France’s highest administrative court, the Conseil d’État, has rejected a legal challenge by Amazon against the country’s minimum delivery fee for books sold online. The ruling is seen as a major victory for France’s long-standing effort to protect independent bookstores from the dominance of large online retailers.
The French government introduced the rule in October 2023. Under the law, online retailers must charge at least €3 for delivering book orders worth less than €35. Orders above that amount are exempt from the fee. The policy directly targeted ultra-cheap shipping practices, especially Amazon’s previous €0.01 book delivery offer.
Amazon argued that the measure was protectionist and violated European Union single-market rules. The company said the regulation unfairly favored physical bookstores and large retail chains with pickup locations while hurting readers, especially people living in rural areas without nearby bookstores. Amazon claimed the measure had already cost French readers more than €100 million and reduced access to books.
France defended the law as part of its broader “cultural exception” policy aimed at preserving literary diversity and protecting thousands of independent bookstores from aggressive price competition by tech giants. French officials argued that giant online platforms were using ultra-cheap delivery as a competitive weapon that smaller booksellers could not match.
The case had previously reached the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU). In earlier proceedings, EU judges said the French rule could still be justified if it genuinely promoted cultural diversity and remained proportionate under EU law. France’s top court has now decided that the measure can stand.
The ruling highlights growing tension between European governments and global technology companies over digital commerce, taxation, and cultural protection. France has repeatedly introduced regulations aimed at limiting the market power of major U.S. tech firms in areas such as publishing, media, and online retail.
