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Debate over French heritage protection laws

Debate over French heritage protection laws

Published on 02 March 2009 - Updated 22 December 2010
Cet article date d'il y a plus de 16 ans

Landscape and development, Culture

The Public and Private Investment and Construction Programme Acceleration Bill, designed to help kick-start the economy, was the subject of a significant amendment which would have changed the powers of the Official Architects (Architectes des Bâtiments de France, ABF) in Architectural, Townscape & Landscape Protected Heritage Areas (ZPPAUPs); that provision has in the end been struck down by the Constitutional Council.

Benoît de Sagazan, a journalist and member of the Executive Board of the Association of Heritage Journalists, has a splendid summary of the issue on his blog:

· Latest developments on mandatory ABF approval in ZPPAUPs

· Mandatory ABF approval reinstated by the Constitutional Council

Article 22 of the Act - the one which changed the ABF's powers in ZPPAUPs - was struck down by the Constitutional Council on the grounds that it is one of a number of provisions in the Act which "lack any connection with those appearing in the original Bill" and were "adopted under a procedure which is contrary to the Constitution". The point is that the kind of amendment commonly referred to as "cavalier" or "cowboy" amendments - ones which have nothing to do with the original Bill - are inadmissible.

Constitutional Council decision n° 2009-575 DC of 12 Feb 2009)
LibéOrléans, 12/02/2009