Energy renovation, waste management, micro-enterprises: building tradespeople have had enough and will make their voices heard during a national mobilization on December 17th.

The results highlight a deep discontent, fueled by public systems deemed too complex and unstable, which directly weaken craftsmen and to which is added the tension generated by the tax inequity between construction companies.

Determined to finally get the answers that craft businesses have been waiting for for many months, CAPEB is organizing a national mobilization on December 17, which will be held simultaneously in each department at the prefecture.

MaPrimeRénov': a vital tool that has become unmanageable

The study reveals that 79% of craftsmen consider MaPrimeRénov' decisive in triggering work and that 60% of them depend on this scheme sometimes up to 50% of their turnover.

But recent developments have created a real crisis. 62% of tradespeople are experiencing a decline in business, 51% report massive time losses due to unstable regulations, 46% are suffering financial difficulties because of excessively long payment delays, and 12% even report an increase in disputes with their clients. The causes of this exasperation are clear: administrative overload, excessive complexity, regulatory instability, and financial risks.

The CAPEB survey also shows that tradespeople want continued public support for energy-efficient renovations, but in a simplified, stable, and collaboratively developed form. The MaPrimeRénov' scheme, as it currently operates, is no longer sustainable. CAPEB is calling for, in particular, the revitalization of single-step energy-saving measures, essential for low-income households and emergency situations; the implementation of a phased renovation process; simplified access to subsidies; secure payment processing; and a thorough reform of the RGE (Recognized Environmental Guarantor) certification so that the greatest number of small building trades can contribute to the large-scale implementation of energy-efficient renovations.

REP PMCB: a sector still ill-suited

Craftspeople criticize the implementation of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) as largely unsuited to the realities on the ground and want a simple, transparent system that takes their practices into account. The network of collection points is not adapted to professionals' practices, the take-back rules are inconsistent, and the digital tools are numerous and unharmonized.

CAPEB is calling for the establishment of a strengthened territorial network, the standardization of rules across all collection points, the elimination of pre-registration, and the creation of a single national tool encompassing all procedures. It hopes that this territorial network will be established locally in consultation with all stakeholders.

Micro-enterprises: a system in need of reform

The micro-social and micro-fiscal regime must return to its original purpose, which was to facilitate business creation by allowing entrepreneurs to begin their ventures without excessive administrative burdens or constraints for a limited period. This regime is far from being the stepping stone it should be towards a standard business.

Building tradespeople find it particularly difficult to tolerate the tax inequity between companies in the sector, especially given the continued economic downturn. They are calling for the VAT exemption threshold to be lowered to €25,000 for the building sector, for the micro-enterprise status to be limited to two years, and are asking the government to organize mandatory support for these new businesses as they transition to standard business structures.

Coordinated national mobilization: "Building tradespeople deserve better"

Building tradespeople see no favorable solution to these three concerns. Determined to bring about change, the CAPEB (Confederation of Craftspeople and Small Businesses in the Building Sector) is calling on all tradespeople to gather in front of the prefectures of each department on Wednesday, December 17th. This mobilization, under the slogan "Your decisions are not gifts, we've had enough," aims to express the legitimate discontent of construction companies and demand simple, stable, accessible, and cost-free public support measures.

For Jean-Christophe Repon, president of CAPEB: “CAPEB calls on the Government to rebuild, in collaboration with small building trades businesses, a coherent, stable, and operational public policy for energy renovation. It is also essential to rethink the waste collection system in light of the practices and needs of small businesses. It would be unacceptable for our businesses to continue paying an eco-contribution for a service they cannot benefit from. Finally, we urge the State to provide the necessary support for the transition of micro-enterprises to a standard legal framework. CAPEB cannot tolerate building tradespeople remaining the first to be penalized by unstable, bureaucratic, or poorly designed systems when simple solutions could be implemented.”

Download the study: Member consultation – MPR/REP

Illustrative image of the article via Depositphotos.com.