Vulnerable areas — History

Vulnerable areas are the lands designated in accordance with Article 3(2) of European Directive 91-676, the objectives of which are to reduce the pollution of water caused or induced by nitrates from agricultural sources, and to prevent any further pollution of this type. A vulnerable zone is a part of the territory where pollution of water by the direct or indirect discharge of nitrates of agricultural origin or other nitrogen compounds likely to turn into nitrates threatens in the short term the quality of aquatic environments and in particular the supply of drinking water. Vulnerable areas shall be regarded as areas where: — Groundwater and surface fresh water, in particular those used or intended for the abstraction of water for human consumption, with a nitrate content exceeding 50 milligrams per litre, — Estuary waters, coastal and marine waters and surface fresh waters which undergo eutrophication to which the enrichment of nitrous compounds from agricultural sources contributes. An action programme is implemented in each department concerned, setting out the requirements to be met by all farmers in the corresponding vulnerable zone. They are built in consultation with all the actors involved, on the basis of a local diagnosis. They aim to correct the most polluting practices. Outside vulnerable areas, a code of good agricultural practice, established at national level, is voluntary. Each vulnerable zone corresponds to a prefectural decree (prefect coordinator of the basin) after consulting the departmental council of Hygiene, the general and regional council and the basin committee. Vulnerable areas shall be reviewed at least every 4 years. This decree is the founding regulatory text of the vulnerable zone. The perimeter of vulnerable areas is defined by administrative division of basin according to 2 modalities: 1) Municipal limits: It extends over the boundary of #x27; set of municipalities designated in vulnerable areas. 2) Cadastral limits (infra-communal): It covers the cadastral sections retained for municipalities designated in vulnerable areas. In the event that a subsequent order supplements the previous order, only the date of the last order will be retained. The list of vulnerable areas is drawn up under the responsibility of the basin DREALs. Multipolygons and hole polygons are allowed. __Origin__ Updated on the basis of information provided by the services of the State __Partner organisations__ Sandre, DREAL Nord-Pas-de-Calais, DRIEE Ile-de-France, DREAL Centre-Val de Loire, DREAL Lorraine, DREAL Rhône-Alpes, DREAL Midi-Pyrénées, French Agency for Biodiversity (AFB) — Pôle de Vincennes (ex National Office for Water and Aquatic Environments) __Links annexes__ * [dictionary “Regulatory Zone for the Environment”](https://id.eaufrance.fr/ddd/zrpe/1) * [referential management description](https://services.sandre.eaufrance.fr/telechargement/geo/ZRPE/ZoneVuln/RegleGestionReférentiel_ZoneVuln_v2.1.pdf) * [Sandre Compliance Control Report](https://mdm.sandre.eaufrance.fr/geo/rapports/public/ZoneVuln) * [genealogy of Vulnerable Areas](https://services.sandre.eaufrance.fr/telechargement/geo/ZON/ZoneVuln/généalogie_ZoneVuln.csv) * [list of municipalities in vulnerable areas 2007](https://services.sandre.eaufrance.fr/telechargement/geo/ZON/ZoneVuln/liste_communes/Historique/2007_Communes_zv.csv) * [list of municipalities in vulnerable areas 2013](https://services.sandre.eaufrance.fr/telechargement/geo/ZON/ZoneVuln/liste_communes/Historique/2013_Communes_zv.csv) * [list of municipalities in vulnerable areas 2015](https://services.sandre.eaufrance.fr/telechargement/geo/ZON/ZoneVuln/liste_communes/Historique/20015_Communes_zv.csv) [See this page on geo.data.gouv.fr](https://geo.data.gouv.fr/fr/datasets/04231af744819637671cf9f4d31e93a526510a97)