Sorry to be pedantic again but there seems to be some misunderstanding about what a 'duty of care' is and who is liable to pay it. It's not the French ATC for a start.
In all instances of EC the airline owes the passenger a duty of care, this includes drinks, meals, limited phone calls, hotel accommodation plus transport to and from hotel. It is also onerous upon the airline to make the appropriate arrangements, however, they often don't, and thats where many problems and confusion arise. In some cases, such as BA computer failure, it would be impossible, due to the sheer scale of the problem.
This also stands for long delays and cancellations etc. with some qualifications.
Sorry for the thread drift but feel accuracy is important.