The Law on modernising press distribution [1] required the company MLP to apply for its initial accreditation as approved distributor of periodical publications within six months of publication of the applicable contractual requirements [2], i.e. 15 October 2021 for this year. Having received MLP’s application on 13 October 2021, today Arcep is publishing its decision, granting MLP the status of approved press distributor.
Arcep made its decision based on the information supplied by MLP and the contractual obligations with which it committed to comply to ensure the distribution of periodical publications.
MLP stipulated that changes would need to be made to its IT tools to implement the mechanisms that give newsagents the ability to choose the non “CPPAP” titles they wish to distribute, to be able to operate in an automated fashion. These changes will be synchronised with the introduction of assortment rules for non-political or general news publications registered with and recognised by France’s Joint Commission for Press Publications and Agencies (CPPAP). MLP stated that, in the meantime, it would satisfy distributors’ requests using a “semi-manual” process via its sales department, to put this mechanism into effect immediately.
Associated document:
Notes:
[1] Act. No. 47-585 of 2 April 1947 regarding the status of newspaper and periodical consolidation and distribution companies
[2] Set by Decree No. 2021-440 of 13 April 2021 regarding the contractual requirements that apply to approved press distribution companies