La Bassée public debate
In France, there is a special procedure called a “public debate”, which aims to deal with major development projects or infrastructures. It allows citizens, stakeholders, elected officials, the press and other parties involved to gain information, to express their opinions and share ideas on the projects and their consequences.
After more than 10 years of studies, EPTB Seine Grands Lacs presented a report to the National Public Debate Commission (CNDP) to explain the aim of the La Bassee project. This independent administrative authority decided that a public debate was necessary in order to determine the further course of the project. The public debate, called “Crue Seine Bassée”, is organized, led and supervised by a neutral third party: the CPDP (individual public debate commission). Neither the CNDP nor the CPDP are allowed to give an opinion on the project.
The public meetings of “Crue Seine Bassée” are being held from November 2nd, 2011 to February 17th, 2012 and are open to everybody. The schedule of public meetings can be found on the following website: http://debatpublic-crueseinebassee.org/. It provides practical information about the meetings
as well as informative documents from interested parties. Each of the fourteen public meetings is organized around a different theme such as flood protection or environmental issues. Furthermore, the participants have the opportunity to ask all kinds of questions with respect to the la Bassée project during the discussions. The public can also submit questions to EPTB Seine Grands Lacs through the website.
At the end of the public debate, the CNDP draws up a debate review based on the minutes provided by the CPDP. Subsequently, EPTB Seine Grands Lacs is required to publish a decision on the principles and the conditions for continuing the La Bassée project based on the discussions during the public debate. This decision must then be published within three months.
If EPTB Seine Grands Lacs decides to continue the La Bassée project, a public inquiry will first be held in 2014 to 2015; this may eventually give the green light to the project. Work could then start from 2016 to 2021.
A new name for new missions
Les Grands lacs de Seine have now been recognized as an Etablissement public territorial de bassin (i.e. a public institution of territorial basin) on the upstream Seine basin. This became reality on the 7th February 2011 as a result of a decree of the prefect (i.e. the civil servant representing national government at the local level). The prefects‘ missions are set to gradually expand to facilitate the balanced management of water resources across the Seine basin upstream. This will include flood control, the preservation and management of wetlands or contributions towards ensuring that water is in good ecological condition.
With this new status, les Grands Lacs de Seine are now called EPTB Seine Grands Lacs and, to illustrate this change, it has a brand new logo and a new website name: www.seinegrandslacs.fr.
EPTB Seine Grands Lacs in figures:
• 3,397 villages and cities
• 12,131,336 inhabitants (in 2008 from INSEE January 2011)
• Surface area: 44,205.16 square meters
• 19 departments
• 6 regions
Picture 1: La Bassée area, source: EPTB Seine Grands Lacs
Picture 2: New Logo, source: EPTB Seine Grands Lacs
In France, there is a special procedure called a “public debate”, which aims to deal with major development projects or infrastructures. It allows citizens, stakeholders, elected officials, the press and other parties involved to gain information, to express their opinions and share ideas on the projects and their consequences.
After more than 10 years of studies, EPTB Seine Grands Lacs presented a report to the National Public Debate Commission (CNDP) to explain the aim of the La Bassee project. This independent administrative authority decided that a public debate was necessary in order to determine the further course of the project. The public debate, called “Crue Seine Bassée”, is organized, led and supervised by a neutral third party: the CPDP (individual public debate commission). Neither the CNDP nor the CPDP are allowed to give an opinion on the project.
The public meetings of “Crue Seine Bassée” are being held from November 2nd, 2011 to February 17th, 2012 and are open to everybody. The schedule of public meetings can be found on the following website: http://debatpublic-crueseinebassee.org/. It provides practical information about the meetings
as well as informative documents from interested parties. Each of the fourteen public meetings is organized around a different theme such as flood protection or environmental issues. Furthermore, the participants have the opportunity to ask all kinds of questions with respect to the la Bassée project during the discussions. The public can also submit questions to EPTB Seine Grands Lacs through the website.At the end of the public debate, the CNDP draws up a debate review based on the minutes provided by the CPDP. Subsequently, EPTB Seine Grands Lacs is required to publish a decision on the principles and the conditions for continuing the La Bassée project based on the discussions during the public debate. This decision must then be published within three months.
If EPTB Seine Grands Lacs decides to continue the La Bassée project, a public inquiry will first be held in 2014 to 2015; this may eventually give the green light to the project. Work could then start from 2016 to 2021.
A new name for new missions
Les Grands lacs de Seine have now been recognized as an Etablissement public territorial de bassin (i.e. a public institution of territorial basin) on the upstream Seine basin. This became reality on the 7th February 2011 as a result of a decree of the prefect (i.e. the civil servant representing national government at the local level). The prefects‘ missions are set to gradually expand to facilitate the balanced management of water resources across the Seine basin upstream. This will include flood control, the preservation and management of wetlands or contributions towards ensuring that water is in good ecological condition.
With this new status, les Grands Lacs de Seine are now called EPTB Seine Grands Lacs and, to illustrate this change, it has a brand new logo and a new website name: www.seinegrandslacs.fr.
EPTB Seine Grands Lacs in figures:
• 3,397 villages and cities
• 12,131,336 inhabitants (in 2008 from INSEE January 2011)
• Surface area: 44,205.16 square meters
• 19 departments
• 6 regions
Picture 1: La Bassée area, source: EPTB Seine Grands Lacs
Picture 2: New Logo, source: EPTB Seine Grands Lacs
