Environmental contract

Technical and financial agreement between partners for comprehensive, joint and sustainable management on the scale of a coherent hydrographic unit (usually a river, lake, bay or aquifer). With the sub-basin management plan (SAGE), the environmental contract is a relevant tool for the implementation of river basin management plans (SDAGEs) and programmes of measures approved in 2009 to take into account the objectives and provisions of the Water Framework Directive (WFD). It can be an operational application of a SAGE. It is a voluntary and joint five-year action plan with contractual and financial commitment (designation of the contracting authority, method for financing, work deadlines, etc). These contracts are signed by the concerned partners: departmental prefects, water agencies, local authorities (departemental councils, regional councils, municipalities, inter-municipal syndicates, etc) concerned.