Confédération de la Consommation, du Logement et du Cadre de Vie

CLCV (Confédération de la Consommation, du Logement et du Cadre de Vie) is a French national association that exclusively defends the specific interests of consumers and users. Created on 7 June 1952 under the name Confédération Nationale des Associations Populaires Familiales (CNAPF), it was renamed Confédération Syndicale du Cadre de Vie (CSCV) in 1976 and took its current name in 1998. It is one of fifteen consumer associations recognized as representative by French public authorities. The organization is deliberately independent of any political, trade-union, professional or religious influence. It operates nationally and locally across a broad range of everyday consumption topics: housing, urban planning, transport, financial services, essential services, telephony and internet, food and health. It is also active in tenant representation, popular education, environmental protection and representation of users in hospital and public health bodies. It holds several official approvals: as a consumer association (1975), as a popular education association (1983), and for representing users in hospital or public health bodies (2006). CLCV federates a network of local associations — described as nearly 310 local associations on its website and 392 local, departmental and regional associations in its Wikipedia entry — present in 72 departments. Its national team, the Secrétariat national, comprises around fifteen salaried staff, while more than a hundred lawyers and project officers support volunteers across France. It is governed by a national confederal council of 20 members elected for four years. Jean-Yves Mano succeeded Reine-Claude Mader as president in November 2016. CLCV publishes a quarterly journal, Cadre de Vie, along with numerous consumer-rights guides and two quarterly housing publications, Info HLM and Copropriétaires. It is a member of the Bureau Européen des Unions de Consommateurs (BEUC) and Consumers International. The association regularly intervenes in public debate on legislation within its field, and has been involved in landmark French consumer actions, including early class actions and the Helvet Immo case.

CLCV was created on 7 June 1952 under the name Confédération Nationale des Associations Populaires Familiales (CNAPF). After a long debate on the role and missions of family associations in defending users and consumers, it transformed into the Confédération Syndicale du Cadre de Vie (CSCV) in 1976. In 1998, it changed its name to Confédération de la Consommation, du Logement et du Cadre de Vie (CLCV). Over the decades, CLCV has been involved in major consumer mobilizations. In 1987, it initiated the mobilization against paid cheques, a government project led by Jacques Chirac. In 2007, in partnership with UFC-Que choisir, it called for the creation of class actions in French law. In 2014, it launched one of the first class actions in France (permitted by the law of 17 March 2014 on consumer protection) before the Nanterre court against Axa and AGIPI regarding a life insurance contract, the two companies having failed to honor their contractual commitments. In March 2015, CLCV filed as a civil party before the Paris tribunal de grande instance in proceedings brought by more than a hundred consumers for misleading commercial practices against BNP Paribas in the Helvet Immo toxic loan case. In July 2020, with UFC-Que choisir, it filed an appeal before the Conseil d'État to challenge the Castex government's ordinance allowing tour operators to offer credit notes instead of refunds for trips cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. In November 2020, it announced a class action in France against Volkswagen in the Dieselgate affair. In December of the same year, it took SFR and Orange to court for marketing 5G offers without sufficient pre-contractual information. In January 2024, it announced a historic agreement with BNP Paribas Personal Finance, allowing compensation for more than 4,000 clients who had taken out a Helvet Immo loan, amounting to more than 600 million euros. CLCV is a member of the Bureau Européen des Unions de Consommateurs (BEUC) and Consumers International. It is approved by public authorities as a consumer association, a popular education association, an educational association complementary to public education, and an association representing users in hospital or public health bodies. It participates regularly in public debate on legislation within its field, for example on the energy transition law for green growth (adopted in 2015) and the equality and citizenship law (adopted in 2017). In 2024, CLCV took part in a working group led by Olivia Grégoire, then Minister of Consumption, to develop a new label for greater transparency on the origin of processed food products, Origin'Info. Internally, CLCV is led by a national confederal council of 20 members elected for four years. In November 2016, Jean-Yves Mano succeeded Reine-Claude Mader as president. The national team, the Secrétariat national, has around fifteen salaried staff, while more than a hundred lawyers and project officers support volunteers across France. CLCV publishes a quarterly journal, Cadre de Vie, and numerous consumer rights guides, as well as two quarterly housing publications, Info HLM and Copropriétaires.

• 2024

  Announced historic agreement with BNP Paribas Personal Finance over Helvet Immo, worth over 600 million euros.

• 2020

  Filed appeal against Covid-19 travel credit note ordinance; announced class action against Volkswagen; sued SFR and Orange over 5G offers.

• 2016

  Jean-Yves Mano succeeded Reine-Claude Mader as president.

• 2015

  Filed as civil party in the Helvet Immo case against BNP Paribas.

• 2014

  Launched one of the first class actions in France against Axa and AGIPI.

• 2007

  With UFC-Que choisir, called for the creation of class actions in French law.

• 2006

  Approved to represent users in hospital or public health bodies.

• 1998

  Renamed Confédération de la Consommation, du Logement et du Cadre de Vie (CLCV).

• 1987

  Initiated mobilization against paid cheques.

• 1983

  Approved as a popular education association.

• 1976

  Transformed into Confédération Syndicale du Cadre de Vie (CSCV).

• 1975

  Approved as a consumer association.

• 1952

  Created as Confédération Nationale des Associations Populaires Familiales (CNAPF).

A generalist, consumerist, eco-citizen and grassroots French consumer association, independent of political, union, professional or religious influence.

• Cadre de Vie

• Info HLM

• Copropriétaires

• Ôcomptegoutte

• Locataires : guide de vos droits, démarches et recours

• Guide conso santé

• Rayonnements, OGM, nanotechnologies : danger ou progrès ?

• Étudiants et jeunes : se loger sans galérer !

• 2024Origin'Info label working group
• 2020Dieselgate class action
• 20205G offers legal action
• 2015Helvet Immo case
• 2007Class action advocacy
• 1987Mobilization against paid cheques

1. 1CLCV - Association nationale de consommateurs et usagersclcv.org
2. 2Notre histoire, nos valeursclcv.org
3. 3Autres prestataires de serviceclcv.org
4. 4Consommation Logement Cadre de viefr.wikipedia.org
5. 5Wikidata Q2994666wikidata.org