Press Distribution

The Bichet Act[1] entrusts Arcep with the competence to set the conditions for newsagents’ remuneration, with the aim of achieving broad and balanced coverage of the point of sale (PoS) network. Today, Arcep is publishing a Decision setting the remuneration conditions that apply to every category of newspaper and magazine[2], which will come into effect on 1 January 2026. It is also publishing stakeholders’ contribution to the earlier public consultation held on this matter.

Incentives to achieve nationwide coverage, undergo training, and stay open seven days a week to provide access to daily newspapers…

The Decision includes the following revalorisations of specialist newsagents’ remuneration:

• Introduction of a location-based one-point increase for specialist newsagents located in rural areas, to ensure broad and balanced coverage of the point of sale network;
• Revalorisation of the increase tied to linear shelf space, to create an incentive for specialist newsagents to maintain the largest possible display surface for print publications, and thereby safeguard the diversity of the press being offered to readers;
• Introduction of a one-point increase on the sale of periodicals, creating an incentive to undergo vocational training once every three years, to encourage specialist newsagents to maintain their professional expertise;
• Reassessment or extension of eligibility for the increase tied to the “daily newspaper label,” to encourage newsagents to stay open seven days a week, thereby satisfying the needs of daily newspaper and Sunday publication readers.

The French Press distribution network commission (CRDP) estimates that these revalorisations, together with vocational training undergone by everyone, represent an average 10% increase overall in specialised newsagents’ remuneration for the sale of periodicals, and a 16% increase for those located in rural areas, compared to what their remuneration would have been without an increase in their rate of commission.

Negotiations with stakeholders, at Arcep’s initiative

The Authority’s call for negotiations in October 2024 made it possible to gather proposals from Culture Presse, the National Federation of specialised news publications (FNPS), the Union of magazine publishers (SEPM), and the Alliance of generalists news publications (APIG), including a shared proposal to increase specialised newsagents’ remuneration for the sale of print magazines.

The Authority welcomes the work done by the sector, on which it drew for the draft decision submitted to public consultation in summer 2025, setting the remuneration conditions for newsagents. The 14 contributions from representatives of publishers, newsagents, fulfilment centres, as well as approved press distribution companies, along with the supplementary observations made during the meeting of the Advisory committee on press distribution (CoCoDip), in November 2025, helped to inform Arcep before the adoption of its Decision.

Regarding the revalorisation of newsagents’ remuneration, representatives of press publishers and of these points of sale announced to Arcep that they had given themselves until the end of January 2026 to reach an agreement. As a result, Arcep will wait until that deadline before deciding on the follow-up to this work.

Associated documents

• Decision No. 2025‑2214 setting the remuneration conditions for newsagents
• Contributions to the public consultation on setting the remuneration conditions for newsagents