1964 Law : - 6 River Basins- 6 Agencies- 6 River Basin committees

IWRM IN FRANCE: A WAY TO FINANCE WATER INVESTMENTS

The Seine-Normandy basin

100.000 Km28 régions, 25 départements17 millions d’habitants40 % activité industrielle française60 % surface du bassin cultivée

100 000 km2

8 regions, 25 counties, 8700 municipalities17 million inhabitants

in 2% of the basin area40 % of national industrial activity60 % of the basin area cultivated

USING THE WATER BILLUSING THE WATER BILLSeine Seine NormandyNormandy averageaverage: : €€ 2.93/ m32.93/ m3

WaterWater supplysupply utility utility €€ 1.161.16

WasteWaste waterwater utility utility €€ 0.990.99

VAT for National VAT for National TreasuryTreasury €€ 0.150.15

Basin Taxes for Basin Taxes for waterwater fundsfunds €€ 0.630.63

WaterWater AgencyAgency (AESN) (AESN) €€ 0.550.55 National & National & InternIntern SolidaritySolidarity (PNSE) (PNSE) €€ 0.060.06 RurRur WatWat SupSup Nation Trust (FNDAE) Nation Trust (FNDAE) €€ 0.020.02 Navigation National Trust (VNF) Navigation National Trust (VNF) €€ 0.0030.003

Basin funds:Who decides ?

Who is concerned has to be part of the decision process

Basin Committee

=

Stakeholders are the decision

makers

FRENCH WATER AGENCIES

• Financing water by water

• At watershed level

• Users are payers and decision-makers

• each drop of water used/polluted is billed

• Each bill is taxed to feed a basin facility

• Water agencies operate the facility

IWRM allows water to pay for water: a selfhelped sector

• Capital investments are decided and carried by the municipal owners, supported by water agencies:

40% grants & 20% soft loans

• No state (central governement) support

• States charges V.A.T on every bill .

Where does the money go ?

Who invests is supportedFrom 1991 to 2001, 56% of SN water investments were disbursed by AESN (€ 5.6 billions/10 billions

total)

BASIN SOLIDARITY

• Pollution tax of each utility is modulated according to their population scale: large agglomerations (PARIS) pay 2.8 times more than low populated municipalities

• Municip. less than 400 inhabitants do not pay

• All get the same level of aids from agencies.

BENEFITS FOR THE BASIN

1964 Datas

• Paris dry weather treatment 23%

• Bathing areas conforms: 43%

• Concentration NH3 Seine: 10

• Concentration Cd shellfishs: 5

• Fish species: 3

• Child mortality: 25

• Hepatitis A: 55%

• Number of tourists: 8 Ms

2005 Datas

• 100%

• 95%

• 1

• 1

• 29

• 3,5

• 5%

• 40 Ms

Capital investments costs(in 2003 €)

• € 32 000 millions invested in 37 years

• € 865 millions per year (average)

• AESN contributed 55%

• Paid by 17 millions water pollutors

• € 51 per inhabitant per year

• Rural dwellers paid less than €15/year