« Overview of common lands
in France »

Communities around the world have continuously had access to and managed natural resources on property that is neither private or public but a mixture of the two. Generally referred to as Common Lands, these properties exist within a legal framework that varies from country to country and has evolved steadily in response to public opinion, discourse, economies and political change.
 
The legal framework related to commons in France is no exception: it has evolved with the transformation of agricultural practices, soil erosion, changes in land law and revolutions. French legislators have thus developed laws that strengthen or weaken the commons since at least the 16th century.

Currently public option, discourse, economies and politics have turned to sustainable development to reduce our impact on the environment, while creating resilient rural and urban areas. This transition is also reflected in the multiple international treaties on protecting biodiversity, cultures and climate, signed by France. Communal properties have thus become a source of inspiration for biodiversity-friendly sustainable development, which can be considered as "Other effective area-based conservation measures". However, while the French administration supports communal properties worldwide, local legislation tends to weaken common land rights within their borders, going so far as to propose a law to dissolve a certain type of French communal property: "les sections de commune".

By excluding the common lands from its public policy, France is depriving itself of assets to meet the objectives of their ecological transition and respect its international commitments.