, platforms from Asian countries, but not that, as soon as we have products that are imported. We see that it is often a fragility for us in terms of conformity.
“There is a new European regulation which is released on the general security of products, which strengthens the obligations of large platforms, in particular the information on the product must be improved, they must better inform consumers if there have been withdrawals or reminders.”
Sarah Lacochein franceinfo
One of the weapons of the Directorate General for Competition, Consumption and the Repression of Frauds (DGCCRF) to protect the consumer, it is the sanction in the event of fraud, which can result in a financial fine. How much are these fines for last year?
It is very variable. We have a lot of fines which are rather on the side of companies, payment deadlines or sanctions for international power plants. So, there, in around, I have a little less than 100 million euros for this year and then we do a lot of criminal procedures. So there, after, it is the judge who will decide the amount of the fine. It is very variable, but it is true that last year, if we look at the administrative fines, we have in any case given significant fines on the as soon as payment periods, we will say that we are around the order of magnitude of around forty million euros.
This is to protect companies.
It is to protect companies. And also on the component of European power plants, we are talking about commercial negotiations. We wanted to ensure that European power plants, which therefore distribute in France on products in mass distribution, respected the rules of European game. Some did not respect the rules of the French game. And we therefore sanctioned.
Do you think that the implementation of these European purchase power plants are a bypass of the Egalim law?
Some in all cases do not respect, but not all since we had seen a power plant that had respected the rules of the game and which was therefore not punished.
Are there sectors that are vigilance objects on your part?
There are objects on which we maintain a particular vigilance because it is a point of attention of consumers. We are vigilant on everything that is francization in the food field, that is to say people who import products, who claim that it is French, while in fact it is not French because it penalizes the consumer who sometimes is ready to pay more by saying “it is French quality”. We have francization on red fruits on which there is a criminal sanction, it can happen on mushrooms, it can happen on wine, olive oil. So that’s important because it protects consumers, but it also protects our farmers. We also look at everything that is happening on the field of energy renovation because we know that we have a big issue to renovate our park. And at the same time, you have to give confidence in the system. However, we know that insofar as there are public subsidies. It is an area that attracted a lot of fraud and very organized fraud.
“We also work a lot with the National Habitat Agency (ANAH), with other partners, to look at how we apprehend the fraud scheme and how we can act together.”
Sarah Lacochein franceinfo
You also have new skills to regulate digital platforms and markets.
Large platforms must respect the rules of the game that are important. We may have to carry a hand to the Commission if it decides to launch an investigation. We control French companies, but we look at what other companies are doing in the European Union.
Do you have an object of vigilance in particular for 2025?
So, we remain very mobilized on our major themes. Anything that can help protect purchasing power, overseas, it will remain important and we will be prioritized on our main priorities which are digital transition and ecological transition.
