Senators approved Thursday evening, November 21, higher VAT than those planned by the National Assembly on sugary drinks, gambling and tobacco. Horse racing betting was the only one spared.
“Kick the industry [alimentaire].» The centrist senator, Elisabeth Doineau, general rapporteur of the Social Security financing bill for 2025, was partly heard by the Senate on Thursday, November 21. Several tax increases “behavioral” on sugary drinks, gambling and tobacco were voted on by the Upper House.
Along the same lines, Elisabeth Doineau had proposed amendments aimed at raising taxation on “drinks with added sugars”. Proposals also adopted, with the support of the government: it will cost 4 cents per liter for the least sweet drinks, and up to 35 cents per liter for the sweetest. A scale significantly increased compared to that voted by the deputies, who had set the first tranche at 3.5 cents and the last at 28 cents. The subject of a broad consensus in the National Assembly, this measure was taken up by the executive in the text transmitted to the Senate, where its strengthening was again the subject of broad agreement, from right to left. The same goes for the increase in tax on “sweetened drinks», voted against the advice of the government.
The senators also ignored the opinion of the Minister of Health, Geneviève Darrieussecq, on tobacco taxation. The packet of cigarettes will thus increase to 12.70 euros on average next year, or 40 cents more than planned in the national plan to combat smoking presented barely a year ago.
“If we keep changing plans, it seems a little complicated to me.” had annoyed the minister appointed in September by Michel Barnier. In vain. The measure, supposed to bring in 200 million euros from next year while maintaining the target of a package at 13 euros in 2027, was largely validated by 241 votes to 2, with a large abstention from the left which rather defended a package for 16 euros within two years.
The Macronist minister was no longer followed on the «pouches», these sachets of nicotine in gums or beads to place in the mouth, which it “prefer to prohibit than to tax”. Intention welcomed by the President of the Republicans of the Social Affairs Committee, Philippe Mouiller, but in the meantime, “we put in the text” this new tax, which will become “automatically expires» when these products will be prohibited.
A battery of amendments against social fraud adopted
The government, on the other hand, won its case on gambling. Rejected in the National Assembly, its amendment aiming to increase taxes on lotteries, casinos and other sports bets was re-submitted by the general rapporteur of the Social Security budget, this time sparing the horse racing bets which had caused the uproar the equine industry. The senators, on the other hand, conscientiously opposed all the amendments targeting food and alcohol, with the exception of a tax on advertisements for alcoholic beverages in Reunion, again voted against the advice of the minister. .
Earlier in the day, senators had approved several measures targeting the pharmaceutical industry, notably on the “escape clause” of the sector in order to guarantee “600 million euros in additional savings» on the drug in 2025 after the skid in spending this year. Same thing for medical devices, in order to recover 150 million more next year.
A battery of amendments against social fraud was also adopted, often against the advice of the government. Some at the initiative of the left, against employers convicted of hidden work and caregivers “convicted of fraud”. Others pushed by the right, to inform employers in the event of fraudulent work stoppage and thus allow “a possible disciplinary sanction”. Or to give social security fund agents access to the air passenger file, in the case of allowances subject to residence conditions such as the RSA.
