France - Country Profile

Status and Trends of Biodiversity

Overview

France is composed of various ecosystem types, notably wetlands, lakes, costal habitats, prairies, and forests. Agricultural zones cover more than half of the French territory. Metropolitan France (excluding overseas territories), covering less then 12% of the European continent, comprises 40% of Europe’s flora. This flora is characterized by a high rate of endemism, especially in the Mediterranean and Pyrenean parts of the country... More »

Number and Extent of Protected Areas

France has established 1,153 protected areas, including 126 marine protected areas, 18 wetland sites of international importance and 11 Biosphere Reserves.

Percentage of Forest Cover

Forests in mainland France cover 15,554,000 ha and other wooded land 1,708,000 ha. To this forest cover on the European continent must be added the 8,000,000 hectares of forest on overseas territories, of which approximately 7.5 million hectares are in French Guyana. These forests represent a third of the total French forest cover and almost all of the tropical forests of the European Union... More »

National Biodiversity Strategy Action Plan

Major features of National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan

The objectives of the National Strategy for Biodiversity is to protect habitats and ecosystem diversity, species and genetic diversity, to maintain and develop a web of natural areas over the territory and to ensure the maintenance of ecosystem health and functions. It strives to achieve these objectives in four ways: by mobilizing all stakeholders (e... More »

Implementation of the Convention

Measures Taken to Achieve the 2010 Target

Although no quantitative targets have been identified, France has worked on the conservation of biodiversity through existing national and sectoral legislation, and has adopted 10 sectoral action plans in 2005 and 2006, covering natural heritage, agriculture, transports, seas, over-seas departments and territories, forests, urban planning, land planning, diplomacy and co-operation... More »

Initiatives in Protected Areas

In regard to protected areas, the country intends to: integrate 90% of priority habitats and protected species into the protected areas system, create 10 marine parks (6 by 2012), and protect 1/3 of all coasts by 2030. The country has completed in 2006 its designation of the Natura 2000 network, with nearly 1700 sites and over 12% of the terrestrial metropolitan territory... More »

Initiatives for Article 8(j)

Actions have been undertaken and documents have been elaborated, notably in regard to the local communities of French Guyana and New Caledonia. Important conservation and local sustainable development approaches have been developed in France since the 1960s, with strong cultural, social, and countryside conservation elements, notably through Regional Natural Parks, which cover almost one fifth of the metropolitan territory... More »

National Contacts

Full details of national contacts »

Convention on Biological Diversity

Mme Emmanuelle Swynghedauw	CBD Primary NFP, ICNP ABS NFP (ONLY), Resource Mobilization FP
M. François Lengrand	CBD Primary NFP
M. Antoine Lombard	GSPC NFP
Mme Maïté Delmas	GSPC NFP
M. Frédéric Hendoux	GSPC NFP
Ms. Cécile Blanc	SBSTTA NFP
Mme Anca Leroy	ICNP ABS NFP (ONLY)
M. Jean-Dominique Wahiche	Traditional Knowledge NFP
Mme Fanny Lendi Ramirez	Protected Areas NFP
Mr. Jean-Patrick Leduc	CHM NFP, SBSTTA NFP
Mme Delphine Morandeau	ICNP ABS NFP (ONLY)
Mme Eva Aliacar	Protected Areas NFP
Prof. Simon Tillier	GTI NFP

Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety

Mme Emmanuelle Swynghedauw	Cartagena Protocol Primary NFP
Mr. Nicolas Encausse	BCH NFP