The Autorité de la concurrence, France's competition authority, is initiating a public consultation as part of its review of informal guidance related to sustainability. This initiative is part of its 'open door' policy, which encourages businesses and organizations to seek guidance on projects aimed at sustainability.

Since May 2024, the Autorité has provided a flexible framework for stakeholders to assess the compatibility of their sustainability projects with competition rules. After two years of implementation, the authority is now seeking feedback from all economic stakeholders, regardless of their previous use of the guidance tool.

The public consultation will be open until July 31, 2026, and stakeholders can participate through a questionnaire available in French. The responses will be treated anonymously and will not be published individually, ensuring equal consideration for all feedback received.

The Autorité has already issued five informal guidance letters covering various sectors, including animal nutrition, agro-ecological transition, retail carbon footprint data, food packaging deposit-return schemes, and sustainability performance commitments by retailers. These letters are accessible on the Autorité's website.

Following the analysis of the feedback from this consultation, the Autorité plans to publish a review of its informal guidance policy to enhance its support for sustainability initiatives.