Here are the various changes happening in France during July 2024, including education, personal finances, taxes, immigration, transport, etc.
Major update
The French parliamentary elections will take place on 30th June and 7th July 2024, to elect the 577 deputies sitting in the National Assembly.
For more information, please consult service-public.fr
Table of Contents
Olympic Games
The Paris 2024 Olympic Games will be organised in France from 24th July to 11th August. Also, the Paralympic Games will be held from 28th August to 8th September.
- The FAQ of consumer rights regarding Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games has all the information.
Pass Jeux
Registration of the Pass Jeux is now open at Demander un Pass Jeux
- For the games, France has introduced as free digital pass known as Pass Jeux to control the access in and around the games venues.
- The Pass Jeux is a personal digital pass (QR code), issued by the préfecture de Police to access the security perimeters around the Olympic Games opening ceremony, around the competition venues and for para-cycling area in Seine-Saint-Denis.
- In many situations, the Pass Jeux is not necessary. You can check the requirement for the pass here at Check if you need a Pass Jeux?.
The rules of the control perimeters set up for the Games are explained in the following video. English version starts from 05:35 minutes.
Interactive map for Il de France
- An interactive map has been created to anticipate the Olympics related transport impacts in Île-de-France region. It is available here anticiperlesjeux.gouv.fr
- To calculate your travel itinerary as you approach the Games, you can go to the Île-de-France Mobilités app for public transport and the classic route calculators for the road like Google Maps, Waze, etc.
- More information about is available at service-public.fr.
Education
Mon Master Platform
- Created in 2023, MonMaster.gouv.fr is a platform in France dedicated to managing applications and admissions for master’s degree programs.
- Launched by the French Ministry of Higher Education, Research, and Innovation, it serves as a centralized system for students to apply to various master’s programs across universities in France.
- A complementary phase is organized from 25th June to 31st July 2024. It will be useful to candidates who have not yet validated their options definitively.
- From 25th June, students will be able to make 10 new choices.
- From 25th to 30th June: candidates submit their new applications.
- From 1st to 12th July: Colleges will review the applications.
A helpline is available to assist students during this period,
- E-mail: you can contact the Mon Master team from Monday to Friday at contact.monmaster@enseignementsup.gouv.fr
- Phone: via the toll-free number 0800 002 001, open from Monday to Friday (10h-12h30 and 13h30-17h) until 31st July 2024.
- More information about Mon Master is available at service-public.fr.
Parcoursup
- French High school students, apprentices, or students in reorientation must use the Parcoursup platform to enroll in higher education.
- The rules for the use of Parcoursup are different depending on whether the students are French nationals, Europeans, or non-Europeans.
- Since 30th May 2024, admission results have been continuously published on the Parcoursup platform.
- From 11th June, students can access the supplementary admission phase.
- From 1st to 3rd July, you will have to rank in order of preference your pending choices.
- 12th July marks the end of the main admission phase.
- 23,000 courses will be offered on Parcoursup in 2024. They are accessible via a search engine to find, for example, technician’s certificates (BTS) or preparatory classes for French grandes écoles (CPGE).
- Students or Parents can download the admission calendar on their smartphone or PC using Parcoursup Calendar to retain the key dates of the process.
- More information about Parcoursup is available at service-public.fr.
Employment
Versement Mobilité
- The contribution due by employers who hire more than 10 employees is changing on 1st July 2024.
- Infact, its rate is revised twice a year: 1st January and 1st July.
- This contribution is used to finance public transport and it is recovered by Urssaf.
- The new rates applicable from 1st July 2024 can be consulted here service-public.fr.
- More information about Versement Mobilité is available at service-public.fr.
Housing
Energy Performance Diagnosis (DPE)
- From 1st July 2024, The method of calculating the diagnostic de performance énergétique (DPE) changes for properties with a surface area of 40m2 or less.
- The DPE is a tool to estimate the energy consumption of a home or building and assess its ecological impact in terms of greenhouse gas emissions.
- The Decree published on 20th April 2024 updates the label thresholds for dwellings with less than 40 m2 of reference area, as well as the name of the area used in the DPE.
- It also updates the annual energy tariffs for the realization of DPE in metropolitan France.
