why shoreline retreat is a sensitive issue for the government

by Posted on

That was almost six months ago. On the eve of the presentation of the Borne government by the Secretary General of the Elysée, the Association of French Mayors (AMF) and the National Association of Elected Officials from the Coast (ANEL) announced that they had taken over the Council of State. order for “guarantees legal certainty […] and escort of mayors”. In reference: Ordinance of April 6, 2022 on the sustainable development of coastal areas subject to shoreline retreat, facilitating the gradual relocation of habitats and activities affected by erosion. A list published on April 30 followed Official newspaper from a list of 126 municipalities including “In terms of urban planning and development policy, action should be adapted to the hydro-sediment policy that causes coastal erosion.”

Apart from that, it belongs to the respective municipalities to build “Coastal Risk Prevention Plan” as well as a “local map of exposure to shoreline retreat of their territory”. Local elected officials were consulted for the complainant associations “hasty and about the diagnosis of their exposure to coastal erosion, nor the non-construction easements they will be subject to, nor the future funding of the measures”. “Serman carries out a secret transfer of costs from the state to municipalities, without special financial resources, while the financial impact of coastal erosion is estimated at several tens of billions of euros,” they say again.

50 wind farms in the sea By 2050

France’s highest administrative court has yet to issue its opinion, but the government reactivated the National Council for the Sea and the Coast (CNML) on December 5. The 52 members are 26 local elected officials, 5 public agency representatives, 6 company representatives, 5 trade union members, 7 foundation association members and 3 qualified persons involved in the development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the CNML. National Marine and Coastline Strategy “Reference document for environmental protection, development of marine resources and integrated and coordinated management of marine and coastal activities”, describes the government on its website.

A strategy now in line with the “ecological planning” desired by President Emmanuel Macron and led by Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne. In line with the presidential candidate’s promise to deploy 50 wind farms in the sea between now and 2050 Hervé Berville, Secretary of State for the Sea, convened the National Council for the Sea and Coastlines at the Hôtel de Segur.

Until the summer of 2023, the former Member of Parliament for Côtes d’Armor (LREM) will conduct informal face-to-face consultations with relevant public and private actors on marine planning. It is about protecting the oceans and biodiversity, maritime transport shares, economic and tourism shares, as well as offshore and coastal energy shares.

” We will address all these issues and see how to speed up, while looking at the obstacles by involving local elected officials, experts, environmental protection associations, social partners and qualified persons to ensure the coexistence of uses. “, Hervé Berville explains the firm.

Special Task Force for Coastline Retreat

The National Council for the Sea and Coasts, together with the National Commission for Public Debate (CNDP), will be divided into thematic groups and area workshops. “open to the largest number”, The team of the Secretary of State for the Sea continues. He asked a question gallery, the latter confirms the retreat of the eastern coastline “fully integrated” approach, even if the coastal topic is specifically the responsibility of the Secretary of State for the Environment, Bérangère Couillard.

“It is planned to create a special task force with local elected officials to quantify the needs, secure funding and determine the work schedule,” Herve Berville’s office says again.

A solution must be found for the 2024 budget

Especially since the Inter-Ministerial Committee on the Sea (CIMer) under the chairmanship of the tenant of Matignon is also planned for this issue in May-June. Meanwhile, the National Association of Coastal Elected Officials (ANEL) will continue to put pressure on the executive, especially as they must come up with a solution for the 2024 budget.

“Either we will be paralyzed by the proliferation of litigation because the risk to owners is high. [des terrains exposés, Ndlr] ; otherwise, the local government will be paralyzed due to the lack of national solidarity”, says the ANEL president impatiently.

The mayor (LR) of Sables-d’Olonne (Vendée) still says that “there is a transfer of advice and skills, but no transfer of funds”.

As last year, the Gironde member (Renaissance) tried to vote for a 0.01% tax on real estate transactions in the 2023 budget, which he said would have to pay around €35 ​​million annually to municipalities affected by coastal erosion. . The change, which was adopted against the opinion of the government in the open session, was not retained during the adoption of the finance law by a vote of 49-3.