Passed in 1994 to counter the increasing use of anglicisms in France, the Toubon law helps to preserve the use of French throughout the country. To this end, it requires that content written in a foreign language is translated. Which sectors are affected by this measure? What translations are required to comply with the law? Alphatrad can help you understand these regulations more clearly.
The Toubon Act: definition and issues
The aim of the Toubon Law (or Law no. 94-665 of 4 August 1994) is to promote and protect the French language in France and to reduce the over-representation of English. It imposes the use of French on a wide range of players in the private and public sectors, including the media, schools, government departments, and businesses.
This legislation makes all "legal persons governed by public law" and "private persons carrying out a public service mission" liable. In particular, it requires that French subtitles or dubbing for foreign-language audiovisual content is used. In addition, French needs to be the default language in a wide range of fields, including advertising, commerce, education, and the media.
The law does not prohibit the use of foreign expressions, provided they are accompanied by a French version.
Which sectors are covered by the Toubon law?
The Toubon law, which aims to preserve the French language and ensure that everyone uses it, covers a range of sectors.
Mandatory translation in advertising
According to the Autorité de régulation professionnelle de la publicité (ARPP), which is responsible for ensuring compliance with the Toubon law in this sector, content written in a foreign language must be accompanied by a clearly visible asterisk referring to the French translation. The French translation does not need to be literal, but the terms used need to be clearly understood.
Advertising and marketing content subject to this requirement includes:
- Advertisements broadcast on television, radio, on the Internet or in the written press
- Direct marketing campaigns (mailings, flyers, newsletters)
- Marketing communications media (brochures, leaflets, catalogues)
- Billboards and advertising signs
- Publications on social networks and company websites
- Audiovisual advertising scripts
- Slogans and advertising messages
- Sales presentations and training materials for sales teams
- Internal communications content (corporate communications, newsletters, annual reports, etc.).
Mandatory translation relating to economic activity
Article 1 of the Toubon law requires that French is used in all communications relating to economic activity, whether direct or indirect: "The French language is compulsory in declarations, registrations, meetings and documents addressed, directly or indirectly, to any natural or legal person, with a view to the exercise of an economic activity, whatever the legal form of that activity."
Commercial companies therefore need to comply with the law by giving priority to the French language when distributing documents internally or providing documents for the public. In addition, content in a foreign language must always be translated into French.
Examples of commercial content covered by this law are:
- Sales contracts
- General terms and conditions of sale (GTCS)
- Guarantees
- Invoices
- Quotes
- Purchase orders
- Annual reports
- Training and awareness documents (staff training and health and safety training in particular)
- User and technical manuals
- A company's digital content
The Toubon law in the labour market
Under the provisions of the Toubon Act and its article L. 122-39-1, the labour market is also subject to certain linguistic constraints including the need to:
- Provide a French version of computer software for employees
- Translate documents relating to staff training and health and safety for everyone in the company
- Translate technical documents relating to products distributed in France, where they are necessary for the performance of the work of French employees
- Use French to draw up employment contracts, internal company rules, collective labour agreements, job offers in France, and all documents containing "obligations for the employee or provisions that the employee needs to know in order to carry out his work, with the exception of documents received from abroad or intended for foreigners".
Translations in the public service
The Toubon law also affects the use of French in public services. Public authorities must use it in the first instance, whether communicating with users, public officials, or third parties. This includes forms, online and offline communication media, legal documents, etc. If texts are published in a foreign language, a French translation must always be provided, to ensure access for all.
How do you translate your content to comply with the Toubon law?
Failure to comply with the Toubon law may result in penalties ranging from a simple administrative fine to criminal prosecution. In some cases, remedial measures or compliance injunctions may be requested.
The law may also impose a time limit for making any required changes. In the event of a repeat offence or failure to comply with the directives, a more severe penalty may be imposed. Ultimately, companies may be threatened with closure.
To comply with the Toubon law, you can rely on automatic translation software (DeepL, Google Translate, or Microsoft Translator etc.) However, using the services of an experienced professional translator is the best way to ensure that you obtain a reliable, high-quality result that complies with this regulatory requirement.
Thanks to its network of 3,500 professionals, Alphatrad can offer you translations in around a hundred languages, from the most common to the rarest (English, Mandarin, Russian, Italian, Arabic, German, Croatian, etc.). To comply with the Toubon law in France, our agency offers you the expertise of a native translator, who specialises in your sector of activity (commercial, legal, marketing, certified translation etc.), and whose mother tongue is French.
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FAQ on the translations required by the Toubon law
No, the French Employment Code does not prohibit the simultaneous use of a foreign language. However, it must always be translated into French. This is an essential step in the workplace, both for written content (a poster, a letter, meeting minutes, etc.) and audiovisual content (training content, a videoconference, a tutorial, etc.).
According to the principles set out in Article 1 of the Toubon Law, all communications relating to economic activity must be written in French, whether direct or indirect. This applies to advertisements, advertising slogans, leaflets, and other communication media. However, there are some allowable exceptions provided they are justified. The use of an untranslated foreign language is authorised for:
- Foreign trademarks with names commonly accepted in France
- Technical or scientific terms with no French equivalent
- Anglicisms that are commonly used and integrated into the French language (such as jogging, footing, or weekend).
To comply with the Toubon law on language and signage, you need to ensure that all advertising and information is written in French and French should be prioritised when broadcasting messages intended for a French audience. In addition, in accordance with the law, all content in a foreign language must be translated.
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