Départements de France to boycott 2026 Biodiversity Summits

The association Départements de France has announced it will boycott the 2026 Biodiversity Summits (Assises de la biodiversité) and the National Summits for Sensitive Natural Areas. This exceptional decision is a protest against significant revenue losses related to the 'taxe d’aménagement' (development tax).

Local officials claim the loss of tax revenue, which is essential for funding departmental nature protection policies, is a 'scandal.' While some decline is attributed to a slowdown in the construction market, the association argues that much of the loss stems from administrative malfunctions following the 2022 transfer of urban tax liquidation to the Direction générale des finances publiques (DGFiP).

These funds are critical for managing over 4,300 sensitive natural areas covering approximately 400,000 hectares across France, as well as supporting architecture, urbanism, and environment councils (CAUE).