This law was introduced at the first reading of the bill on the New Territorial Organization of the Republic (NOTRe) and was a response to the additional costs generated by the recreational boating activity for the protection and maintenance of marine protected areas, which were not covered. Corsica was particularly keen on this tax because it had been introduced in Sicily, so boats came to anchor free of charge in France. ( Read the article )
A harmful tax for boaters
This tax had been very badly perceived in the nautical world and the various actors had mobilized to have it repealed. The Federation of Nautical Industries explained in a press release that boaters would pay "up to 100 euros per day for a 5-meter motor boat and 300 euros for a 15-meter sailboat. This new tax is such that no yachtsman will take the fiscal risk of dropping anchor in these areas."
Knowing that marine areas are the main anchorage areas of the French coastline, this measure will affect "512,000 French boaters, 90% of whom own a boat of less than 8 meters."
A tax harmful to employment
Apart from pleasure boaters, it is also employment that would have been impacted by the implementation of this tax. "With 10 indirect jobs for 1 direct job, i.e. more than 400,000 jobs, boating represents a considerable economic weight for all coastal communities. By discouraging French yachtsmen from practicing their leisure activities and by keeping foreign yachtsmen away from the French coast, the proposed measure will have a heavy impact on the traditional and open-air hotel industry, restaurants, commerce and services. For local authorities, the loss of income would be out of all proportion to the hypothetical tax revenues expected" explains the FIN.
