Adopted by the National Assembly and now by the Senate, the bill extends the expanded use of meal vouchers for all food products until 2026. A step forward which puts an end to several months of uncertainty for millions of beneficiaries.
A decision awaited by millions of French people
The Senate has definitively adopted a law allowing the 5.4 million French people receiving meal vouchers to continue to use them to purchase non-directly consumable food products, such as flour or pasta, until December 31, 2026. This measure, initially introduced after the health crisis to support purchasing power, was due to expire at the end of 2024.
Since this deadline, users have lived in uncertainty, particularly in the face of legal uncertainty around authorized uses. Although previous regulations limited meal vouchers to immediately consumable products, many distributors continued to accept these vouchers for broader purchases, anticipating rapid clarification of the situation by Parliament.
The text was nevertheless voted unanimously by the deputies last November, before encountering a sudden halt. The examination in the Senate had been blocked by censorship from Michel Barnier's government, due to a lack of ministerial presence to defend the proposal. This delay fueled the frustration of users and distributors, while exacerbating tensions with restaurateurs, who denounce a loss of control over the billions of euros represented by meal vouchers.
A compromise found on meal vouchers after blockages
Faced with this situation, the upper house finally accelerated the study of the text as soon as parliamentary work resumed. The senators, initially divided on the duration of the extension, opted for harmonization with the version voted in the Assembly, thus avoiding additional delays.
The promulgation of this law in the coming days is welcomed positively by beneficiaries and distributors, but it is accompanied by a government promise. The Minister for Commerce, Véronique Louwagie, welcomed this adoption while announcing a “ more ambitious reform » meal vouchers to come. “ The objective is to modernize this system, which remains the preferred social benefit of the French, to adapt it to current needs “, she said.
By extending the expansion of meal vouchers for two additional years, this measure offers immediate relief to consumers, while paving the way for a more global overhaul of the system, expected by the various stakeholders.
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