The Smic upgraded from 15 euros
The minimum wage will be increased by 1.2% on January 1, 2020. The 2.3 million beneficiaries of the minimum wage will thus receive 1,219 euros net in 2020 against 1,204 euros in 2019. This increase is linked to an increase in inflation 0.7% and a 0.5% increase in wages for workers and employees.
Stamps increase by 10%
The stamps have known successive increases for several years. This year is no exception. From January 1, 2020, the price of red and green stamps will increase by 10%. It will therefore cost 1.16 euros for sending a priority mail weighing less than 20 grams (red stamp) and 0.97 euros for a green stamp, the most used in France.
Buy stamps!
▶ ️8.6% increase per year on average over the last 8 years
– MaMo (@ MatthieuM77) December 25, 2019
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A user believes that “8.6%“the average annual increase in the price of stamps over the past eight years.
Buffer zone to protect against pesticides
On Friday, December 20, the government announced that safety distances will be put in place to protect residents who live near agricultural land from pesticides. Buffer zones will thus be created, of different length depending on the crop:
- 5 meters for low crops such as cereals
- 10 meters for arboriculture, viticulture, forest, berries and ornamental crops over 50 centimeters.
In the region, the use of pesticides divides. Following the government’s announcement, the main agricultural unions have expressed their anger, like Denis Bully, president of the FDSEA de la Somme: “Like all farmers, I am angry. Our position at the FDSEA was untreated areas at zero meters. To accept areas of ten meters of non-treatment today is to open Pandora’s box because even at 8 km, the zones of non-treatment will still be insufficient.“
On the contrary, for environmental associations, the measure remains insufficient. Nadine Lauverjat of the association Générations Futures believes that “ten meters is really very low. There are studies that are carried out by Santé publique France which consider that the unexposed population must be 8 km from the spreading zones so you can imagine that at ten meters the populations will continue to be exposed.“
Some mayors have even taken anti-pesticide orders despite the prefect’s ultimatum. The mayor UDI of Trélon, in the North, François Louvegnies: “We took the lead. We mayors have decided to ban the use of the products 100 meters from the houses. Beyond that, we use it, I will not interfere with it elsewhere. I do not question the treatments. What I question is how to apply them. The farmer has to work. He has to make a living. But we also have to fully respect the locals.“
Towards a ban on disposable plastic products
For 2020, it will be necessary to say goodbye to cotton swabs, plates and plastic cups. This ban and its application was clarified by a decree published in the Official Journal on December 27 last. it follows the provisions of the Egalim law of October 2018 which decided to abandon these environmentally harmful plastic products.
With @StTRAVERT and the @Senate we are banning plastic straws and touillas from 2020! ??
The ?? is a driving force in the fight against single-use plastic objects. This is the message I brought on Monday to the Council of Ministers of the Environment. #EGAlim pic.twitter.com/hLd5ZFqjgF– Brown Poirson (@brunepoirson) June 29, 2018
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Other objects will complete the list in 2021 such as plates, cutlery, meal trays, ice-cream pots, salad bowls, boxes and straws.
Homeopathy: first step towards reimbursement
From January 1, 2020, small homeopathy granules will only be reimbursed at 15% against 30% currently before being reimbursed at all in 2021.
The Boiron group, world leader in homeopathy, has an important establishment in the Lille metropolis, in Villeneuve-d’Ascq, employing around a hundred employees. In the summer of 2019, the French National Authority for Health declared that homeopathic products “have not scientifically demonstrated sufficient effectiveness to justify a reimbursement “. An opinion that has angered pharmaceutical companies including Boiron. For the Fakemed collective, it’s “blackmail to influence a strictly scientific decision.“
Xavier Bertrand, president of the Hauts-de-France region, notably claimed the maintenance of the reimbursement of homeopathy. In a letter to Emmanuel Macron, he felt it would be a “false good idea ” that would hurt the “purchasing power” and “freedom of choice for patients”. He asked him at least to “maintain a rate of 15%.“
Medicines: new generic drug substitution rule
Pharmacists will be able to dispense a drug from the same generic group by substitution for the specialty prescribed by the doctor, unless the latter has excluded this possibility, by having indicated on the prescription an express and justified mention.
100% reimbursed glasses
The measure had been a campaign promise from Emmanuel Macron. It fully reimburses glasses, dentures and hearing aids. Full reimbursement must be made by Social Security and the patient’s health insurance.
This decree will apply to contracts signed or renewed from January 1, 2020 for glasses and dental prostheses and from January 1, 2021 for hearing aids. However, ceilings are provided. Up to 800 euros for progressive lenses and 100 euros maximum for frames.
Titanium dioxide banned for one year in food
E171 is a food additive made up of particles of titanium dioxide (TiO2), which is used for its coloring and opacifying properties in many food products such as sweets or pastries. For one year, all foodstuffs containing this additive can no longer be placed on the market.
This decision was taken by the National Health Security Agency due to a “lack of scientific data to resolve the uncertainties about the safety of the additive E171“.
France is the first country in Europe to ban titanium dioxide from food products manufactured in our country and imported. After bisphenol A, France is at the forefront of the fight to protect our health. We will also bring it to the European Parliament @Renaissance_UE
– Pascal Canfin (@pcanfin) April 17, 2019
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A decision welcomed by Pascal Canfin, president of the environment committee of the European Parliament: “After bisphenol A, France is at the forefront of the fight to protect our health.“
Increase in the price of a pack of cigarettes for certain brands
The price of certain brands of cigarettes, roll-your-own tobacco or cigarillos will increase according to a decree published in the Official Journal of December 8, 2019. In this one, the different increases are detailed.
Another type of measurement was taken at Orchies to fight smoking. The northern municipality which has established a partnership with the League against Cancer has decided to ban cigarettes in one of its parks.
1 euro license: reserved for certified driving schools
From January 1, 2020 (and no later than March 1, 2020), the “1 euro per day license” system will only be accessible to driving schools and associations with the “quality of training within schools” label. conduct”.
In Belgium, more restrictive low emission zones
Diesel vehicles of the Euro 3 standard will now be prohibited from entering the Low Emission Zone which covers the entire territory of the Brussels-Capital region. There is still a three-month period to allow motorists time to adapt. It will only be from April 1, 2020 that they will risk a fine of 350 euros when traveling in the LEZ (Low Emission Zone).
The ban applies to vehicles registered in Belgium as well as those registered abroad. These must be registered on the site www.lez.brussels, even if you drive a car that meets accepted standards, under penalty of a fine of 150 euros.
In Ghent, the Low Emission Zone will officially come into force on January 1st. Antwerp had already launched its own in 2017. As in the capital, Euro 1, Euro 2 or earlier vehicles can thus access the LEZ for a fee, but only eight times a year. As of January 1, 2020, this will also be the case for Euro 3 and Euro 4 vehicles (with no annual limit).
Brexit for the end of the month?
Will the fourth time be the right one? The UK’s exit from the European Union has been set for January 31. Since December 12, Boris Johnson, the British Prime Minister, can count on an overwhelming majority.
Eight days later, the lower house of parliament approved the bill which would translate into law the divorce agreement negotiated with Brussels. This text must now be the subject of more detailed debates from January 7 and a final adoption hoped by the government from January 9. Once the Queen’s assent has been received, it will only remain for the European Parliament to ratify it so that the United Kingdom leaves the European Union on January 31, after 47 years of a turbulent common life.
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