Overview
- The Agriculture Ministry detailed state support that caps compensation at €4,000 per contaminated and felled tree, formalizing aid first announced on December 23.
- The scale covers direct costs such as felling, chipping, transport and treatment, with €400 per tree in large infested stands and €3,000 for owners with fewer than 20 trees.
- Sector groups welcomed the funding and say they helped shape the rules, while estimating losses at several tens of millions of euros across a regional industry employing over 30,000 people.
- Emergency measures include felling all conifers within a 500‑meter focus in Seignosse, with initial removals in mid‑December and operations set to run through February 15, 2026.
- A 20‑kilometer restriction zone and reinforced surveillance for four years are in place as researchers probe control options and warn the vast, largely monospecific pine forest and high vector density heighten spread risk.