France will impose a minimum 3-euro (about $3) delivery fee for online book sales of less than 35 euros (about $34) in a bid to give small bookstores competing against eCommerce goliaths a fighting chance.
In a statement issued Friday (Sept. 23), French cultural and finance ministers said the move is aimed at “restoring equity between certain major eCommerce platforms,” which charge almost free shipping no matter how many books a customer orders “and a whole network of booksellers who cannot match these rates for small orders.”
The ministers added that the 3-euro delivery fee should not dissuade book buyers, while the 35-euro threshold will promote the use of group orders, which is good for the environment.
France passed a law last year, known as the Darcos law, that prohibits free delivery of books. However, the law could not take effect until the government determined a set fee. Now that the fee has been decided, France will send the matter to the European Commission, with the tariff set to go into place within six months, according to the statement.
The announcement does not mention Amazon by name. However, when France imposed an earlier ban on free book shipping in 2014, the retail giant responded by raising the price to a single penny, according to published reports.
French lawmakers argued that the country’s independent bookshops needed protection from online rivals, accusing those companies of “dumping” books at a loss.
Reached for comment by PYMNTS, a spokesperson for Amazon’s French operations pointed to a filing the company submitted to the French government in May. That filing argued a minimum shipping fee would have “a major inflationary impact” and reduce the purchasing power of French readers, particularly those in rural areas who don’t have immediate access to bookstores.
“There are alternatives that would avoid penalizing reading or the purchasing power of French readers,” Amazon said. “For example, the introduction of a special postal rate for books, which already exists for foreign shipments. Shipping a 500g book to London costs 1.49 euros, whereas shipping it to a French address costs 6 euros, i.e. four times more.”
France’s move comes as Amazon is facing criticism from a group of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Europe for its proposal to halt certain online sales and marketing practices to stave off steep antitrust fines from regulators.
Read more: NGOs Criticize Amazon’s Plan to Mollify EU Regulators
Earlier this month, a group of 11 NGOs, which included pro-labor groups, monopoly opponents, and lobbying watchdogs, submitted a filing to the commission, calling the proposal inadequate and “full of loopholes.”
The statement added that the company’s “proposed commitments seem designed to ensure that these profitable conflicts ultimately remain intact. We see this offer as a threat to consumers, businesses and workers. It will not stop Amazon from abusing its dominance.”
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