Protected areas: France unveils second action plan targeting 10% “strong protection” by 2030

The French Ministry for Ecological Transition, Biodiversity and International Climate and Nature Negotiations has published the second national action plan under the SNAP (National Strategy for Protected Areas) for the period 2026-2030, on 28 October 2026.

The first action plan, covering the period 2021-2025, had identified 600 protected areas (including 60 regional nature parks). Today, 75 per cent of the national territory is covered by a protected area (78 per cent of marine areas and 32.6 per cent of terrestrial areas).

This new plan — which makes no mention of a budget or staffing levels — further consolidates this momentum.

It also sets two targets for high-level protection (where human activities harmful to biodiversity are absent or severely restricted) by 2030:
• 10 per cent of…