Stop francolavage!

According to a survey carried out at the end of 2020 by Ipsos for FIMIF, the origin of the product is the third criterion when making purchases for 53% of French people, behind quality (88%) and price (81%). While the study has not been repeated, "the trend remains the same, with a slight increase, according to various feedbacks"assures Amandine Hesse, President of FIMIF.

With over 95% of French people believing that indication of origin should be compulsory, francolavage is all the more damaging. This communication and marketing technique "aims to make the consumer believe, through mentions, claims, logos and/or visuals, that a product is made in France when it isn't"explains the FIMIF website.

This association of 400 volunteers, whose vocation is to combat this phenomenon, has measured its scale. According to its calculations, francolavage represents a loss of earnings of around 4.5 billion euros a year for the national industry, which would create 50,000 jobs in the country (all categories combined).

Les instruments du francolavage

Concretely, among the various external markings (use of the Eiffel Tower, blue-white-red tones...) likely to give the impression of hexagonal manufacture, FIMIF volunteer Dunni Beaudoin notes that the "French flag is the most widely used". But also that "we're dealing more and more with the indication "Home française", with claims like "conditionné" or "créé en France", or, at distributors, "boutique française"".

However, she points out that "there are cases of innocent and intentional francolavages". And that sometimes, "the consumer can make a mistake if he doesn't understand all the companies' indications. The latter must therefore be transparent and pay attention to the way they communicate".

FIMIF has thus defined a severity scale, with three levels. In the case of méprise,"the origin information indicated on the product is correct but misunderstood or misinterpreted by consumers". In francolavage,"the affixing of a mention, allegation or visual is misleading" and leads "to the belief that the product concerned is made in France when it is not. Often, the true origin is hidden on the back or inside the product".

Intentional deception... or not?

Finally, with deception, "unintentional - ignorance or lack of knowledge on the part of the company or distributor - or completely intentional", there is a "clear infringement of the regulations on origin marking, i.e. the affixing of the words "Made in France" or "Fabriqué en France" on a product manufactured elsewhere".

Whatever the case, FIMIF encourages consumers to become "consum'acteur" by filling in a reporting form on its website when they believe they have detected a case of francolavage. In the event of consumer misunderstanding, FIMIF sends a feedback to the "whistleblower" to clear up misunderstandings and settle the case.

But if free-floating is confirmed, "the most important thing for us is to ensure that the brand or distributor corrects its mistake", explains Dunny Beaudoin. "We contact them to offer to rework the directions, which they usually do". However, if the consumer refuses, this "francolavage" is tantamount to proven deception, and the case is referred to the Direction Générale de la Concurrence, de la Consommation et de la Répression des Fraudes (DGCCRF) and the Direction Générale des Douanes et Droits Indirects (DGDDI). The latter can then impose penalties on offenders.

FIMIF reports more than 70 qualified cases (assumed frankwashing or deception) a year to the DGCCRF and customs, with the textile category particularly affected. Over 300 cases have been reported since the collection system was launched in 2019.

"Substantial"

The association is also positioning itself on the educational front."Indication of origin is not compulsory on products. But if brands do allude to it, they must comply with the so-called non-preferential origin rules, imposed by Article 60 of the European Union Customs Code: the last substantial transformation or working of the product must be carried out in France. However, the term "last working" is often misunderstood. It must be substantial: "simple embroidery or the addition of buttons is not enough", reminds Dunni Beaudoin.

So that a company "is sure of its right to use the Made in France marking and not put itself in a situation of francolavage likely to cause it to lose consumer confidence", FIMIF recommends requesting "a free IMF (Information sur le Made in France) form" from the Service de l'Origine et du Made in France (SOMIF).

To distinguish its products from imported competition, a company can also subscribe to paid-for labels such as Origine France Garantie and France Terre Textile, which guarantee a minimum (50% or 75% depending on the label) of French manufacturing in compliance with precise specifications. According to an Ipsos/FIMIF survey, 86% of French people (including 30% who are completely convinced) are influenced by a label when they make a purchase.

In this way, consumer information and transparency on the origin of products are fundamental to the development of Made in France, and thus to the promotion of French savoir-faire.

To find out more about labels, discover our dedicated article.

To access the study on origin marking and francolavage conducted by Ipsos on behalf of FIMIF, go here.