"Zero net artificialisation": the Senate proposes solutions to the difficulties of local elected officials

The Senate began on Tuesday March 14 the examination at first reading of a bill to provide solutions to the difficulties encountered by communities in the implementation of the objectives of "zero net artificialisation (ZAN)" of soils here. 2050 provided for by the Climate law of 2021.

This technical text carried by Valérie Létard (centrist) and Jean-Baptiste Blanc (LR), the fruit of a cross-partisan mission from the Senate, does not intend to go back to the two main objectives of ZAN, namely the reduction by half of the rate of new land take by 2031 and net zero by 2050.

But it proposes a series of adaptations to "respond to very concrete difficulties" on the ground, indicated Ms. Létard, stressing that "there is now a consensus on the fact that the law must be amended".

The government has triggered the accelerated procedure on this text, suggesting rapid adoption. Renaissance deputies had presented their own bill in mid-February.

The implementing decrees of the ZAN have indeed aroused the discontent of several associations of elected officials, including that of rural mayors who have denounced the risk of "creeping supervision" on the part of the regions.

The implementation of the Climate Law "must respect the skills and collective intelligence of our communities", estimated Mr. Blanc.

"We must fight against anarchic urbanization", agrees Philippe Bas (LR). But he denounces "a nationalization of urban development, the starting point of which is very legitimate, but which calls into question local freedoms".

The Minister of Ecological Transition Christophe Béchu immediately expressed his desire to "find a path of agreement and solution", pleading for "fundamental sobriety".

The text provides in particular to guarantee each municipality a “minimum area of municipal development” of one hectare.

The government is in favor of a minimum artificialization envelope equivalent to 1% of the urbanized surface of sparsely populated rural municipalities, or some 20.000 hectares, while the senators' proposal is estimated at around 36.000 hectares, a figure disputed by Mr. White.

The senators also provide for a count in a separate envelope of major national projects and taking into account the specificities of coastal municipalities and mountain and overseas territories.

The first point is part of the proposals considered "problematic" by ecologist Ronan Dantec.

Given the large number of amendments tabled to the text, its discussion could continue on Thursday.