The certification scheme is based on a number of founding texts.
- the mission statement of 17 February 2006 in which the Ministry for National Education, Higher Education and Research, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the Ministry for Culture and Communication decided to entrust the CIEP with the task of implementing the certification scheme for French as a foreign language centres located within France as of 1st January 2006;
- the decree that created the Qualité français langue étrangère certification, published in the Official Journal on 28 December 2007;
- the publication in official bulletin BO n°43 on 13 November 2008 of the nomination of members of the Advisory Council;
- the publication in official bulletin BO of the renewal of members of the Advisory Council (n°2 on 14 January 2010, n°34 on 20 September 2012, n°38 of 15 October 2015).