Alcome was fined 466,000 euros for not complying with the specifications of the extended liability system for tobacco manufacturers. Since the dispute is not closed, Alcome is threatened with another sanction.
On February 29, the Minister of Ecological Transition decided to fine Alcome in the amount of 466,000 euros. The decision against the Eco-Organization of the Tobacco Producers’ Extended Responsibility (EPR) sector refers to a dispute over the financing of street ashtrays.
Contacts, Alcome managers did not want to comment on the decision News-Environmentt.
Partial liquidation
In the memory of observers, this is the first time that the state has so harshly sanctioned a co-organization since the launch of the first sector of REP, more than thirty years ago. The amount of EUR 466,000 demanded by Alcome represents about 1.5% or 0.75% of its annual budget, depending on the year in question (a budget of EUR 30 million in 2023 and EUR 61 million in 2024).
Very specifically, the minister’s decision (1) is partial liquidation daily administrative fines imposed on Alcome last fall. The document that the minister published, and dnich published Context, signed by the Director General for Risk Prevention (DGPR) of the Ministry of Ecological Transition. On the other hand, the signature of the CEO of the Ministry of Economy does not appear there, unlike other important documents for the sector, such as the approval of the eco-organization.
The penalty covers the 72-day period from 21 November 2023 to 31 January 2024. It allows the Minister to make the first financial sanction immediately enforceable. The second sanction, which would cover the period starting on 1this one February, it can still be downloaded because the dispute is not completely closed.
Alcome must finance street ashtrays
The dispute begins in November 2023, when the state decides tomoney fine against Alcome for failure to comply with the obligation to finance ashtrays in public places. The amount is set at 100 euros per day until the end of November, then 7,500 euros per day from December. Goal: encourage the co-organization to regulate the situation as soon as possibleexplained the minister when announcing his decision.
Why this sanction? The state criticizes Alcome for not funding street ashtrays that are chosen and installed by communities and other public actors. And for good reason: the standard contract allowing this financing has not been drawn up. However, the REP tobacco specifications require Alcome to finance cigarette collection systems, covering at least 50% of the French population by the end of 2023, then 75% of the population by the end of 2024 and 90% by the end of 2025. The topic is oldsince from the launch of the REP in 2021, the procurement of street ashtrays is part of the obligations that tobacco manufacturers they consider them too ambitious and expensive.
An incomplete draft of a standard contract
Decision (2) minister after several exchanges with the co-organization that resulted in an official notification in June 2023 to present a draft standard contract in the appropriate form within three months. On Alcome’s side, Marie-Nolle Duval then explained News-Environment be amazed by the calendar change. The general director of the co-organization believes that the punishment was imposed even though a schedule was agreed with the competent authorities this summer. The draft standard contract is ready, she assured.
In early December 2023, Alcome announced that its board of directors and a board of stakeholders had just approved a draft standard contract for the financing of street dressing gowns and ashtrays. All that remains is to obtain the minister’s confirmation. Unfortunately, this step turned out to be more complicated than expected.
As of December 8, the minister responded to Alcome and informed him that his draft standard contract did not meet the sector’s specifications. In this case, the document shows only the terms of payment of financial support to local authorities. It does not contain provisions relating to other public persons in charge of healthcare in their area.
A long-expressed rejection
This oversight is not trivial and represents a strong point of opposition between the state and the eco-organization: Alcome seems inclined to finance ashtrays in natural spaces, but refuses to finance those in other public institutions such as the Quarter de La Dfense (Hauts-de-Seine ) or La Villette Paris park (which is the largest park in Paris).
On December 21, Alcome finally sent a draft of a standard contract intended to finance ashtrays in these public spaces. But this time, the minister noted that the document is an empty shell: the project does not specify methods of collecting and processing cigarette butts, as well as the amount of support and the method of payment. He does not meet the minimum requirements of the standard contractthey summarize the minister’s services, in order to justify the sanction.
Article published on May 24, 2024