Legislative elections: construction craftsmen and VSEs must be placed at the heart of the issues

VSEs in the construction industry were beginning to see favorable prospects for their sector. They once again find themselves unable to plan for the future. CAPEB therefore expects this dynamic, necessary for the general interest, to be taken into account in the candidates' programs and to be amplified following the elections.

The bill to simplify economic life included important measures, in particular the removal of administrative obligations for artisans and the facilitation of access to public markets. The simplification of the RGE qualification and its access to VAE was the subject of advanced regulatory work that craft construction companies were impatiently awaiting. These are all essential provisions to strengthen the access of VSEs in the building sector to the renovation markets and achieve the objective of massification of renovations.

The proposed law relating to the conditions for carrying out energy renovation work in housing constituted an opportunity to facilitate temporary groupings of companies and included measures to control subcontracting, limiting it to two ranks, to combat fraud and destruction of value for artisans. Finally, the progress made in finding a fair balance between large-scale renovations and single actions made it possible to envisage stability of the MaPrimeRénov' system for both individuals and businesses. Likewise, the bill on the development of housing supply gave encouraging prospects for the new housing market.

All these reforms have now come to a sudden halt. CAPEB expresses the hope that these projects will be resumed as soon as possible, once the vote has been passed. They are indeed of capital importance for the success of our country's economic, environmental and social transitions. They will therefore contribute to relaunching the activity of VSEs in the building sector, in decline, quarter after quarter, and will ensure the success of the massification of energy renovations, the decarbonization of the building as well as the accessibility of housing with regard to the Aging of the population.

CAPEB calls on candidates in the legislative elections to take into consideration the voice of craft construction companies which constitute local contacts par excellence. These, often inaudible in favor of the speech of large groups, nevertheless represent 620.000 companies in France. To avoid outbreaks of extremes, populism and poujadism, it is imperative to listen to their voices, as close as possible to the territories as well as at the level of national representation.

CAPEB will present its proposals to the candidates in the coming days and expresses the hope that the programs of the main parties take them into account realistically without jeopardizing the future and without dogmatism.