CAPEB calls for not sacrificing expenditure on maintenance and preservation of heritage

The Heritage Incentive Fund (FIP) is particularly affected by these cuts, as it would be halved in 2026 if parliamentarians pass the finance bill without amendment. This budgetary restriction sends a very bad signal for mobilizing other types of funding for the necessary projects in small municipalities. It thus penalizes all heritage stakeholders.

The CAPEB calls on MPs and senators to amend these provisions so that budgetary appropriations allow for the continued maintenance and restoration of built heritage, whether historic monuments or not. The CAPEB points out that the 500.000 craft businesses operating throughout the country work daily to maintain and restore local built heritage, whether listed or not, and to give it a second life, particularly by integrating the thermal comfort and accessibility that it often lacks.

In view of the 2026 municipal elections, the CAPEB calls on future local elected officials to include in their actions an ambitious and regular policy of maintaining historical, religious or vernacular built heritage, and to mobilize their local craftsmen. Built heritage craftsmen and their teams are trained and competent to carry out this essential work to ensure the continuity of our collective history, our culture and our local particularities. It is important not to hinder their salutary and necessary action for budgetary reasons, which are likely to generate much greater losses for public finances and our society, whether in terms of employment, activity or tourism.

Major restoration of heritage sites, carried out urgently, always costs more than preventive and constant maintenance by local craft businesses. Furthermore, this regular maintenance helps enhance local identity and support employment in the regions. For the CAPEB, heritage is not an expense, but a sustainable investment serving the local economy, the transmission of know-how, and social cohesion. The State, alongside public and private stakeholders, must pursue a long-term commitment to the regions.

Illustrative image of the article via Depositphotos.com.