The senators adopted on the night of Wednesday November 27 to Thursday November 28 an amendment allowing to increase VAT on bottled water from 5.5% to 20% as part of the review of the 2025 Budget. Objective? Bring more money into the state coffers but also push the French to consume less bottled water in favor of tap water, which is more ecological.
The removal of the reduced VAT rate on bottled water should increase the price of bottles with an increase from €1.14 to €1.30 for the least expensive pack of water according to TF1 calculations. “ This measure would have harmful consequences on the purchasing power of consumers and on the competitiveness of companies in the sector. lamented to our colleagues the House of Natural Mineral Waters.
However, the elimination of the reduced VAT rate would mainly affect “wealthy households”, believes the authors of the amendment tabled by the senator from Finistère, Nadège Havet. They cite in support the “Family Budget” survey carried out by INSEE in 2017 and according to which “the richest 10% of French people represent 13.5% of bottled water purchases, while the poorest 10% represent only 5.1%. » The senator also believes from the television channel that multinationals “can make the effort” regarding a “essential product”. The measure should however not apply overseas« du fact of the number of people living on a daily basis without access to drinking water”, indicates the amendment.
If the increase in VAT can bring in between 150 and 300 million euros in additional revenue, the sponsors of the amendment further highlight the ecological argument. According to the authors, the measure would encourage the French to consume less bottled water dont « l’impact carbone […] is considerably higher than that of tap water, with emissions 2,023 times greater per liter. »
A measure all the stronger as it comes just after the Nestlé water scandal revealed at the start of the year by an investigation by the Monde and of Radio France. The company used non-compliant treatments (ultraviolet or activated carbon in particular) to filter the water.
