Europe 1 with AFP / Photo credit: Bertrand GUAY / AFP 9:19 p.m., January 31, 2024

The bill, which must now be examined in the Senate, "will allow volunteers to access individual rights to training", rejoiced its rapporteur Quentin Bataillon (Renaissance). It relaxes the conditions allowing them to earn such rights, through the existing citizen engagement account system.

The National Assembly voted on Wednesday at first reading a bill providing for measures to better promote the commitment of volunteers and “simplify” associative life. The text, carried by a member of the presidential majority and supported by the government, was adopted unanimously. While regretting a lack of ambition, the oppositions welcomed the welcome provisions.

The bill, which must now be examined in the Senate, "will allow volunteers to access individual rights to training", rejoiced its rapporteur Quentin Bataillon (Renaissance). It relaxes the conditions allowing them to earn such rights, through the existing citizen engagement account (CEC) system.

Relaxation of the conditions for using “association commitment leave”

Currently, eligible volunteers must have been involved in registered associations for at least three years. This threshold is lowered to one year by the bill. In the same way, the text relaxes the conditions for using “associative commitment leave”, intended for employees who voluntarily exercise management functions in associative structures. Here too, the required duration of existence of associations is lowered from three to one year.

>>

READ ALSO

- Associative volunteering returns to its pre-crisis level

The bill also opens “skills sponsorship” to companies with fewer than 5,000 employees. A system which allows a company to make certain of its employees available free of charge to an organization of general interest, during their working time. The measure was criticized by environmentalists, fearing to reinforce "the tendency towards an American model of solidarity which makes the vitality of our associations dependent on large private foundations".

A provision concerning lotteries, raffles and other “traditional lotteries”

The deputies also reduced the conditions of loans between associations, authorized under conditions and at zero interest, by providing that their duration will no longer be limited to less than two years. Another provision concerns lotteries, raffles and other “traditional lotteries”, which associations use to raise funds. The text harmonizes the conditions and expands the list of reasons to be able to use them.

“This text is not revolutionary, but it will still help improve the daily lives of our associations,” said LR MP Maxime Minot. It "does not bring the shock of simplification requested by so many association leaders", but "includes measures which will encourage associative commitment", estimated for his part the RN deputy Bruno Bilde. This is “not the big night for associative development”, but it is “a step forward which precedes others expected”, welcomed the ecologist Jean-Claude Raux.