Le consommateur français entre loi Toubon et droit communautaire

« The French consumer between the Toubon Act and European law » deals with the long tradition France has as regards the legal protection of the French language both in international affairs (the international organisation of co-operation between French speaking countries called the « francophonie ») and in home affairs (vote of the Bas-Lauriol Act in 1975 and of the Toubon Act in 1994, protecting the right for the people who are living in France to have always an access in French language to any public or private service or business). The adoption of the principle of « language which is easily understood by consumers » by the European authorities in the directives 79/112 :CEE of December 18, 1978 and 2000/13/CE, of March 20, 2000, as applied by the European Court of justice in several cases and the advice of the Commission of July 27, 2002, are opening the possibility to use other languages than French in product labelling if they are easily understandable or if the product offered to consumers is sufficiently explained by other means (icons, etc.). The French authorities, which form part of the Community?s legislator, but which, at home, are confronted with a strong and popular movement in defense of the French language, have not always reacted consistently nor taken the matter as one of serious public policy concern. As legal matter, however, it is clear ever since the enactment of the Toubon Act that mandatory labelling in French does not mean labelling exclusively in French.