RGE reform: the decree published in the Official Journal, a major step forward for building tradespeople

Welcomed by CAPEB, this development is the culmination of several years of consultation with public authorities and stakeholders in the building sector in order to simplify access for craft businesses to the energy renovation market.

A reform of the RGE (Recognized Environmental Guarantor) to facilitate access for tradespeople to the renovation market

According to CAPEB, this reform addresses a difficulty widely identified by professionals: the RGE (Recognized Environmental Guarantor) system has become too complex and restrictive for many small, independent businesses. In a context where only 54.000 RGE-certified companies are currently qualified to meet the renovation needs of the nearly 5 million energy-inefficient homes in France, streamlining the regulations appears to be a crucial lever for accelerating energy renovation.

Three major developments in the RGE scheme

The decree introduces three measures designed to simplify obtaining and exercising the RGE qualification.

The first concerns the creation of the RGE (Recognized Environmental Guarantor) through the validation of acquired experience (VAE). Companies will now be able to obtain their qualification by highlighting their field experience, provided they present three audited and compliant projects.

The second measure makes the site certification system permanent. Companies without RGE qualification will be able to continue carrying out work eligible for public subsidies thanks to a simplified procedure, accompanied by a systematic audit.

Finally, the reform simplifies controls for "small contractors". Companies carrying out fewer than ten projects per year will only be subject to a single audit every four years per type of work, compared to a system previously considered too burdensome.

A lever for developing energy renovation

For CAPEB, these developments should promote access for small craft businesses to the energy renovation market, increase the number of RGE-qualified companies and help to accelerate housing renovation work.

For Jean-Christophe Repon, president of CAPEB: “The publication of this decree represents a very important victory for CAPEB and for small building trades businesses. From the outset, we have consistently and resolutely advocated for the need to simplify the RGE (Recognized Environmental Guarantor) scheme so that it finally reflects the reality of small businesses. The RGE scheme, via the VAE (Validation of Acquired Experience), transforms experience into effective recognition and concretely simplifies access to qualification for tradespeople, an essential condition for fully participating in the energy renovation drive.”

CAPEB indicates that it will remain attentive to the modalities of application of this reform so that the new procedures remain simple, readable and accessible for craft businesses.

Illustrative image of the article via Depositphotos.com.