After thirty-five hours of debates this week, the members of parliament approved the government’s agricultural bill in committee on Saturday, May 4, notably validating measures to simplify disputes for water retention projects and new above-ground livestock buildings. Following the vote, Agriculture Minister Marc Fesneau called for “ensuring that the agricultural world regains meaning and understands what is expected of it,” and to “provide the means to overcome the immense challenge of generational renewal.” MPs from the presidential camp (Renaissance, MoDem, and Horizons) voted in favor of the bill, while those from the left (LFI, PS, and Ecologiste) opposed it. The right, the Rassemblement National, and independents from LIOT abstained. While the debates were calm, the opposition lamented the lack of ambition in the bill, citing issues such as income, land ownership, and climate change adaptation.
The bill combines measures on training, farm transfers, and the “acceleration of disputes” in case of challenges against water storage projects or livestock building construction, despite warnings from the Council of State about the “risks of constitutionality.” The government also seeks the right to alter certain environmental offense penalties by ordinance, such as reclassifying criminal penalties as administrative sanctions. This contentious aspect was approved by MPs on Saturday, despite criticism from the left, who not only oppose legislating by ordinances but also express concerns about this reassessment of penalties potentially weakening environmental protection. The minister announced that the scope of this penalty reassessment would be clarified before the bill reaches the main chamber so that MPs can vote with full knowledge.
Furthermore, the MPs took a step towards granting farmers a “right to make mistakes,” by approving, at the initiative of LR, the presumption of “good faith” on the part of an operator during an administrative check. However, the right-wing intends to push for further measures during public session. The bill will now move on to be examined in the main chamber starting on May 14. The opposition’s criticism about the bill’s lack of ambition and focus on key agricultural issues like income, land ownership, and climate change adaptation continue to be a point of contention.
Overall, the vote on the government’s agricultural bill saw support from the presidential camp but faced opposition from the left and abstentions from the right, the Rassemblement National, and independents. The bill includes measures related to farm training, transfers, and simplification of disputes, but it also contains controversial proposals regarding environmental offense penalties. The government’s approach to reassessing penalties and legislating by ordinance has raised concerns among some MPs, particularly from the left. The bill will now move to the main chamber for further debate and potential amendments.
In conclusion, the passage of the government’s agricultural bill in committee following thirty-five hours of debate marks a milestone in agricultural policy in France. While the bill includes measures to address key issues such as farm transfers and the simplification of disputes, it also introduces controversial proposals related to environmental offense penalties. The opposition has raised concerns about the lack of ambition in the bill and is critical of certain provisions, such as the reassessment of penalties and legislating by ordinance. The bill will now be examined in the main chamber, where further debate and potential amendments are expected.
