2023-09-17 16:51:02
The bill which will allow distributors to sell fuels ” at a loss “ for a few months “will arrive very quickly” in front of Parliament, government spokesperson Olivier Véran said on Sunday September 17. Guest of the Grand Jury RTL-Le Figaro– M6he specifies that this measure aims to authorize “commercial operations”more ” does not say that gasoline will drop to 1.40 euros in all stations for six months.
According to his office, “the lifting of the ban on resale at a loss for fuel distributors will be included in the bill” on commercial negotiations between producers and distributors which must be “presented at the beginning of October” by the government. The Minister Delegate in charge of small and medium-sized enterprises, trade, crafts and tourism, Olivia Grégoire, says that details should be provided very soon. Elisabeth Borne announced on Saturday that the government wanted to authorize it on an exceptional basis in order to “lower prices further” and fight against inflation.
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Sunday September 17, the coordinator of La France Insoumise Manuel Bompard denounced on France 3 “jokes” and “appetizers” put in place by the executive. He called for “getting out of the logic of incantation” and to “block fuel prices at around 1.50 euros”. On BFM-TV, the president of Reconquête!, Eric Zemmour, criticized a « bricolage » of the government, pleading for a reduction in taxes.
Up to 2 euros per liter
Fuel prices in France have risen regularly this summer. At the beginning of September on average, SP95-E10 sold at 1.9359 euros per liter (+ 0.9 cents compared to the previous week), diesel at 1.88 euros (+ 2.3 cents) and SP- 98 to 2 euros (stable). Prices had not been this high since April for gasoline and February for diesel, according to statistics from the Ministry of Ecological Transition.
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In addition to this question of fuels, the bill which will be presented to Parliament aims to accelerate the timetable for annual negotiations between producers and distributors, to try to lower prices on the shelves. “In a period with inflation, with volatility in the prices of raw materials (…)this justifies allowing mass distribution to get back to the table with manufacturers”noted Olivier Véran.
Many distributors have carried out sales of fuel at cost price in recent months, but resale at a loss has been prohibited in France since 1963. Retailers cannot “resell or announce the resale of a product as is below its actual purchase price”explains on his site the general directorate for competition, consumption and fraud preventionexcept cessation or change of commercial activity, sales or obsolescence.
On France Inter, the Minister of Ecological Transition, Christophe Béchu, explained that with this measure, it was a question of saying “chick” to “supermarket brand bosses” who said they were prevented from lowering prices “by legislative provisions”.
The Mobilians union outraged
Originally, the ban was to protect the most fragile professionals from any threat of dumping from more solid businesses. The risk was that they would sustain losses while their more fragile competitors, exhausted by the slashed prices, disappeared, leaving them free rein to practice the pricing policies of their choice.
Francis Pousse, president of the Mobilians professional union, which represents 5,800 traditional service stations (excluding supermarkets) including 3,400 stations displaying the TotalEnergies brand, however expressed his indignation to Agence France-Presse, reacting at the announcement of Elisabeth Borne.
“We gas station attendants, it is out of the question that we sell at a loss”did he declare. “My members live on 40, 50% or even more from the sale of fuel, so if they sell at a loss, I give them three months. » He further said “skeptical” on the beneficial effect of this measure on purchasing power, because if the prices of supermarket suppliers continue to increase, they will not be able to “can’t afford to lose 15 cents on every liter of gasoline”he says.
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