French Senate eases water rules in agricultural emergency bill

The French Senate voted on 30 June 2026 to amend the government's emergency agricultural law by loosening constraints on water storage and irrigation for farmers. Senators, led by rapporteur Laurent Duplomb (LR), extended the removal of mandatory public hearings for all water‑storage projects, increased the period a prefect may allow water extraction after a court cancellation from two to five years, and introduced a “non‑regression agricultural” principle that prevents new restrictions on agricultural water use. The Senate also set a target to double the volume of water storage for agriculture by 2035, a goal the Minister of the Ecological Transition, Monique Barbut, called “pharaonic” and warned could jeopardise drinking‑water supplies and civil‑security needs.

The amendments come amid a severe summer drought, with about 70 French departments under alert or crisis orders and projections that up to 88 % of the country could face water stress by 2025. Agriculture accounts for roughly 61 % of France’s water consumption, intensifying the debate over how to balance farm needs with environmental protection. The government plans to negotiate a compromise in a mixed‑parity commission slated for mid‑July, while environmental groups and opposition parties criticize the Senate’s roll‑back of safeguards.