Unions oppose the possible disappearance of the CESERs, regional consultative bodies

The bill to simplify economic life, in development for nearly two years, was agreed upon last week in a joint committee between the governing coalition, the right wing, and the National Rally. Two final votes are scheduled for Tuesday in the National Assembly and Thursday in the Senate.

According to the version adopted by the CMP of article one of the bill "at the request of the president of the Regional Council, the Regional Council may deliberate to establish a regional economic, social and environmental council", which makes its existence optional and no longer systematic.

The CESERs are composed of equal numbers of representatives from employers and trade unions, as well as representatives from associations and qualified individuals appointed by the regional prefect.

For the CGT, "the CESERs, like the Economic, Social and Environmental Council (CESE, at the national level), are fundamental elements of democracy".

"Their proposals and recommendations are broad and reflect the voices of citizens and workers. Beyond their advisory role, the CESERs also have the mission of contributing to the administration of the Region, by being as close as possible to the territories," the union noted in a statement.

The CGT believes that the bill "also aims to weaken the resources and prerogatives of other consultative bodies such as the National Commission for Public Debate (CNDP)".

The CFDT "regrets the questioning of the existence of the Ceser", whose "expertise is a wealth that informs public decision-making".

"To deprive ourselves of it is to challenge the role of dialogue and collective deliberation in the democratic decision-making process," argues the leading French trade union, which also denounces the weakening of the objective of zero net artificialization (ZAN) and the elimination of low emission zones (ZFE) contained in the draft law.

For FO, "making the Ceser optional" constitutes "a major challenge to social democracy and the organization of the Republic" at a time when "the regions are experiencing strong financial pressures, aggravated by the budget cuts planned in the 2026 draft finance law".