3 euros for an order of books online that goes up to 35 euros, and 1 euro cent beyond: this is the middle path chosen between the giants of online commerce and the booksellers by the government in the matter of Shipping costs minimum applicable to books, we learned on Thursday, September 22 from the Ministry of Culture. These shipping costs can no longer be zero since a 2014 law, but Amazon and Fnac systematically set them at 0.01 euros. A law adopted in December 2021 aimed to increase the minimum price to encourage consumers to go to bookstores instead of ordering online. The legislator has left it up to the executive to set the amounts.
The postal regulator, Arcep, recommended 3 euros when launching a public consultation on the subject. This is the amount withheld by the Ministry of Culture for orders of up to 35 euros, the minister’s office informed AFP. Beyond 35 euros, the ministry decided on the status quo, with a floor of 0.01 euros. The government’s decision still needs to be sent to the European Commission, which will issue an opinion before the law comes into force. During the public consultation of Arcep, Amazon was in favor of an amount of 1.49 euros, that is, the “books and brochures” rate for a book of between 250 and 500 grams to the European Union, the United Kingdom or Switzerland.
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