With their special status, what roles for the Regional Development Companies in water policies and especially irrigation?

Abstract

Regional development companies (SAR), regional water management operators with regional land use planning mandates, have in France an special status of business corporations. They play a major role in making the necessary investments in irrigation in the South of France. The relationship with irrigators is based on private law contracts generally involving measurement of the quantities of water distributed and special attention to the water price. The sale of water to different agricultural, urban or industrial users makes it possible to balance the accounts. As these companies to provide the State with the guarantee of structured organizations, the distribution of water, and the creation of resource before the equipment of farms, the State Council recommends to give them more weight.