How the Commission can help French Guiana cope with coastal erosion and rising sea levels

Question for written answer E-004877/2025
to the Commission
Rule 144
André Rougé (PfE)

French Guiana is experiencing accelerated effects of coastal erosion and a rising of the Atlantic Ocean. As recent studies point out, the coastline there is changing faster than in continental Europe, with losses or gains of several dozen metres a year. The mudbanks, which act as a natural damper, are rapidly shifting, successively exposing different parts of the coastline. Climate scenarios predict that these risks will increase in the coming decades.

Faced with this situation, local authorities are putting in place adaptation strategies, including the construction of groynes, but also, for around 400 families, particularly onerous and costly relocation operations. At the same time, several legal obstacles, including constraints linked to the Coastal Law, as well as weak financial support from the public authorities, are weakening the municipalities' capacity to act.

In light of this situation, does the Commission believe that existing European instruments could be improved, or that more suitable ones could be created, in order to respond to the particular urgency of overseas territories undergoing accelerated erosion?

Submitted: 10.12.2025