The senator from Saône et Loire questioned Bérangère Couillard, secretary of state in charge of ecology, and Caroline Cayeux, minister delegate for local authorities, on the inflation affecting the waste treatment sector. You have proposed freezing the TGAP level.
On Tuesday November 15, Senator Fabien GENET questioned Ms Caroline CAYEUX, Minister of Local Authorities, in session on the growing costs of waste management for local authorities and users. In this context, and continuing her interpellation by Ms Bérangère COUILLARD, Secretary of State in charge of Ecology last week in the committee, questioned the Minister on the advisability of freezing the rate increase of the general tax on polluting activities (TGAP) which weighs heavily on the budget of local authorities. To this end, he will present to the Senate an amendment to the budget law for 2023 in addition to the one he has already presented.
Recalling that waste management accounts for almost twenty billion euros in the budget of local authorities, Senator Genet reminded Mrs Caroline Cayeux, minister responsible for local authorities, in the session this Tuesday that: “inflation and the explosion of the of energy is reflected in the waste sector by an increase in the costs of collection and treatment.As a result, local authorities have had to increase taxes and tariffs for the collection of household waste to cope, thus affecting the purchasing power of families in an already difficult economic context. »
The increase in the general tax on polluting activities, the TGAP, is added to the temporary increase in taxes. In fact, this tax follows a trajectory of gradual increase aimed at encouraging communities and users to bury and incinerate waste less, “a goal that we can understand and share”, assured the senator.
However, despite this commendable objective, the inflationary context for the year 2023 appears too unfavorable to maintaining the expected increase in this tax which is very heavy on the budget of local authorities and the senator has asked for the establishment of a one-year break so as not to increase the costs for our fellow citizens.
The delay in establishing extended producer responsibility channels for the reprocessing of waste, neither attributable to local authorities nor users, is another factor that has limited the possibility for local authorities to reduce their waste.
A reality that Mrs. Bérangère Couillard, Secretary of State responsible for Ecology, had also recognized, also contested by Fabien Genet the previous week in the Senate’s committee for sustainable development. Regarding Minister Cayeux’s response, he listed a series of measures that the state is implementing to support community waste recovery projects (fund for the circular economy of ADEME, future green fund), and opened leads her to a debate on temporarily blocking the increase of the TGAP level:
“However, I understand your questions, I also know that Bérangère Couillard is in contact with the associations that represent the communities to find consensual solutions. In my discussions with the local authorities and with my colleague, I will ensure that this dialogue is constructive and fruitful and we will see if it is possible to open the debate on a temporary block on this increase in the TGAP. »
Rejoicing at this “sign of hope”, Senator Genet remains determined to defend the budget of local authorities. To this end, he has presented a bill to temporarily freeze the increase in the TGAP, a reform he is determined to undertake also through an amendment to the finance law for 2023.
(press release)
