Latest news with #AmeliedeMontchalin
Straits Times
2 days ago
- Business
- Straits Times
French budget minister warns of IMF, EU oversight risk
FILE PHOTO: French Minister for Public Accounts Amelie de Montchalin arrives to attend a meeting with main economic actors over Trump tariffs, at the Bercy Economy and Finance Ministry in Paris in Paris, France, April 9, 2025. REUTERS/Abdul Saboor/File Photo PARIS - France must put its finances into order or face the risk of being placed under the supervision of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) or of European institutions, Budget Minister Amelie de Montchalin said on Tuesday. "Today, we need to seize the budgetary weapon again, get our house in order, and put it back in order, because if we don't, others will decide for us," Montchalin told RTL radio. "There is a risk of supervision by international institutions, European institutions, our creditors," she added when asked if France faced a risk of supervision by the IMF. French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou plans to unveil proposals in July to get public finances under control, hoping to push through a 40-billion-euro ($45.62 billion) budget squeeze in 2026. France has a long history of flouting EU overspending rules and is currently running the biggest public sector deficit in the euro zone, at an estimated 5.4% of economic output this year. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Local France
22-05-2025
- Business
- Local France
French lawmakers move to stop annoying telemarketer calls
Under the legislation, passed in a senate vote, it will be up to a company to prove that a call made on their behalf to an individual's telephone was done so with the person's express consent. The only exception would be when the company is calling to carry out an already-agreed contract. According to an October 2024 survey by French consumer group UFC-Que Choisir, 97 percent of people in France have expressed irritation at the cold calls. READ MORE: France leads Europe with highest volume of spam phone calls Often the telemarketers use different phone numbers from different geographic areas as a tactic to place the calls about heat pumps, changing utility or cell phone providers, installing windows, or other transactions. The lawmakers, backed by the government, decided to erect a law against the cold-callers after seeing that a French service, Bloctel, meant to prevent such spam calls, was not working. READ MORE: REVEALED: The most common French telemarketing phone numbers One Frenchwoman, Lucie Kapfer, 43, said she got rid of her landline after receiving "several calls each week" from unwanted telemarketers. "But they continued on my mobile phone. Several calls a day -- it was sheer hell," she said. Advertisement The French government was also concerned by how many of the calls were about arranging fraudulent access to publicly funded schemes, such as training programmes or subsidies for making homes more energy efficient. The law will protect "the more vulnerable people, the elderly, those who sometimes don't realise that this harassment by telephone is only an entry point to massive fraud schemes", said the minister for public accounts, Amelie de Montchalin. The law is scheduled to come into effect in August 2026. Companies "will have a year to organise themselves" to comply with the law, but after that "there will be no exceptions," said the senator Pierre-Jean Verzelen, who promoted the measure. Spain, too, is looking at taking action against telemarketers. Its government last week said it wants telecom operators to block calls from firms not using a dedicated prefix identifying them as commercial callers.
Time of India
21-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
French lawmakers move to stop annoying telemarketer calls
Representative AI image The French parliament moved Wednesday to stop telemarketers making annoying, unsolicited phone calls, with measures due to come into force in just over a year. Under the legislation, passed in a senate vote, it will be up to a company to prove that a call made on their behalf to an individual's telephone was done so with the person's express consent. The only exception would be when the company is calling to carry out an already-agreed contract. According to an October 2024 survey by French consumer group UFC-Que Choisir, 97 percent of people in France have expressed irritation at the cold calls. Often the telemarketers use different phone numbers from different geographic areas as a tactic to place the calls about heat pumps, changing utility or cell phone providers, installing windows, or other transactions. The lawmakers, backed by the government, decided to erect a law against the cold-callers after seeing that a French service, Bloctel, meant to prevent such spam calls, was not working. One Frenchwoman, Lucie Kapfer, 43, said she got rid of her landline after receiving "several calls each week" from unwanted telemarketers. "But they continued on my mobile phone. Several calls a day, it was sheer hell," she said. The French government was also concerned by how many of the calls were about arranging fraudulent access to publicly funded schemes, such as training programmes or subsidies for making homes more energy efficient. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like China Power: Washington's loss, Beijing's gain as Chinese students shun the US for SE Asia? CNA Read More Undo The law will protect "the more vulnerable people, the elderly, those who sometimes don't realise that this harassment by telephone is only an entry point to massive fraud schemes", said the minister for public accounts, Amelie de Montchalin. The law is scheduled to come into effect in August 2026. Companies "will have a year to organise themselves" to comply with the law, but after that "there will be no exceptions," said the senator Pierre-Jean Verzelen, who promoted the measure. Spain, too, is looking at taking action against telemarketers. Its government last week said it wants telecom operators to block calls from firms not using a dedicated prefix identifying them as commercial callers.
