Overview

• Prime Minister François Bayrou visited Rochefort’s Corderie Royale and Île d’Aix’s Fort Liédot to underscore his commitment to the Conservatoire’s autonomy.
• He described the institution as “unique in the world” and said it should be protected from Senate commission proposals to merge it with the Office français de la biodiversité.
• The Conservatoire du littoral currently safeguards over 220,000 hectares of coastal and lakeside land, representing 18% of France’s shoreline through strategic land acquisition and restoration.
• Environmental groups and local governments published a Le Monde tribune on July 8 urging lawmakers to maintain the agency’s independent status in response to the Senate report.
• The dispute underscores mounting pressure to streamline public agencies and balance ecological preservation with climate change adaptation.