Big Jump Time : July 13 at 3 pm
over 60 registered events today ! More information : www.bigjump.org
A look back at the exchange and training days on the voluntary protection of private natural areas
Since 1989, the association SOS Loire vivante – ERN has successfully protected the Upper Loire Valley between Mont Gerbier de Jonc and Le-Puy-en-Velay, 60 km of gorges and valleys, the wildest in the entire Loire region. Its civic and activist victories have enabled its preservation, but in a context of agricultural decline and a desire to pass on the land, a new approach complementary to regulatory protection must be initiated to ensure long-term protection.
By including landowners in the process, SOS Loire Vivante – ERN aims to create the ” Collective Protection of the Upper Wild Loire Valley,“ a project that will rely on voluntary commitments from each landowner across a valley or large area, using, in particular, Environmental Real Obligations (ORE) [1], as the ”voluntary nature reserve” tool no longer exists.
In order to strengthen the sharing of experiences between landowners in other basins, SOS Loire Vivante – ERN, with around twenty members, visited the Vis Valley in early June to study the case of the Lo Ranquas “voluntary reserve,” a 250-hectare site that is particularly interesting due to its size and the presence of golden eagles. The program included a visit to the reserve with a presentation of the management choices implemented over the past 40 years and a round table discussion with SOS Loire Vivante-ERN, the president of Euronatur, the Horizons Séranne association, and the owners of Ranquas, highlighting the similarities and differences between the situation in the Upper Loire Valley and the Vis Valley in terms of the means for ensuring the long-term sustainability of the ecological management of the sites.
It emerged that Real Environmental Obligations (ORE) are a key tool for ecosystem conservation and sustainable property management. However, in the context of coherent management of large areas and/or with several owners, the associations considered complementary tools, in particular the possibility of creating an endowment fund. This fund would provide additional protection for the areas by offering owners more options and support, such as donations and bequests, and organizing fundraising to ensure the management of the sites. The fund could also play a role in the co-contractualization of OREs and guidance towards appropriate management structures. In the medium term, the coordination of the network of landowners would enable new owners to join a global and regional project. Finally, the fund would make it possible to promote large entities that are collectively and voluntarily protected, whether on the Vis, in the Haute Loire, or elsewhere.
These are very promising discussions, which will naturally be followed up:
More information on the two territories involved in the experiment: Review of the exchange and training days on the voluntary protection of private natural areas
Horizons Séranne | Gîte L’ Aire de la Séranne – Home
Haute Vallée de la Loire – Un lieu à découvrir
[1] The ORE is a voluntary land-based environmental protection mechanism that is unique in that it is contractual and can be invoked by any landowner. Codified in Article L. 132-3 of the Environmental Code and included in a contract signed by a notary, it commits the owner of a property (including in the event of a change of ownership) to implement environmental management and protection measures for a period of up to 99 years.
Reserve naturelle du Ranquas ©Corinne Ronot – SOS Loire Vivante
Christian, propriétaire et fondateur de l’association Horizon Séranne, explique les outils de gestion et suivi mis en place ©Corinne Ronot – SOS Loire Vivante
European water resilience strategy: ambition hampered by a lack of concrete commitments
On June 4, 2025, the European Commission presented its EU water resilience strategy, a much-anticipated document at a time when shortages, floods, and pollution are increasingly threatening aquatic ecosystems.
But behind the stated intentions, the content is disappointing.
This document, which is supposed to respond to the call made by the Living Rivers Europe coalition in its recommendations, falls short in several respects. It lacks concrete commitments, clearly identified funding, and truly operational governance tools. After the European Parliament vote on May 7, several NGOs had already expressed doubts about Europe’s ability to provide itself with the means to respond to the water crisis. The strategy reflects the Commission’s view that “the legislative framework is already in place,” based on the Water Framework Directive, the Floods Directive, and the newly adopted Nature Restoration Regulation, yet “persistent implementation failures are holding back progress.”
