France passes rules to ‘reduce the burden on farmers’

The government in France has passed new decrees intended to make it easier for farmers to create new cattle, pig, and poultry farms and to produce higher volumes within its borders.

These decrees are related to the construction of livestock buildings.

France’s Ministry of Agriculture, Agri-Food and Food Sovereignty has stated: “Simplifying administrative procedures is a top priority for representatives of the agricultural sector.”

These two implementing decrees have been signed less than six months after the publication of the ‘Obstacles’ law (which aims to remove obstacles to farming), and following a public consultation that received nearly 22,000 responses.

Decrees

The first decree amends the classification of installations, subject to environmental regulations.

Specifically, it modifies the thresholds, expressed in animal numbers, for pig, poultry, and cattle farms within this classification system, simplifying installation and modernisation procedures.

This change, according to the ministry, “will reduce the burden on farmers in preparing their applications and shorten processing times by government agencies”.

“While this simplification is immediately applicable to cattle farms, further measures to align with European law are still needed for pig and poultry farms.

“Additionally, the decree relaxes the classification system for livestock guardian dogs on farms, allowing for improved protection against predation.”

The second decree relates to authorisation of livestock farms, with new administration systems to streamline processes.

Food sovereignty

Annie Genevard, the country’s Minister of Agriculture, Agri-Food, and Food Sovereignty, said: “To regain our food sovereignty, we must be able to create new cattle, pig, and poultry farms to produce more within our borders.

“This requires the most flexible procedures possible, without harming the environment.

“The so-called ‘Obstacles’ law, supported by the government from its inception, represents an important step in this direction.

“These two decrees implement it and reflect our strong commitment to a competitive and modern agriculture.”

She stressed that the government must go even further by creating a specific legal framework for livestock farms and outlined that the issue will be debated in the senate in the coming weeks.

Minister for Ecological Transition, Biodiversity, and International Negotiations on Climate and Nature of France, Mathieu Lefevre added: “Simplification is essential to enabling farmers to carry out their work and develop their projects.

“By streamlining the procedures for setting up and modernising livestock farms, while maintaining a clear and protective framework, we remove unnecessary obstacles, reduce delays, and restore visibility to farmers.

“These decrees reflect a clear commitment: to trust farmers, accelerate livestock projects, and tangibly strengthen our food sovereignty.”

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