Paris (AFP)

No more cash receipts lying in your pockets? The National Assembly voted Friday the end of their systematic printing, unless express request of the customer, by 1 January 2022.

The provision, introduced in committee and supported by the government, was adopted as part of the first reading review of the anti-waste bill, after heated debates on the impact on traders.

At the origin of the measure, the LREM deputy of the Herault Patricia Mirallès reminded that it was not a matter of completely prohibiting cash and credit card receipts, but of "promoting character on demand" of printing.

She stressed that its application, which must be defined by decree, should be progressive: transactions will be affected below 10 euros from 1 September 2020, from 20 euros to 1 January 2021, then below 30 euros to 30 euros. the horizon of 1 January 2022.

LR Vincent Descoeur expressed his fear that the consumer will lose the ability to check the amount of purchases, but also that traders find themselves in trouble.

He was joined by Sophie Auconie (UDI-Agir), who called on them to allow them the "transition time" to equip themselves with crates so that they do not print tickets systematically.

For the MoDem Bruno Millienne, the measure in the state "is not the true ecology, but the annoyance of the tradesmen".

Faced with the possibility of sending proof of purchase by email to consumers rather than printing them, some MEPs have called for vigilant protection of consumer data that merchants can collect.

Secretary of State for the Green Transition Brown Poirson, asking the deputies to "dispassionate the debate", took the opportunity to recall the European regulation "solid and serious" in terms of data protection.

MEPs said that the device will also concern the purchase vouchers and tickets issued by the automata (as in some gas pumps for example), but from January 2023. They also extended the device to institutions welcoming the public .

The measure also aims to limit the effects of endocrine disruptors contained in cash receipts.

© 2019 AFP