Friday, the Minister Delegate for Trade Olivia Grégoire announced that, from now on, the Fraud Repression (DGCCRF) can “reveal the identity of companies sanctioned for any illicit practice”, which should allow the strengthening of “its action prevention and information”.
The Directorate General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Prevention already had the power to reveal the identity of sanctioned companies with regard to administrative sanctions, specifies the entity dependent on the Ministry of the Economy. However, this new decree makes it possible to extend the possibilities of communication of the DGCCRF, in particular with regard to “injunction measures”.
A “name and shame” logic
These injunctions to notify an illegal practice, violation of the regulations or illegal commercial clause, must make it possible to put an end to the practice “within a short time”. “They are complementary to financial sanctions, even to prison sentences”, specifies the DGCCRF.
Fraud Control will now be able to make public its injunctions to businesses across its entire field of action, the fight against practices that restrict competition or consumer protection, for example.
In a logic of “name and shame”, this decree makes it possible to publicly point the finger at companies that are very sensitive to their image, “in order to reinforce the dissuasive nature of the consequences that it implements following its controls”.
“In the case of its powers of ”digital requisition””, specifies the ministerial body in addition, it “may order the referral of blocked fraudulent sites to a page informing consumers of the reason for the blocking”.