French National Institute for Consumer Affairs
The French National Institute for Consumer Affairs [Institut national de la consommation] is an independent organization which provides expertise and information for consumers and consumer organizations. The body maintains specific links with the 15 officially recognized consumer organizations in France, providing them reliable technical support and organizing training sessions.
For 50 years, experts have been carrying out comparative testing on products and services, and producing economic and legal studies with the aim to contribute in improving the quality , and to promote advances in legislation. Communication of this independent and objective expertise, especially through the magazine "60 Millions de consommateurs" and the TV program "Consomag", intends to make each individual an informed consumer, and give him the power to choose.
The body is classified as a State agency operating as a business, an EPIC (Etablissement public à caractère industriel et commercial) under the authority of the Ministry in charge of Consumer Affairs. The national regulation officially specifies that the missions of the National Institute for Consumer Affairs are :
- to provide technical support to consumer associations,
- to produce, analyze and spread information, studies, surveys, and tests,
- to implement campaigns, training and education actions related to consumer questions,
- to support technically the Unfair Terms Law Commission (Commission des clauses abusives).
In this respect, INC relies on its expertise and its publications, but also gathers and updates a specialized documentary collection and data bases on all aspects of consumer affairs, unique in France. The body produces television programs, a monthly magazine for the general public and websites, all these medias owned by INC are free from advertising.
INC is involved in numerous programs initiated by the European Union. More widely, to reach its goals, partnerships with consumer organizations and different organizations are developed. INC also conducts informational campaigns on various themes such as fight against food waste, fair trade, savings and financial investments, sharing economy, energy efficiency in housing…
120 TV programs per year (2 minutes)
Produced by INC - with consumer organizations
Broadcast on public channels France 2, France 3, France 4, France 5
11 monthly issues and 8 special issues each year
Second consumer magazine in France
inc-conso.fr
Advices and spreads legal information in every field of consumer affairs
Consumer education : teaching aids and tools of information campaigns
|
2018 : INC celebrates its 50th anniversary
On the occasion of its 50th anniversary celebrated in 2018, INC turned to the future and conducted a critical and forward-looking approach to consumption.
INC has led a prospective study on tomorrow’s consumption and gathered experts to discuss issues that will have concrete impacts in consumers. What will be the effects of artificial intelligence in our daily lives? Which issues are emerging around food and health? How will we live in the city of tomorrow? In which ways will the status of the consumers evolve?
This work culminated with the publication of the white paper "Tomorrow: a consumer increased or decreased ?”. This document suggests recommendations to the different stakeholders in consumption fields and presents the projects INC intends to carry out in the coming years in order to provide better information to the consumers. |
