New water abstraction reforms could burden French farmers with strict regulations and limited funding, according to agricultural groups.
Farmers face new water restrictions
The draft decree for reforming water abstraction management is expected to significantly affect farmers in areas around priority and non-exempted water abstraction sites, according to the FNSEA and the Young Farmers' organizations. Agricultural groups criticize the decree
The AGPB, the General Association of Wheat Producers, responded on October 13, claiming the government is imposing new constraints on agricultural land and weakening farms through the new regulations. New classification of water sites
The decree, which implements the agricultural emergency law, introduces a new classification of water abstraction sites. A consultation on the text is expected by the end of October 2026, with a final publication by December 2026 at the latest. Focus on high-impact areas
The decree is expected to define 1,400 priority water abstraction sites and 1,700 non-exempted sites. Prefects would be required to implement strict actions on areas contributing to water abstraction, affecting 2 to 4% of France's useful agricultural area. Concerns over binding regulations
The FNSEA and Young Farmers described the regulatory changes as "particularly binding for farmers." They expressed worries about the thresholds for triggering restrictions and the lack of clear targeting of measures, which they believe could lead to a decline in agricultural productivity. Uncertainty about funding
The Young Farmers and the FNSEA questioned the reality of the funding that will be mobilized to support farmers in adapting to the new water abstraction rules, noting that existing agricultural budgets like the PAC cannot be reallocated to cover these costs. Estimated costs of the reform
The government estimated the total annual cost of the reform to be between 400 and 650 million euros, with support for changing agricultural practices expected to cost between 180 and 330 million euros per year, increasing over five years for priority sites. Funding for non-priority areas
For non-exempted water abstraction sites outside the most contributing areas, the cost of supporting changes in agricultural practices is estimated at 100 to 200 million euros per year, with funding expected to increase gradually over eight years. Currently, only 210 million euros are mobilized.