- This measure aims to remove a certain number of dwellings from the category of “passoires thermiques ” (categories F and G of the DPE) and lift the rental ban on these units to give owners time to consider renovations.
- An estimated 140,000 homes are affected.
- More information about this change is available at service-public.fr.
Home burglaries surveillance (OTV)
- If you are going on the summer vacations soon, you can register for the free surveillance from the police and gendarmerie to prevent house burglaries.
- It is known as Opération Tranquillité Vacances (OTV).
- The system covers all departments in France.
- Registration can be done throughout the year, even outside school holidays. But the period of absence may not exceed 1 year.
- The registration can be done online via demarches.service-public.fr
- Do not forget to indicate if your home is equipped with an alarm system or a motion detection system, and if someone comes to pick up your mail or water your plants so that it is not confused with a burglar.
- You should also notify the police, in case of an early return than scheduled.
- More information about OTV is available at service-public.fr.
Important
If you are a victim or witness of a burglary, please notify the police or the gendarmerie immediately. Do not touch anything in order to avoid disturbing the crime scene.
Personal Finance
Hike in Gas Prices
The benchmark price for natural gas sales increases by 11.7% in July 2024 compared to June. This price includes the fixed and variable tariffs applied to cooking/hot water and heating consumers.
- Since the regulated gas tariffs ended on June 30, 2023, the Commission de régulation de l’énergie (CRE) publishes a monthly benchmark price for the sale of natural gas to residential consumers.
- The average benchmark price for natural gas sales will be €129.2/MWh including VAT, up 11.7% from June 2024.
- The average benchmark price excluding tax increases from €77.32/MWh to €90.38/MWh.
- The CRE calculates an annual average price per MWh consumed, based on data provided by GRDF.
- More information about this gas price hike is explained in Significant Increase of Natural Gas Prices in France for July 2024.
New Savings Plan (PEAC)
France introduces a new savings plans to finance climate transition-related projects known as Plans d’épargne avenir climat.
- This savings will be available from 1st July 2024, for people ages less than 21 years old.
- Open to residents in France and limited to one account per person.
- The funds will be blocked until the account holder becomes a major (18 years old).
- The interest rate is not set by the government. It depends on the results of the investments made.
- The maximum funds within a PEAC savings plan is limited to 22,950€, excluding the interest earned.
- More information about PEAC is available at PEAC: A new alternative for Livret A or Assurance Vie?.
Shrinkflation
From 1st July 2024, French supermarkets will be required to inform consumers of products that are subject to shrinkflation.
- Customers must be informed about products whose quantity is decreased but sold at the same or higher price.
- This new obligation concerns only the stores with a sales area of more than 400 m².
- The information to be displayed on the product packaging or on a label placed near the product concerned is as follows:
- For this product, the quantity sold went from X to Y and its price at (unit of measure concerned) increased by … % or …€.
- X and Y values are expressed in weight or volume.
- More information about this obligation is available at service-public.fr.
Summer Clearance Sale
- In mainland France, the summer discount sales period starts on Wednesday, 26th June 2024, and ends on Tuesday, 23rd July 2024 (included).
- However, some specific areas in France and the overseas French territories have their own summer sales period.
- More information about Versement Mobilité is available at Shopping: French summer discount sales period in 2024.
Taxes
Correction of 2024 Income Tax Declaration
- You can make corrections to your French income tax submitted online from 31st July to 4th December 2024.
- To access this option, you must log in to your Impost account ad go to the tab “Accédez à la correction en ligne”.
- A new tax return “Avis d’impôt sur les revenus” will be issued after the correction has been processed by your tax office.
- However, the people who had submitted an offline paper declaration cannot use the this online correction service.
- More information is available at service-public.fr.
Property Declaration
- Since 2023, Landlords in France must declare all their real estate properties to the tax authorities, via the option “Gérer mes biens immobiliers“.
- Any change that happened between 2nd January 2023 and 1st January 2024 must be reported before 1st July 2024.
- For example:
- a change of tenant
- a property that has become unoccupied
- housing that is no longer your main residence
- buying a new property.
- More information is available at service-public.fr.
