Que Choisir

Que Choisir
Title	Que Choisir
Category	Consumer magazine
Country	France
Language	French
Founded	1954
Frequency	Monthly

Que Choisir is a French consumer magazine and advocacy organization that investigates products, services, markets, and public policy. It publishes comparative tests, buyer guides, and legal analyses aimed at informing consumers and influencing regulation. The magazine has operated within a network of European and international consumer groups while engaging with national institutions and companies.

History

Founded in 1954, the magazine emerged during the post‑war expansion linked to institutions such as Union démocratique du travail and contemporary social movements including Mutualité Française and Confédération Générale du Travail. Its development paralleled the growth of consumer movements in Europe represented by Consumers International, BEUC, and national bodies like Which? in the United Kingdom and Stiftung Warentest in Germany. Over decades, it intersected with major policy moments such as the adoption of the Treaty of Rome‑era market integration, the establishment of European Economic Community regulatory frameworks, the passage of French consumer protection laws influenced by debates in the National Assembly (France), and engagement with the Conseil d'État (France). Editors and contributors have included figures who later collaborated with institutions like Institut national de la consommation, Autorité de la concurrence, and Direction générale de la concurrence, de la consommation et de la répression des fraudes.

Throughout the 1970s and 1980s Que Choisir's reporting intersected with high‑profile cases involving multinational firms such as Renault, Peugeot, Philips (company), Siemens, and Nestlé. The magazine's investigative work paralleled consumer safety incidents involving products from corporations like General Electric, Procter & Gamble, and Johnson & Johnson and public health responses overseen by agencies akin to Haute Autorité de Santé and Agence nationale de sécurité du médicament et des produits de santé.

Organization and Publication

The magazine is published by an association closely linked to the Institut national de la consommation model and collaborates with European partners including BEUC, Test‑Achats, Altroconsumo, and Consumentenbond. Its organizational structure mirrors non‑profit associations found in the French civil sphere such as Secours Populaire Français and shares networks with professional guilds and unions like Union fédérale des consommateurs.

Que Choisir issues monthly print editions and maintains digital platforms competing with outlets such as Le Monde, Le Figaro, France Inter, and specialist titles like 60 Millions de consommateurs. Its editorial governance involves scientific committees and testing labs analogous to INRAE partnerships and technical collaborations with testing institutes similar to CETIAT and CNRS laboratories. The publisher engages freelance journalists who have worked with media groups like Groupe Le Monde, Groupe Figaro, and broadcasting entities like France Télévisions and Radio France.

Testing Methodology

Testing protocols draw on standards from international bodies such as ISO, CEN, and sector‑specific norms set by agencies like AFNOR. Test categories range from electronics where components reflect standards used by IEEE and ETSI, to foodstuffs evaluated against criteria influenced by Codex Alimentarius and procedures used by ANSES. Test benches and procedures reference measurement practices similar to those at Laboratoire Central des Ponts et Chaussées and instrumentation comparable to equipment used by LNE.

Comparisons often span products sold by brands including Apple Inc., Samsung Electronics, Sony Corporation, LG Electronics, Bosch, Beko, Whirlpool Corporation, HP Inc., Dell Technologies, Asus, Lenovo, and Acer Inc.. The methodology addresses safety, durability, performance, energy consumption as regulated under directives like the Ecodesign Directive (EU), and labeling standards such as EU energy label. Statistical analysis methods reference practices seen in journals and institutions like INSEE, CNAM, and academic partners at universities such as Université Paris‑Saclay and Sorbonne University.

Consumer Advocacy and Campaigns

Que Choisir has run campaigns on telecoms where it engaged with operators like Orange S.A., SFR, Bouygues Telecom, and Free (ISP), and on banking services involving institutions such as BNP Paribas, Société Générale, Crédit Agricole, and BPCE. Other campaigns targeted food labeling and supply chains touching companies such as Danone, McDonald's, and Carrefour, and environmental issues linked to producers like TotalEnergies and EDF (Électricité de France). It has coordinated with consumer coalitions in major actions similar to campaigns by Consumer Reports (magazine) and litigation efforts reminiscent of cases handled by European Court of Justice allied consumer groups.

Advocacy extends to digital rights and privacy debates involving platforms such as Google LLC, Meta Platforms, Apple Inc., Amazon (company), Microsoft, and regulatory frameworks like the General Data Protection Regulation and instruments administered by Commission nationale de l'informatique et des libertés.

Legal and Regulatory Impact

Investigations by the magazine have precipitated administrative and judicial responses involving agencies like Autorité des marchés financiers, Autorité de la concurrence, and courts including Tribunal de grande instance and the Cour de cassation (France). Coverage has influenced hearings in the European Parliament, interventions by the European Commission, and contributed evidence in inquiries by parliamentary committees such as those in the Assemblée nationale and the Senate (France).

Its test results and dossiers contributed to revisions of consumer protection statutes and standards parallel to reforms under the Directive on consumer rights (2011/83/EU) and the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive. Legal actions following reporting have involved corporate defendants ranging from Volkswagen to GlaxoSmithKline and have sometimes led to compensation schemes or mandatory recalls administered under frameworks like the Règlement (UE) sur la sécurité générale des produits.

Criticisms and Controversies

The magazine has faced criticisms and legal challenges from corporations such as Apple Inc., Nestlé, Amazon (company), Carrefour, and Société Générale contesting methodology or conclusions. Trade associations and some manufacturers, including representatives from Fédération des Industries Electriques, Electroniques et de Communication and Fédération Française du Bâtiment, have argued about testing conditions and commercial impacts.

Academic critics and industry analysts from institutions like HEC Paris, Sciences Po, INSEAD, and think tanks such as Fondation Jean‑Jaurès and Institut Montaigne have debated its influence on markets. Debates have referenced disputes seen in other jurisdictions involving Which? and Consumer Reports (magazine), touching on tensions between investigative journalism, expert assessment, and regulatory certainty.

Category:French magazines