French Senate rejects drought damage bill
Proposal to ease claims for drought-related property damage thrown out, leaving millions at risk
Dryer, hotter summers have increased the risk of cracks in properties
TA BLUE Capture / Shutterstock
A proposal which would have made it easier to claim for cracks in properties as a result of droughts has been thrown out by senators.
It means the bill, put forward by prominent green politician Sandrine Rousseau and passed at first reading in 2023 in the Assemblée nationale (lower house) against government advice, has been definitively buried.
Escalating problem
Around 10 million homes in France are at risk as summers get hotter and dryer, because the clay they are built on shrinks in droughts and then expands when the rains come again.
The government is working with insurers and other industry bodies to find a solution to the problem. It estimated, however, that Ms Rousseau’s proposal would have cost France’s unique ‘CatNat’ insurance scheme at least €10billion, prompting warnings it could collapse.
Ms Rousseau wanted to change the definition of a ‘natural catastrophe’ to include more communes affected by dry weather.
The CatNat system is a locked fund into which insurers and the government pay each year.
It is only unlocked if a natural catastrophe is declared, such as for storms, floods and earthquakes, allowing insurers to pay out from it.
Read more: Mayor sues state over cracks in houses in south-west France
Last month, The Connexion reported how the mayor of Chancelade, a suburb of Périgueux (Dordogne), is taking the government to court to be included in ‘CatNat’ designation and help the 302 householders with cracked walls in the commune.
