The National Assembly voted to extend the expanded use of restaurant vouchers until the end of 2026, allowing French people to buy food products in supermarkets. A decision hailed for its support for purchasing power, but which arouses criticism, particularly among restaurateurs.
The use of meal vouchers expanded
The National Assembly approved a new extension of the exemption allowing employees to use their meal vouchers to purchase all types of food products in supermarkets. Initially put in place in 2022 to respond to the health crisis, this measure was to expire at the end of 2024. The unanimous vote of deputies (75 votes for, none against) ultimately extends this possibility until December 2026 .
For around 5.4 million employees benefiting from this system, it is an essential lever in the face of persistent inflation. These meal vouchers, traditionally reserved for immediate consumption in restaurants or for prepared meals, can thus be used for purchases such as flour, rice, meat or pasta. Welcome help, as highlighted by the Secretary of State for Consumer Affairs, Laurence Garnier, for whom this decision aims to “ avoid any unpleasant surprises for our fellow citizens when they go shopping at the supermarket on January 2 ».
However, this transitional measure is not unanimous. During the debates, some deputies expressed their frustration with the lack of overall reform of the meal voucher mechanism. “ If the measure appears to be a patch on a crisis which requires measures of another order “, declared Karim Benbrahim, socialist deputy, she remains a “ support for purchasing power ».
Restaurateurs worried, an expected reform
As for restaurateurs, the extension does not pass. Since the introduction of the exemption in 2022, the latter have denounced a significant loss of their market share on meal vouchers, estimated at 550 million euros to the benefit of supermarkets. The initial idea of perpetuating this measure had sparked an outcry, both in the sector and among certain MPs.
To ease tensions, the government has committed to fundamentally reforming the system from January 2025. Laurence Garnier has promised to begin discussions to review the operation of meal vouchers, while maintaining their social usefulness.
However, the future of this reform remains uncertain. “ If the government falls, the commitments made will fall with it. », Warned Hadrien Clouet, rebellious MP. In addition, before any implementation, the text must still be examined by the Senate, which could limit the extension to a single year.
In the meantime, recipients of meal vouchers will be able to continue to use them to fill their basket. A breath of fresh air for households, but a subject of contention which recalls the urgency of finding lasting solutions to the rise in food prices.
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