Paris (AFP)

Professionals in cafes, bars and restaurants are ready to assume an "obligation of means", by allowing their customers to scan their health pass at the entrance to their establishments from August, but not "systematic checks. "of the latter, they say Tuesday.

The day after the adoption in the Council of Ministers of the bill which provides, in the event of a breach of the obligation to control the health pass, a fine of up to 1,500 euros - much less than the fine of 9,000 euros envisaged but rebutted by the Council of State - the four employers' organizations in the sector were still opposed to the very principle of the device.

"We continue to think that the control of the sanitary pass of the customers is impossible in a systematic way for our professionals", declared to AFP Franck Trouet, spokesperson of the union of the independents of the hotel and catering industry, the GNI.

The GNI and other organizations in the sector, Union of Trades and Hospitality Industries (Umih), National Group of Hotel Chains (GNC) and National Union of Thematic and Commercial Catering (SNRTC) will express this position in a letter to Prime Minister, this Tuesday.

Accepted by professionals when the discotheques reopen on July 9, because "customers go there for at least 3 hours: making the effort to present a pass is understandable", on the other hand to have a drink in a bar or a meal at restaurant, "it does not seem realistic to us to make the restaurant owner bear the burden of systematic control," he said.

"We are ready to provide our customers with the material means to scan the QR Code attesting that they are in possession of a health pass in order but in full service, when there are many comings and goings, we are not in a position to carry out checks ", affirmed Mr. Trouet, for whom" it is up to the police to do it ".

Legally, "we do not have the right to ask for identification from our customers," he argued.

"We note that the fine has been revised downwards, but it is the very principle of responsibility that we are contesting," insisted the spokesperson for the GNI.

# photo1

The bill, which begins its way to Parliament on Tuesday before a possible adoption at the end of the week, plans to extend the health pass - proving the complete vaccination, a recent negative test or immunization - in particular to cafes, restaurants and trains " from the beginning of August ".

There will be a "running-in period" of about "a week" to "support professionals" in its implementation, government spokesman Gabriel Attal said on Tuesday.

© 2021 AFP