The deputies put a new weapon in the legislative arsenal against fires on Thursday evening. The National Assembly chose to ban smoking in all woods and forests during periods of fire risk, before unanimously adopting at first reading the whole of a bill for the prevention of these lights.
This text from the Senate was validated by 197 votes in favor, after three days of consensual debate. Left-wing and RN elected officials, however, deplored a “lack of ambition” in the measures, and the rebellious a “comment stunt” – the latter were 30 to abstain. Deputies and senators must now try to agree on a common version, with a view to rapid final adoption as a new summer approaches where gigantic fires are feared as in 2022.
A ban up to 200 meters from risk areas
In the home stretch, MPs approved an amendment by rapporteur Anthony Brosse (Renaissance) to ban smoking in all woods and forests, and up to 200 meters from these areas, during periods of fire risk. The periods concerned will be fixed by the prefects. The Minister of Territorial Communities Dominique Faure for her part relied on the “wisdom” of the deputies on this vote, stressing that it will be necessary to clarify what is around the dwellings.
The bill explicitly includes the throwing of cigarette butts among the causes that can “unintentionally cause the fire of woods and forests”. For the most serious cases resulting in the death of one or more people, the criminal penalties could reach ten years’ imprisonment and a fine of 150,000 euros.
Since Monday, a series of provisions aimed at establishing a “national strategy” in the face of fires, involving all the actors concerned and including agricultural areas, have been almost all adopted unanimously. MEPs also validated measures to strengthen clearing obligations in risk areas. In particular, they have increased the fines in the event of breaches by the owners of plots.
On Wednesday afternoon, parliamentarians, on the other hand, inflicted a setback on the government: they defeated its attempt to remove a fuel tax exemption for vehicles of the fire and rescue services (Sdis). Rare fact: the deletion amendment tabled by the government was largely rejected, with 134 votes against 4, coming up against all the opposition but also almost all the deputies of the presidential camp present in the hemicycle.