Device overview
What is an online press service?
The quality of online press service is granted to online press materials. It constitutes professional recognition and allows, under certain conditions, access to direct aids and indirect benefits.
The law of 12 June 2009 promoting the dissemination and protection of creation on the Internet has made it possible to lay the foundations for a specific legal and economic regime for online press services, whether they are sites linked to a print title or all-online information sites.
The online press service is defined by Article 1 of the Law of 1 August 1986 reforming the legal regime of the press. It must meet several criteria: “An online press service means any communication service to the online public published in a professional capacity by a natural or legal person who has editorial control of its content, consisting in the production and provision of original content to the public, of general interest, regularly renewed, consisting of information related to current events and having been the subject of journalistic processing, which does not constitute a tool for promotion or an accessory to an industrial or commercial activity.”
Objectives of the approach
The aim is to register the Online Press Services (SPEL) on the registers of the Joint Committee on Publications and News Agencies. This quality allows access to the economic regime of the press.
Under certain conditions, direct aid, some of which is granted by the Ministry of Culture, is available to the SPEL recognized by the CPPAP (Strategic Fund for Press Development, Aid for Pluralism of Online Press Services). Indirect benefits, including tax, may be granted to online press services.
Registration on the CPPAP lists is a condition of access to the economic and tax system of the press. It is entitled to a number of specific benefits:
- exemption from the territorial economic contribution (former business tax);
- a reduced VAT rate of 2.1% on sales of news content from online press services; access to the benefit of the provision for investment reserved for companies operating an online press service devoted largely to general political information or for online press services developing professional information or promoting access to knowledge and the formation and dissemination of thought, debate of ideas, general culture and scientific research. This benefit is limited to acquisitions strictly necessary for the operation of the service;
- the application of the allowance on social security contributions and professional expenses of journalists;
- access (subject to conditions) to the Strategic Press Development Fund (FSDP) (grants to support digital development) or to support for pluralism of online media services.
Am I concerned by this approach?
- Associations
- Private companies
- Public institutions/ state services
- Individuals (only natural persons engaged in a professional activity)
To be reviewed by the CPPAP, the service must be operational and the content put online effectively.
The online service must meet several criteria (established by the Decree No. 2009-1340 of 29 October 2009) and the publisher shall make available to the public:
- The legal obligations of identification, by analogy with the legal notices required for the printed press.
- A service published «professionally».
- Content, essentially using the written mode, renewed regularly and dated, to exclude simple one-time and partial updates.
- Journalistic content produced by professional journalists.
- Content “of general interest”.
- Content that is not violent or pornographic.
- An online service that does not constitute an “advertising or communication instrument” and does not appear as an “accessory to a commercial activity”.
- The publisher must also have editorial control of the content and provide a mechanism to report illegal content on contribution spaces.
Procedure
The request is made to the CPPAP which ensures the recognition of the online press service. Following a favourable opinion, the CPPAP issues a certificate valid for a period not exceeding 5 years, renewable on request before the expiry date of its certificate. Otherwise, the site is deleted from the CPPAP registers.
The registration certificate contains the CPPAP number assigned by the online press service. It must be produced in support of any request for tax relief or government assistance. This number is a string of 10 alphanumeric characters. The first four digits correspond to the expiry date of this certificate; the letter, to the online press service category.
- Review of applications: by the CPPAP, meeting in sub-committee about every six weeks.
- Some files may be referred to a plenary session (7 to 8 times a year).
- Announcement of results: notices issued by the CPPAP and certificates are sent by mail to users.
- To access the online form, click on the "Access form" button at the bottom of this page.
- Log in or create an account, then let us guide you.
A question?
If you have any questions about the recognition of an online press service, please contact the Joint Committee on Publications and News Agencies (CPPAP) by e-mail at: spel.cppap@culture.gouv.fr ; or by phone on 01 40 15 38 03.
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