The text highlights nature-based solutions, but without setting legally binding targets or providing specific budgets for their implementation. The incentives proposed remain too vague to bring about real change. In two separate responses, the EurEau federation and the Living Rivers NGO coalition regretted the absence of targets to reduce water abstraction in the strategy. Such a target was included in a draft version of the communication—which Contexte had published—but was ultimately replaced by a target to improve “water use efficiency” in the final version presented by the Commission on June 4. The efficiency target is vaguely defined: it “provides no baseline, no sectoral roadmap, and no implementation mechanism to achieve it.” The NGO coalition also deplores the fact that the target is not binding in any case.
On pollution, the measures are still too weak, particularly on prevention at source and the application of the polluter pays principle. Yet PFAS, nitrates, and other harmful substances continue to pollute waters across Europe.
The lack of a roadmap for the agricultural sector, combined with the absence of quantified targets by area, weakens the strategy.
As Living Rivers Europe points out, without concrete means or a precise plan, this ambition risks remaining unfulfilled. Meanwhile, pressure on rivers and wetlands continues to worsen.
The coming months will tell whether the Commission and Member States will be able to turn promises into action and take decisions that are commensurate with the challenge.
More infos : read Living Rivers Europe press release
Public consultation to help preparation of the Nature Restauration plans
France is launching a public consultation on its future national plan on the “Nature restaration law.” The plan aims to restore degraded natural environments in accordance with the new European regulation on nature restoration. The European Union’s target is to restore at least 20% of terrestrial and marine areas by 2030, with intermediate stages in 2040 and a final target in 2050.
This project is part of the 2030 National Biodiversity Strategy and prioritizes the most fragile environments such as wetlands, forests, rivers, coastlines, and seabeds.
This consultation is open to everyone: citizens, associations, communities, professionals, and residents concerned. Giving your opinion means contributing to a fairer plan that is better suited to the needs of the regions and more effective in restoring biodiversity. It is also an opportunity to propose ideas and raise awareness of local priorities.
The consultation is being conducted under the responsibility of the National Commission for Public Debate, which guarantees the transparency and impartiality of the process. It will take place from May 23 to August 23, 2025. All relevant information, the calendar of events, and details on how to participate are available on the official website: https://restaurer-la-nature.biodiversite.gouv.fr
Another hydroelectric power station authorized on an ecologically sensitive river
On May 14, 2025, the Lyon administrative court of appeal validated the construction of a hydroelectric power plant on the Sallanche river, a tributary of the Arve (in Haute Savoie). FNE had challenged the prefectoral environmental authorization order in 2019, as the project threatened this river, classified as a biological reservoir, and diverted more than half the water flowing into the Sallanche. This ruling follows an initial decision by the Grenoble Administrative Court on December 6, 2022, which had initially annulled the project’s authorization precisely because of the risks it posed to the ecosystem.
FNE AURA (France Nature Environnement AUvergne-Rhône-Alpes), notes that this decision leads to a further artificialization of waterways, a phenomenon that is at the root of the difficulties in achieving good ecological status for rivers. Indeed, more than half the rivers in the Rhône-Méditerranée basin are in unsatisfactory condition, and many rivers already modified by artificial developments are struggling to maintain balanced biodiversity.
In legal terms, the administrative court of appeal adopted a different interpretation of current legislation, in particular article R214-109 of the French Environment Code. Unlike the Grenoble administrative court, it did not consider that the planned diversion would significantly affect the hydrology of the river, even though the latter is classified as a biological reservoir.
The court therefore overturned the Grenoble administrative court’s ruling and validated the prefectoral decree of December 26, 2019 authorizing the project.
This ruling reflects continuing legal uncertainty, particularly after a legislative attempt in 2019 to simplify the interpretation of rules on the protection of biological reservoirs. However, the Conseil d’État overturned this amendment and favors a case-by-case approach, leading to the risk of contradictory decisions and increasing legal uncertainty for the protection of biodiversity.Yet another hydroelectric plant authorized on a River with high ecological stakes.
More info :
Cour administrative d’appel de Lyon :
https://www.actu-environnement.com/media/pdf/jurisprudence/57.pdf
Living Rivers Europe recommendations to strengthen the EU Water Resilience Strategy
The European water resilience strategy will be voted on at the beginning of June.
But following the recent report voted by the European Parliament on 7 May, and media reports on the Commission’s draft, the NGO coalition Living Rivers Europe fears that the forthcoming strategy lacks the tools needed to make Europe truly water resilient. The strategy is intended to respond to the growing urgency of water scarcity, floods, pollution, and ecosystem degradation across the continent.
