Water and law

This will involve studying the involvement of local authorities in environmental matters and the actions of government departments. To this end, the powers of local authorities in water management will be examined, as well as the role of inter-municipal cooperation structures in water management and resource protection.

Students will need to have knowledge of the French judicial system, the hierarchy of norms, and legal balances. An introduction to legal mechanisms (the concept of contracts, the basics of corporate law, etc.) will therefore be useful. The use of contracts as a means of resource management (public service delegations and public procurement) will be considered. In order to fully understand the subject of the study in our region, it is essential to address the treatment of coastal waters.

A study of the exercise of administrative police powers in the field of water management will be necessary in order to understand the law governing ICPEs and IOTAs and to consider environmental land-use planning and water resource management (SDAGE, SAGE, and other plans).

The law governing waterways in France and the study of the small and large water cycles will help us understand how risk planning and the implementation of what is known as GEMAPI competence have developed in recent years.

Finally, with a lawyer specializing in environmental law and particularly experienced in water resource litigation, students will be able to reflect on conflict resolution mechanisms.

This will make it possible to examine the effective participation of the public in water management and then the recognition and assertion of the right to water and sanitation.

A brief overview of EU water law and European environmental law will round off the training.

At the end of two weeks of teaching, students should have acquired a basic understanding of water law in France today. They should know the key factors that determine the involvement of public authorities and how resource protection is approached in different regions.

There are no specific prerequisites. As with other subjects, students must demonstrate a keen interest in all issues relating to water resource management and the protection of natural aquatic environments.

The knowledge acquired will be assessed in December by means of a three-hour written exam, during which students must write an essay or commentary.