The Council of State confirmed on Friday the prohibition for farmers to fill the five controversial “basins” for agricultural use, which are the subject of numerous demonstrations in Charente-Maritime.
In an opinion of which AFP obtained a copy, the Council of State thus rejects the appeal of the trade union association of Roches, representing the irrigators who wish to take the basin of the river Le Mignon, on the communes of La Laigne, Cramchaban and La Grève-sur-le-Mignon (Charente-Maritime).
Since their creation in 2010, these reservoirs authorized by prefectural decrees have given rise to a number of appeals by Nature Environnement 17 which opposes their use, as for those very close to Deux-Sèvres.
In its judgment of May 17, the Administrative Court of Appeal had noted
the "insufficiency
" or "
absence of data
" of certain aspects of the impact studies put forward by the irrigators, in particular on the effects of withdrawals, the lack of sources of certain figures put forward or measures that do not allow a "
relevant adjustment
" of the filling of the reserves.
Read alsoAgriculture: the exorbitant cost of guarding “basins”
To request the annulment of the judgment of the Administrative Court of Appeal of Bordeaux, the trade union association argued that the latter was tainted "
with insufficient motivation in that it is based on hypothetical reasons
" and several "
distortions of the documents in the file
".
But for the Council of State, “
none of these means is likely to allow the admission of the appeal
”.
Projects to create these controversial water reservoirs - open-air ponds, covered with a huge plastic tarpaulin - have for years given rise to demonstrations, sometimes with clashes, organized by opponents who denounce a "
monopolization water
" for the benefit of
“
We expected it.
We are going to reapply for authorization once again with a new impact study, but it takes time
”, reacted to AFP Thierry Boucard, who chairs the association, who “
has no obligation to fill in the reservations
” because “
legal
”.
"
If we give up, it's 5.5 million euros lost, including 67% of public money
," he laments.
“With this decision, we give a license to degrade them.”
Two anti-basin activists were tried in early January before the La Rochelle court for having sheared and cut with cutters and scissors a tarpaulin from the Cramchaban reservoir in November 2021. Five months of suspended prison sentence were requested against them , the decision was reserved for March 2.
