6 previously entered into force on 1 July

The Minister of economy said that "all means" will be used for the the decline of 5.5 VAT is applied in the restoration. It also announced that an agreement was "is" to be signed on the salary grid.

Intensify controls in restaurants to bring the profession to impact prices the VAT decrease. The economy Minister, Christine Lagarde, has just announced on France 2 that she has "asked the DGCCRF (Directorate-General for competition, consumption and the repression of fraud) to step up controls and check what is happening on the ground".

Promise of Nicolas Sarkozy's presidential campaign, against the 5.5 VAT 19.6 previously entered into force on 1 July. According to a survey of the General Directorate of competition, consumption and the repression of fraud, only a restaurant on two dropped its prices since then. "It is three weeks from the date of entry into force (...)" "we must leave a little bit of time to time," said Christine Lagarde.

"We will use all possible means for arming the consumer because it is he who will be the true arbiter of all that." "The consumer is not stupid, he will go to lower its prices," she added. "There is a future contract was signed (between the State and restaurateurs, Editor's note), if they totally refuse to lower prices, ways can be found", warned the Minister without giving more details on these grounds.

According to the agreement between the Government and professional organizations, each institution must reduce the price of at least seven its card products in consideration of the VAT of 19.6 to 5.5 decline of 11.8. However, this commitment is not coercive. Christine Lagarde has also promised the hiring of 40,000 people in two years and increases in wages. The measure will cost EUR 2.4 billion to the State.

The Secretary of State for trade Hervé Novelli should install Wednesday follow-up Committee that will be loaded during the next three years to verify that the commitments made by the professional organisations will be required.

An agreement on wages is to be signed

In addition, an agreement is "on course" to be signed between unions and employers on the grid of wages in the restoration, announced Christine Lagarde. "Employment will be looking at the counters, but I am already delighted that an agreement is set to conclusion on the salary grid in the restoration, in hotels, which had not budged since months." "This increases it is well", said the Minister of the economy. "Regards welfare and the protection of the rights of employees, there also, three riders to the collective agreement have been signed", she added.

The patronage of the restoration was committed to upgrading the grid of wages in return for the reduction of VAT at 5.5. Workers unions had expressed however their May 29 unhappy with proposals for wage grid. June 24, two days after a new blocking negotiations, Léon de Bruxelles and El Rancho, two restaurant chains, announced separately that they would increase the wages of their employees and hiring, as early as July 1.

Les Echos