“The priority was to respond to the emergency and ensure that the French do not have any unpleasant surprises in January 2025,” welcomed Laurence Garnier, the Secretary of State for Consumer Affairs at the beginning of December. The National Assembly had just voted to extend the use of meal vouchers for food shopping at the supermarket. Since then, censorship has brought down Michel Barnier and this subject will be a burning issue for the future Minister of the Economy and his colleague dedicated to Consumption in the government of François Bayrou. Indeed, at 1is January, customers will no longer be able to pay for products such as pasta, rice or flour. “This is very good news for the restaurateurs and the food professions that we represent (bakers, charcutiers, etc.) who, each year, lose more than 500 million euros in meal voucher receipts due to this exemption »welcome nine unions of restaurateurs and traders in a joint letter Monday, December 23, consulted by West France.
But this missive is not addressed to just anyone. In a one-page text, professionals alert the General Directorate for Competition, Consumption and Fraud Repression (DGCCRF) against the desire of large-scale distribution to circumvent the law, notably while awaiting the debate included in the Senate agenda on January 15.
A warning
“It seems that large retailers do not understand it that way in view of their declarations according to which they will continue to accept meal vouchers for the purchase of all food products even if the exceptional regime from which they benefit was not prolongedwrite the General Confederation of Retail Food, the French Confederation of Butchery, Butchery-Charcuterie, Caterers, the National Confederation of Bakery and French Bakery-Pastry, the National Confederation of Butchers – Caterers and Caterers, the National Food and Fast Food Union, the Federation of French Cheesemakers, the Groupement des Hôtelleries & Restaurations de France, the Union of Trades and Industries of the Hotel-Restaurant and Saveurs Commerce. It is obvious that we cannot accept that certain supermarket brands will be able, from next January 1, to free themselves from the rules governing the use of meal vouchers. »
“We ask you to take note of these declarations and to intervene within the framework of the control and sanction mission assigned to the DGCCRF. As soon as he is appointed, we will take the liberty of informing the Minister of the Economy of our approach so that the useful and necessary measures are taken to comply with the law.finish the representatives.
“Complicated to change cash register software”
“It’s complicated to change cash register software in a few days, affirmed to West France distributor spokesperson Layla Rahhou the day after the censorship. The extension has consensus in the National Assembly, the Senate and among consumers. It is normal for the employee to choose where they spend their meal voucher… which should also be called lunch voucher. »
Even before initiating future discussions on an expected reform of the meal voucher system, catering professionals and large retailers are engaged in a fierce duel remotely. The National Commission for Meal Vouchers (CNTR) notably proposes the establishment of different ceilings, depending on the use of the vouchers, used to purchase immediately consumable food preparations or foods requiring preparation (pasta, eggs, fresh meat and fish). …). While maintaining a maximum daily ceiling of €25 so as not to make the meal voucher a disguised salary. But only the excessively high amount of commissions charged by issuers seems to bring them into agreement.
