According to a statement by Minister of Rural Affairs Joël Giraud, senators voted in favor of the law on Thursday, which was passed by the Lower House last year.
Giraud said he was celebrating the passing of the law, which aims to “define and protect the sensory heritage of the French countryside”.
A better understanding of the typical “sounds and smells” of rural areas will be helpful to “avoid disagreements between neighbors,” the statement continued.
Saint-Pierre-d’Oléron in western France was the rural community at the center of Maurice de Haan’s trial in 2019.
Hemis / Alamy
Regional authorities will be tasked with defining “rural heritage, including sensory identity,” said Giraud.
“It’s a real win for rural communities,” he added. “Do your part, let’s protect the countryside.”
France is experiencing an increasing number of social conflicts between long-term residents of rural communities and newcomers.
An emblematic case involved a rooster named Maurice, who was brought to court in July 2019 after neighbors complained about his early morning crows.
However, a court in Rochefort, Western France, dismissed the neighbors’ complaints about noise pollution and ordered them to pay damages of € 1,000 (approximately $ 1,200).
The case symbolized the growing division between rural and urban France, as the neighbors were city dwellers who visited Saint-Pierre-d’Oléron only a few times a year.
‘He’s a rooster. Roosters like to sing, ”said Corinne Fesseau, Maurice’s owner, at the time of the trial.
‘That’s the countryside. We have to protect the countryside, ”she added.
Christophe Sueur, Mayor of Saint-Pierre-d’Oléron, told CNN the verdict was “common sense” and added: “I am all for preserving French traditions. The Rooster’s Cry is a French tradition that must be preserved. stay.”