Sensitive areas — Mayotte

Article R211-94 of the Environmental Code, transposing into French law Article 5 and Annex II of the Urban Residual Waters Directive (91/271/EEC UWWT) defines sensitive areas as bodies of water which are particularly susceptible to pollution, in particular those where it is established that they are eutrophic or could become eutrophic in the short term if measures are not taken, and in which the discharges of phosphorus, nitrogen or those two substances must, if they cause this imbalance, be reduced. Note: The term water body had already been introduced to Directive 91/271/EEC UWWT before the Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC) reused it. These are two different concepts. In fact, reports under the Urban Residual Water Directive (91/271/EEC UWWT) and the Water Framework Directive also refer to watersheds of sensitive areas as sensitive areas. The prefect coordinator of the basin shall draw up, with the assistance of the department prefects, on the basis of the results obtained by the monitoring programme of the water status and any other data available, a project for the delimitation of sensitive areas in consultation with representatives of municipalities and their groups, water users, public or private persons involved in sewage treatment, water distribution and approved associations for the protection of the water and consumer associations. The prefect coordinator of the basin forwards the draft delimitation of sensitive areas to the prefects concerned, who consult the general councils and the regional councils and, in Corsica, the local authority, as well as the chambers of agriculture. The prefect coordinating basin shall decide on the delimitation of sensitive areas after the opinion of the Basin Committee. Opinions shall be deemed to be favourable if they do not intervene within two months of the transmission of the request for an opinion. The identification of sensitive water bodies shall be reviewed at least every four years by the prefect coordinating basin (Article R. 211-95).