Victory: Saturday October 26, 2024, the National Assembly repealed article 8 of the 2025 finance bill relating to the tightening of the ecological penalty.
The National Assembly slows down the penalty reform to protect motorists
As reported LCPSaturday October 26, 2024, the National Assembly rejected at first reading the tightening of the ecological penalty proposed as part of the finance bill for 2025: 128 deputies voted against, 90 for. This reform planned to reduce the threshold for triggering the tax from 118 to 113 grams of CO₂ per kilometer, before reaching 99 g/km by 2027. A tightening which would have affected around 80% of the automobile fleet in three years, according to estimates of Mobiliansthe federation of automotive trades. The initial text also planned to increase the maximum amount of the ecological penalty (CO2 + weight) by 10,000 euros, thus increasing it from 60,000 in 2024 to 70,000 euros in 2025, then 80,000 in 2026, and finally, 90,000 euros in 2027.
For opponents, the rejection of this measure is a question of social justice and the defense of purchasing power. Corentin Le Fur (Republican Right) in fact denounced a “ very sudden hardening » aimed at households for which “ the car is a necessity, not a choice ». Likewise for Charles de Courson (LIOT), general rapporteur of the finance committee, and Eddy Casterman (National Rally), who both criticized the excessive nature of the new ecological penalty scale desired by the government, Eddy Casterman going so far as to describe the new scale as a measure of “ punitive ecology ».
MEPs in favor regret a measure for the energy transition
On the other side of the political spectrum, defenders of reform regret this decision, considering it a step backwards in the face of environmental issues. Eva Sas (ecologist) recalled that the revenue from the ecological penalty, if they were redirected, could “ finance the ecological transition and support households, especially in rural areas, in the acquisition of clean vehicles ». A vision which aims to encourage the greening of the automobile fleet and to encourage consumers to adopt more carbon-efficient models.
For environmentalists and part of the presidential majority, abandoning this reform means retreating from climate imperatives. For Eric Coquerel (LFI), president of the finance committee, the State must “ make car manufacturers responsible and reduce CO₂ emissions » in the name of the « climate emergency » (LCP).
Nothing is acquired yet
Despite the Assembly's rejection, the government could still adopt the toughening of the penalty by using article 49.3 of the Constitution. Indeed, by using 49.3, the government could force through its finance bill, a project which determines the 2025 budget.
This maneuver, although legally permitted, would however risk further crystallizing tensions within the Assembly, but also provoking a motion of censure. It remains to be seen whether this would pass or not.