The Independent
30-04-2025
- Business
- The Independent
France to follow US in imposing taxes on small parcels from China
France is pushing to impose a handling tax for small packages sent from China by fast fashion platforms such as Shein and Temu. Public accounts minister Amelie de Montchalin said the tax from next year would be a "few euros' for each parcel, or a few cents for each article. Her announcement comes amid concerns that tariffs imposed by US president Donald Trump on China could flood Chinese goods in the European market. Besides imposing a blanket tariff on Chinese imports, Mr Trump shut down the de minimis trade loophole and imposed a tax on shipments up to $800 at the rate of 120 per cent of their value starting Friday. The EU is seeking to reform its customs union by 2028 to control online platforms that ship cheap items to European customers duty-free. European retailers and policymakers have grown increasingly critical of the duty-free policy, which they say gives Shein and Temu an unfair advantage by helping them sell products at rock-bottom prices. The EU plans to scrap its duty-free treatment of packages ordered online that are worth less than €150 (£127), so France's proposal of handling fees is a transitory measure to help fund tighter customs screening. The French minister said Paris wanted 'the rapid establishment at the European level of a handling fee mechanism for each small package entering Europe". However, any imposition of fees would have to be agreed by the EU as a whole and applied across all member states. 'Today is not 2028, so France is proposing fixed handling fees as soon as 2026,' Ms Montchalin said. 'It's not a tax on consumers – it's to make these platforms contribute more to checks we must do for security.' The products shipped directly from the factories in China undergo fewer checks on their safety and compliance with the bloc's rule. "This poses a risk to the French, because the products are dangerous, to brands because of massive counterfeiting, and to public finances because the diversions are also major," she said at a news briefing after visiting a parcel depot at Charles de Gaulle airport with foreign minister Eric Lombard. Around 1.5 billion e-commerce packages are shipped to French consumers every year, and about 800 million of those are worth less than €150 (£127), the foreign minister said. "We are in a customs union, so we cannot act alone," he added. On Tuesday, France's confederation of small and medium enterprises called for a 'state of emergency' to counter the 'invasion' of small packages bought online, AFP news agency reported. Shein, in a statement to Reuters, said it respects all the laws and regulations across its markets, including France, and that its success is not down to the duty-free allowance.
The Sun
30-04-2025
- Business
- The Sun
France to tax small parcels from China amid tariff fallout fears
PARIS: France will from next year impose a handling tax for every small parcel sent from China sent by platforms such as Shein and Temu, a minister said Tuesday. The charge was announced by public accounts minister Amelie de Montchalin amidst international concerns that tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump could force more Chinese goods into other markets. Montchalin said the tax would be a 'a few euros' for each parcel, or a few cents for each article. The aim, she added, was for platforms to pay rather than the consumer. The European Union is aiming to reform its customs union by 2028 and the minister's office said France wanted 'the rapid establishment at the European level of a handling fee mechanism for each small package entering Europe.' French officials say that unless a European system is set up, parcels taxed by France will just enter the EU through another member country. Money raised through the French tax would be used to finance inspections, the minister's office told AFP, and the tax would be replaced when a European system starts. The European Commission this year recommended ending tax free entry for packages worth less than 150 euros ($170). Some 4.6 billion packages falling into the tax-free bracket entered the EU in 2024, according to official figures. More than 90 percent came from China. About 800 million entered France. France's Confederation of Small and Medium Enterprises (CPME) on Tuesday called for a 'state of emergency' to counter the 'invasion' of small packages bought online.
