**********************

Name, surname Date
Address N° street, area code, town,
State
Country.

Attention JACQUES CHIRAC, Président of France

Mr President
I am personnaly concerned by destruction of french hedgerows, by deforestation, by intensive agriculture which affect climats (Butterfly effect).
I am also concerned about the french victims of the abuses due to the application of that law

I hereby requests the abrogation of all legislative dispositions concerning the regrouping of lands, known as 'remembrement' given that the said law was created to regroup rural lands in an authoritarian manner.

This authoritarian manner of regrouping rural lands, known as 'remembrement' goes back to 1941 ! Given the results of such dispositions, and in the light of the evolution of society and agriculture in general, of your desire for sustainable development in particular, it is necessary to question the usefulness of maintaining this restrictive, expensive law with its extremely negative side-effects.

Among other reasons :
The desire for maximum agricultural yield has led to overproduction which is difficult and expensive to manage in terms of distribution.

The balance of nature has been partially destroyed, namely through the destruction of the small dams that are the embankments " talus " which diminishes biodiversity, flora and fauna, and favors, flash floods, droughts, loss of humus, water pollution.

The need for concertation, respect for Human Rights, sustainability make unbearable the maintenance of arbitrary and authoritative legislative dispositions that ignore legitimate concerns, creating a great number of lawsuits in administrative juridictions without bringing satisfaction to the litigants.

These regional land developments act in favour of larger farms, thereby hindering the development of small ones. This contributes to the decline of small rural communities, and contradicts new trends in national development. Currently, the small number of farmers makes this procedure unjustified and counterproductive.

Reasons to requests the abrogation of all legislative dispositions concerning the regrouping of lands, known as 'remembrement' given that the said law was created to regroup rural lands in an authoritarian manner.

This was in response to the desire at the time to increase agricultural yields. To achieve this end exchanges were set up creating large individual parcels of land thereby enabling intensive farming as well as the re-exploitation of lands left fallow and those that were either not being farmed or were under-farmed. Given the results of such dispositions, along with the consequences, and in the light of the evolution of society and agriculture in general, it is necessary to question the usefulness of maintaining this restrictive, expensive law with its extremely negative side-effects, for the following reasons :

1) The desire for maximum agricultural yield has led to overproduction which is difficult and expensive to manage in terms of distribution. Thus the European Union is now under an obligation to take measures to reduce production and restore production levels to meet the more balanced needs of the modern world. For this reason the entire logic of 'remembrement' now appears flawed.

2) Environmental problems have taken centre stage in recent years and justify questioning and challenging procedures that do not take sufficiently into account the protection of nature. We must recognize that the effects of regrouping parcels of land have not been satisfactory. The balance of nature has been partially destroyed, namely through the destruction of the small dams that are the embankments, creating modification in drainage causing the drying out of wetlands. Embankments or talus were patiently constructed over centuries ; their disappearance, amongst other things, diminishes biodiversity, destroys the natural habitat of invaluable flora and fauna, as well as the protection of free-range farm animals. Numerous undesirable incidents have been observed after land regrouping (deforestation, flooding, loss of humus, water pollution).

3) Public opinion has recently focused on the need for concertation and the respect for Human Rights (principles of equality, precaution and property rights) and recognition of the right to self determination, self sufficiency and sustainability . It is now possible to question and challenge the maintenance of arbitrary and authoritative legislative dispositions that ignore legitimate concerns of environmental activists, of property owners, as well as of farmers who disagree with the final decisions of a remembrement. A great number of lawsuits currently tie up administrative courts, administrative court of appeals, the French conseil d'Etat, and bring no satisfaction to the litigants.

4) These regional land developments act in favour of larger farms, thereby hindering the development of small ones. This contributes to the decline of small rural communities, and contradicts new trends in national development which are seeking to repopulate the countryside. Currently, the small number of farmers makes this procedure unjustified and counterproductive.

5) During the last sixty years, numerous legislative attempts have been made to counteract the negative results of regrouping land. To no avail. The iniquities inherent in the system prevail. They create social fractures, heighten distrust towards politicians, judicial representatives as well as towards the judicial and administrative systems as a whole. (Especially as certain public servants legally receive percentage commissions on the gross turnover generated by engineering operations linked to land regroupment as they fall under the title of public works). Moreover, the current trend is towards the clarification of law, in order to make it more accessible to both the layman and judges. A simplification of the French code and of these procedures is necessary.

6) The elimination of current law relating to land regroupment will not create a legal vacuum inasmuch as classic French judicial procedures exist if need be. These procedures offer the advantage of being better accepted by public opinion since they take greater account of ownership rights. Regarding the need to facilitate the simple exchange of land, such arrangements can take place amicably without the need for constraining procedures.