Does the European Union prevent local consumption in canteens, as La France insoumise says?

Should we disobey the European treaties to change what is on the plates of our canteens? In any case, this is what rebellious MEP Manuel Bompard says on franceinfo: “We need to revise the treaties because today if you want to make an organic, local canteen, everywhere on the national territory, you have a problem because the rule of free and undistorted competition prevents you from doing so. .” There is truth and falsehood in Manuel Bompard’s assertion.

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First of all, Manuel Bompard is right about the mechanism of the public market. A community that would like to place an order for its canteens does not have the right to impose a geographical criterion, as a Senate report pointed out. Clearly, one cannot prefer a French market gardener to a Spanish market gardener. This is the principle of non-discrimination and equality of candidates, it is guaranteed by both European texts and French law. This rule also applies to all public contracts in the Member States of the European Union.

However, this rule has been regularly circumvented for several years by local authorities which include clauses in their public contracts. For example, by specifying a very specific criterion such as the Red Label for meat, or an appellation of origin. A town hall can also request a guarantee in terms of freshness and seasonality. Very specific conditions which favor, in fact, local production.

This is what the Egalim law on food also aims at. Since this year, canteens must serve at least 50% of “quality and sustainable” products, that is to say products that have a label. According to a survey by the association of mayors of France, just over a third of communities, mainly in large cities, think they can achieve this objective quickly and therefore consume more locally.