The Trump administration has extended a campaign of diversity, fairness and integration programs (Dei) to French companies with US government contracts, which imposes its compliance with an executive order that prohibits such initiatives.
The guidance emphasizes access to American policies outside the ground and raises concerns about its potential impact on the practices of European companies.
The French companies that receive the contracts of US government were asked to confirm their compliance by completing a document entitled “A certificate related to compliance with the applicable federal discrimination law.” The request, sent by the American embassy in Paris, guides the companies to submit signed ads within five days, showing their position on compliance.
Those who are not wishing to sign have to provide detailed reasons, which will be reviewed by the legal authorities.
The matter, which was issued according to the Executive Order 14173, applies, entitled “Ending illegal Discrimination and Restoring Opportunities based on Wall”, applies to all US government suppliers, regardless of their nationality or employment site. This step has sparked discussions on the broader effects of American policies on international commercial operations, especially in Europe, where the practices of companies diversity differ greatly from American methods.
Unlike the United States, where companies track race and race data to determine the goals of diversity, France follows a strict secular approach that restricts data collection on race and race. French companies focus more on gender, economic and economic diversity, as they are compatible with the country’s legal framework.
The American requirement raised concerns in the European administration halls about the challenges of possible compliance and the risk of more American interference in the policies of companies abroad.
The French authorities strongly opposed this step. The Ministry of Foreign Trade condemned the American guidance, describing it “unacceptable American intervention in the policies of the inclusion of French companies.” The ministry has warned that France and the European Union will take the necessary steps to defend their actions, consumers and values.
Among the companies that have received the Orange Compliance request, the state -controlled French communications group, although there are no operations in the United States, however, the major French companies with American operations, such as Thales and Totalenergies, have not received similar directives.
This development comes at a time of increasing tensions between the United States and Europe, with economic and commercial conflicts – including disputes over customs tariffs and security policies – added to Atlantic stress. It is still unclear whether similar compliance demands have been issued to other European companies, but this step indicates expanded efforts by the Trump administration to impose its policies outside the borders of the United States.
The case raised concerns about the long -term effects of multinationals, especially those that operate through judicial states with different regulatory landscapes. Companies are now evaluating their legal and operational strategies to navigate the complications constituted by the policies of the United States and European conflicting on diversity and inclusion.
