The French manufacturer’s union of F2M masks has welcomed the circular establishing the new purchasing rules, recalling that “between the summer 2020 and the summer of 2021, 97% of tenders [in France] have been assigned to import masks “.
Le Monde with AFP
The French manufacturers have been demanding this measure for more than a year. A circular now establishes rules for tenders that will encourage the 3,000 hospitals and clinics of the territory to buy their masks and gloves with French or European suppliers. With this incentive, the government wants to bring out a local sector guaranteeing “supply in the event of a new global pandemic”.
The circular “relating to securing the process of critical supplies and equipment”, made public Thursday, December 30 and dated 15, was sent to all regional health authorities, which pilot hospitals on their territories.
As a first step, the equipment identified as criticism are the sanitary gloves, as well as the surgical masks and the FFP2 masks, more airtight and more filtering, which protect both their carriers and their entourage.
“Heavy penalties” planned
Loadbooks of the buying communities will not only need to be based on the low price. They will also need to be more demanding on compliance with European standards, the quality control of masks, the minimum levels of stocks available, the carbon footprint of masks, the use of water and delivery times, lists the circular. “Heavy penalties” will be considered in the event of a significant rate of non-compliance with the technical quality requirements of the equipment, or specified delivery times.
These types of purchase are applicable in the calls for tenders “with immediate effect” to “all public health facilities and public purchasing public operators involved in the benefit or on behalf of the health facilities”, accurate text.
The French manufacturers’ union of F2M masks welcomed the measure, already implemented in several other European countries. “Between the summer of 2020 and the summer of 2021, 97% of tenders have been allocated to import masks, commanded primarily by communities,” said Christian Curiel, President of the Union and Director General of the Society Prism, based in Frontignan (Hérault).
In France, “from April to early November, the FFP2 masks production sector was almost stopped, all because public orders continued to focus on” cheaper, but different quality imports , he explained to the France-Presse agency. In parallel, “since the beginning of the pandemic, Germany has always reserved its public purchases for local producers based on the state of emergency”.
France autonomous in its production
The commercial reverses of the French manufacturers against the imported masks have forced some of them “to divide by ten staff”, according to Mr. Curiel. A cruel paradox in a country that has come in a few months to achieve the goal set by President Emmanuel Macron to become autonomous in his production of masks against the health crisis. Indeed, while they only produced 3.5 million masks before the pandemic, French manufacturers now have the ability to produce 100 million units per week, including 20 to 25% FFP2 masks.
Orders are, however, upwards since November, in particular because of “the logistical difficulty of having” maritime “containers for import, according to the trade union leader. Currently, French manufacturers of surgical masks thus produce “50% of their capabilities”, and those who manufacture FFP2 masks produce “a few million masks a week,” he said.
Masks made in France remain “two to three times more expensive” than those imported: between 4 and 10 cents the unit against 2 to 4 cents for the Chinese masks. “But 75% of their value remains in France, compared to only 15% for a mask from Asia”, according to Mr. Curiel.