Based on recent media reports, the draft text lacks the binding commitments, dedicated funding, and governance tools needed to ensure meaningful implementation and systemic change. Without those, ambition will remain on paper and will not be able to tackle growing pressures on Europe’s rivers and wetlands. On 20 May, the NGO coalition Living Rivers Europe sent a letter to the European Commission outlining their recommendations to ensure that the strategy can help Europe and citizens thrive.
At the beginning of May, the Living Rivers Europe coalition had already indicated that the European Parliament’s recommendations were a step in the right direction, but lacked ambition, with the text focusing on ‘grey infrastructures’ – i.e. systems and structures created by man – to the detriment of nature-based solutions.
In their report, adopted on 7 May by 470 votes to 81 with 92 abstentions, MEPs called for an ambitious strategy to enable the EU to better manage its water resources and respond more effectively to current challenges in this area. The text stresses that water is not only essential for health and life, but is also central to the European economy, its competitiveness and its efforts to adapt to climate change. The recommendations are aimed at water efficiency targets, pollution reduction and better disaster preparedness, but without any real tools. More info
Dam removal report 2024 is available
A a glance :
542 obstacles removed in 2024 in 23 countries – an increase of 11% on last year.
2900 km of rivers reconnected across the continent
4 countries have removed their first barriers
Those highlight the growing support for barrier removals across Europe as well as increasing understanding among communities and governments of the benefits of reconnecting and restoring our rivers for people and nature. These actions are helping to strengthen climate resilience, enhance water and food security, and reverse nature loss.
Figure 1. Number of removed barriers per country in 2024. Notes: the inset shows the removals per country in the UK. The countries that officially removed their first barriers in 2024 are marked with an asterisk (*)
Loire/Ardèche : Montpezat – Quo Vadis !
For several years now, SOS Loire Vivante-ERN has been successfully campaigning on the subject of the Montpezat hydroelectric complex and the potential renewal of the concession at the end of 2028.
This is a thorny issue, because behind the question of energy production (135 MW), we are actually talking about one of the largest transfers of water in Europe between the Loire and Ardèche basins, amounting to 80 – 300 Mio M3 /year.
In order to lay the foundations for the future concession and to share the various issues surrounding the management of the structure, a restricted inter-sage Loire amont / Ardèche working group, led by the Prefect of the Haute Loire, has been set up. The WG, in which SOS Loire Vivante -ERN is represented, will deliver its recommendations to the InterSAGE by the end of 2025.
In order to bring everyone up to the same level of knowledge, the first two meetings were devoted to hydroelectricity and the natural environment, and at the end of May the focus will be on uses. A mediator has been appointed for the following meetings. That is wise…
In the summer, SOS Loire Vivante – ERN will be inviting interested NGOs from the Loire and Ardèche basins to a visual seminar in order to take stock of the situation and crystallise the initial positions.
> more information about the Montpezat hydroelectric complex
Rhinau fish pass: work completed on schedule
The impressive Rhinau fish pass on the Rhine will be put in the water next week for testing.
The deadline for completion of the work has been met.
A large-scale monitoring system will keep track of how the fish pass is used.
©Daniel Reininger – Alsace Nature
Gregor SubicGoldman Prize 2025 : Eco Albania rewarded for his work for the Vjosa
Since 1989, the Goldman Environmental Prize has been awarded to environmental “heroes” around the world. In Europe, and in the “fresh water” category, two Albanian activists from Eco Albania were rewarded for their defense of the Vjosa, one of the continent’s last wild rivers. Through their campaign, they succeeded in preventing the construction of multiple dams and in designating the Vjosa and several of its tributaries a national park.
In 1992, France and Loire Vivante also won an award for Christine Jean, who coordinated the national campaign to prevent the construction of dams on the Loire at Serre de la Fare, Le Veurdre and Chambonchard.
Contact
ERN France8 rue Crozatier
43000 Le Puy en Velay
+33 (0)4.71.05.57.88
Our main NGO Partners :
ERN is the official WWF Freshwater Partner in France and cooperates with WWF Switzerland, Austria, Netherlands and others
