Senate Adopts Agricultural Bill Prioritizing Food Security and Young Farmers
On February 18th, the French Senate overwhelmingly approved a comprehensive agricultural bill that prioritizes food security, supports young farmers, and streamlines environmental regulations.
Food Security as a Major National Interest
The bill elevates agriculture to the status of a "major general interest," recognizing its crucial role in ensuring the nation’s food supply. This provision aims to facilitate the approval of agricultural infrastructure projects, such as water retention structures and livestock buildings, when balanced against environmental protection goals.
Protecting Agricultural Interests
The bill also expands the protection granted to agriculture within the framework of "fundamental national interests" defined in the penal code. This move strengthens the legal safeguards against threats to agricultural operations and production.
Rebalancing Agricultural and Environmental Goals
The Senate introduced the principle of "non-regression of food sovereignty," mirroring the established principle of non-regression in environmental protection. This provision ensures that future agricultural policies do not significantly reduce the nation’s food production capacity.
Additionally, the Senate replaced references to "ecological and environmental transition" in the bill’s objectives with the more general term "adaptation," reflecting a less stringent approach to environmental concerns.
Attracting and Supporting Young Farmers
The bill sets ambitious targets for increasing the number of agricultural operations and young farmers in the coming years. It aims for 400,000 farms and 500,000 farmers by 2035.
To attract and support young farmers, the bill creates a new bachelor’s degree in agriculture, potentially named the "Agro Bachelor." It also establishes a one-stop departmental service (France Installations-Transmissions) to guide farmers through the process of starting or transferring their operations.
Diagnostic Tools and Transfer Support
The bill includes provisions for a "modular diagnostic" tool to assist young farmers in evaluating the economic, environmental, and social viability of potential farms. The Senate further recommended the creation of a "handover assistance" program for retiring farmers who wish to make their land available to new entrants.
Streamlining Environmental Regulations
The bill introduces a presumption of urgency for litigation related to the construction of irrigation water reserves, aimed at reducing procedural delays. This presumption also applies to livestock building permits, which often face legal challenges from environmental protection groups.
The bill includes a provision that presumes the "good faith" of farmers during administrative inspections, representing a step toward a "right to error" for agricultural operators.
Depenalizing Unintentional Environmental Offenses
A significantly expanded section of the bill revises the penalties for environmental offenses, largely decriminalizing them if not committed "intentionally." This change replaces potential criminal charges with administrative fines of up to €450. Critics argue that it inverts the burden of proof and could lead to a "permit to destroy the environment."
Compartmentalized Regulation on Hedges
The bill also addresses the issue of administrative complexities surrounding hedge planting. The Senate acknowledged the existence of multiple regulations, including those governing the removal of hedges.
Differences with the National Assembly
The Senate’s version of the bill differs from the one passed by the National Assembly earlier. The two chambers will now form a joint committee to reconcile their respective positions before the bill’s final approval.
The bill’s fate will be closely watched by the FNSEA, the country’s largest agricultural union, which strongly supports the measures aimed at strengthening the agricultural sector. The bill is also expected to be a major topic of discussion at the upcoming Paris Agricultural Show.
