Implementation of Theeuropeanwater Framework Directive In France: New Challenges For River Basin Organisat Ion, Planning and Participation
Abstract
The European Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC) establishes a system of participatory river basin planning for national and international basins. The French institutional framework for water management is already very close to this system: the 1964 Water Law actually set up basin bodies, the Agences de l'Eau ("Water Agencies"), at the level of large river basins, and multipartite basin commissions, the Comités de Bassin ("River Basin Authorities"), in order to monitor the Agences de l'Eau's policies; besides, the 1992 Water Law created a planning procedure at this level, the Schéma Directeur d'Aménagement et de Gestion des Eaux (SDAGE : "General Water Management Plan"), aiming to determine general orientations for the management of water resources and having to be defined by the Comités de Bassin. At first glance therefore, the implementation of the European Water Framework Directive should not raise a lot of problems in France. However, a quick analysis of the current situation shows that it is not so obvious : if the French Water Policy set up two basin organisations, neither of them deals concretely with the management of the water resources, and the implementation of water management plans depends on many stakeholders; the SDAGE itself only partially meets the demands of the Directive, regarding e. g. the economic analysis; finally, in spite of the creation of multipartite basin commissions, the public participation is very restricted. Such an analysis leads to pay more attention to the relations to establish between organisation, planning and participation at the level of large river basins. An analysis of other elements of the French institutional framework can help us in this way : another planning procedure was actually created by the 1992 Water Law, the Schéma d'Aménagement et de Gestion des Eaux (SAGE : "Water Management Plan"), aiming to fix general objectives to manage the water resources at the level of small river basins, and having to be defined and implemented by a new tripartite entity, the Commission Locale de l'Eau (CLE : Local Water Commission), which can be considered as a real river basin organisation; an empirical analysis of the implementation of such a procedure can offer therefore many new insights and the paper will present the results of an analysis of 10 case studies. But it will be also necessary to put such an experience side by side with the political will to develop public debates and to extend the roles of the Commission Nationale du Débat Public ("Public Debate National Commission").
- Publication:
-
EGS General Assembly Conference Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- 2002
- Bibcode:
- 2002EGSGA..27..596A