The National Assembly adopted in the night from Friday to Saturday in first reading the bill on the green industry. The objective of this text: to reindustrialize the country while promoting ecological transition. The government text was validated with the support of LR and RN by 217 votes for, 75 against and 18 abstentions.
The Minister of the Economy Bruno Le Maire was pleased to “start the relocation” and the “decarbonization” of the industry, after “three decades of renunciation” according to him. The deputies as well as the senators, who had already validated this bill in June, will try at the start of the school year to agree on a compromise version, with a view to its final adoption.
Lack of “enthusiastic” support
Friday, hundreds of amendments were examined at the pace at the Palais-Bourbon, avoiding the deputies having to sit during the weekend on this bill for the greening of industry. In particular, the government is putting on the table a shortening of the time limits for setting up permits, and new tools to attract private savings.
If the Republicans voted for it, it was “without enthusiasm”, dropped Virginie Duby-Muller, pointing to “blind spots on training and financing” in particular, far from the very proactive policy of the American “Inflation Reduction Act”. Same position on the side of the National Rally, where Alexandre Loubet regretted that “the mountain gives birth to a mouse”.
The left was divided between voting against (LFI and ecologists) and abstention (socialists and communists), all deploring “a missed meeting”. Liot’s independents also abstained.
A “future climate savings plan”
The bill sets the objective of halving the average time required to obtain authorization to open a factory, currently estimated at 17 months. The aim is to encourage projects like those of the big five – wind, photovoltaic, heat pumps, batteries, carbon-free hydrogen.
For some projects of “major national interest”, designated by decree, an exceptional procedure is provided for, giving the hand to the State.
The executive emphasizes the mobilization of private savings, rather than public money. With a new product, the “future climate savings plan”, whose executive expects a billion euros in collection for the green industry. It was to be open to those under 18, an age raised to 21 on Friday evening in session.
By the voice of Gérard Leseul, the Socialists deplored with this savings plan a financing which is “not decent” in view of the issues. But the discussions slipped with Louis Boyard (LFI) on the precariousness of young people, causing some skirmishes with the presidential camp.