Origins of the Calanques National Park
The Calanques National Park has its origins in the shared desire to protect the natural gem that is the Calanques site.
A site world-renowned for its beautiful landscapes
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Published on Wednesday, 22 May 2013 20:08
The Calanques site, with its distinctive land and marine Mediterranean Provence landscapes, is known around the world for its beautiful landscapes, outstanding biodiversity and cultural heritage.
This natural gem is located on the edge of France’s second city and faces multiple pressures (urban pressure, pollution, excessive visitor numbers, over-fishing, forest fires, etc.). Local residents and users have sought to protect the site for almost a century.
The idea of a national park was first mentioned almost 40 years ago, but it was not until the 1990s that people realised the urgency of acting to preserve this exceptional heritage, leading to the creation of the Calanques Groupement d’intérêt public (GIP - Public Interest Grouping) in 1999. This was initiated by Mr Guy Teissier and has been chaired by him ever since. The bringing together of state representatives and its public institutions, local authorities and members of civil society (environmental protection, user, owner, resident and professional associations) in the GIP, and the French Act of 14 April 2006 to reform national parks, were determining factors in seeing the realisation of plans for this national park.
National parks are public institutions financed by the French Government and are a tool for excellence in environmental protection across France. It was the only tool that seemed truly capable of tackling the issues in the Calanques, and the best adapted for the sustainable protection and management of a land, marine and semi-urban area. 18 April 2012: creation of the 10th French National Park
The former Prime Minister’s signature of the Decree for the Creation of the Calanques National Park on 18 April 2012 finalised the creation of the 10th French national park.
The Calanques National Park covers land, marine and semi-urban areas, and its creation is the realisation of one of the key commitments of the French Grenelle de l’Environnement environment round table. It is the first national park in mainland France since 1979, and is the first to have been entirely designed in line with the provisions of the French Act of 14 April 2006, which significantly reformed processes for creating and managing French national parks.
See the National Park brochure (in English)
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The Calanques National Park has its origins in the shared desire to protect the natural gem that is the Calanques site.
The Calanques site, with its distinctive land and marine Mediterranean Provence landscapes, is known around the world for its beautiful landscapes, outstanding biodiversity and cultural heritage.
The former Prime Minister’s signature of the Decree for the Creation of the Calanques National Park on 18 April 2012 finalised the creation of the 10th French national park.