politics

The Senate adopts a tax on overly sugary products and those for...

These votes took place on November 10 and 12.

budget, sécurit, sénat, xavier iacovelli, renaissance, produits, taxe, sécurité

Key facts

  • Two days later, on November 12, the Senate adopted an amendment by Xavier Iacovelli (Renaissance), senator for Hauts-de-Seine. It targets food…
  • These votes took place on November 10 and 12. The text has been under discussion since November 9. They place the sugar content of food products at…
  • On November 10, senators adopted Article 8, of government origin. It extends the soda tax to the most sugary industrial products. The increase…

Two days later, on November 12, the Senate adopted an amendment by Xavier Iacovelli (Renaissance), senator for Hauts-de-Seine. It targets food products intended for infants and young children that contain added sugars.

These votes took place on November 10 and 12. The text has been under discussion since November 9. They place the sugar content of food products at the center of the Social Security budget, without changing the deficit target attached to the amendments of the senator behind the second measure.

On November 10, senators adopted Article 8, of government origin. It extends the soda tax to the most sugary industrial products. The increase mentioned reaches 6 cents on a packet of cakes.

The article was amended in session. Products made and sold by artisans, as well as those bearing a French origin quality label, are clearly excluded.

As last year, the lawmaker prevailed. A similar amendment had then been included in the bill, before disappearing from the final version.

The measure concerns jars, yogurts and biscuits sold for babies, notably products intended for children aged 8 months and 10 months.

Yogurts from 8 months contain 10 grams of sugar per 100 grams of product. Biscuits from 10 months exceed 30 grams per 100 grams.

For an added-sugar content below 5%, the tax is 4 cents per kilogram of product. Above the 8% threshold, the levy is raised to 35 cents.

The Social Affairs Committee did not oppose the amendment. The amendments tabled by Xavier Iacovelli on the bill are made with an unchanged deficit target.

In the same examination, the Social Affairs Committee wants to index retirement pensions of up to 1,500 euros on inflation, by raising from 1,260 to 1,500 euros the ceiling of the pension covered by this revaluation. This proposal remains distinct from the votes already taken on sugar.

Dig deeper

Who is Xavier Iacovelli?

A senator for Hauts-de-Seine and a member of the Renaissance group, he is sponsoring the amendment targeting foods for infants and young children that contain added sugars.

What is the Senate?

The upper house of the French Parliament, it examines and may amend bills, in this case the social security budget.

What is Renaissance?

The party of the presidential majority, successor to La République en Marche, to which Xavier Iacovelli belongs.

Where are the Hauts-de-Seine?

A department in western Île-de-France (92), of which Xavier Iacovelli is the senator.

What is the soda tax mentioned in the text?

A levy already applied to sugary drinks, which the government’s original Article 8 extends to the most sugary industrial products, excluding artisans and French quality labels of origin.

Has this tax on baby foods already been adopted?

No: a similar amendment was included in the bill last year before disappearing from the final version.

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