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French MPs have backed a tax credit for householders who are required to clear their garden undergrowth every year to help prevent forest fires (诲茅产谤辞耻蝉蝉补颈濒濒别尘别苍迟 in French).

The Assembl茅e Nationale voted through the credit as part of the 2026 Budget (le projet de loi de finances 2026) on Monday, October 27.

Should it be implemented, the tax credit would refund up to 50% of 诲茅产谤辞耻蝉蝉补颈濒濒别尘别苍迟 costs, up to a limit of 鈧�3,000 per household, the bill states.

The credit has been voted through by MPs and added to the current version of the text, but its ultimate implementation is still dependent on the final budget vote.

What is 诲茅产谤辞耻蝉蝉补颈濒濒别尘别苍迟?

顿茅产谤辞耻蝉蝉补颈濒濒别尘别苍迟 is the practice of clearing undergrowth and excess vegetation in private gardens and land in areas that are prone to forest fires, particularly during the summer.

The rules are officially called les obligations legales de 诲茅产谤辞耻蝉蝉补颈濒濒别尘别苍迟 (OLD; mandatory garden undergrowth clearance rules).

Read more: Explainer: France鈥檚 obligatory anti-wildfire garden clearing rules

Homeowners must clear the land around their property, generally at a radius of 50 metres.

This 50 metre radius also applies to all buildings on your property, not just the main house or barn 鈥� for example, if there is a shed or outbuilding more than 50 metres from your home, you must clear the growth 50 metres around this as well.

Roads and footpaths leading up to your property must be cleaned of undergrowth on either side up to 10 metres.

This radius may extend into other properties and public areas, although you are still required to clear the undergrowth. 

The practice is mandatory for owners who have property in the affected zones, and applies to properties in both urban and rural areas. Fines and penalties apply for owners who do not comply.

The practice was initially limited to the south of the country, but hotter and dryer summers caused by climate change now mean that more than 40 departments (out of 96 in mainland France) have the system.

The system does not only apply in summer, however. Land clearance can be much easier in the colder months, when plants and trees are not growing. In fact, the government encourages owners to do as much as they can in the winter, to help prepare for the hotter months.

Where does 诲茅产谤辞耻蝉蝉补颈濒濒别尘别苍迟 apply?

The rules mostly apply in five regions 鈥� Auvergne-Rh么ne-Alpes, Corsica, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Occitanie and Provence-Alpes-C么te-d'Azur 鈥� however, certain other forested areas may have similar rules in place. 

You can check on the official G茅oportail 

鈥楥orrect an inequality鈥�

Should it be introduced, the tax credit would 鈥渃orrect an inequality鈥� in the law, said Herv茅 Saulignac MP in parliament, in support of the measure, reports Capital.

It can cost some homeowners 鈥渨ell over 鈧�10,000鈥� to properly clear undergrowth in some gardens and outdoor areas, he said.

This is particularly true for owners 鈥渋n rural areas, for often-elderly owners with considerable land around agricultural buildings鈥� in affected zones, because these areas often require 鈥渢he cutting of trees, shredding and removal of large volumes of vegetation鈥�, he added.

Sophie Pantel MP, who tabled the amendment, said that 鈥渆xisting measures offer a tax advantage to taxpayers鈥� but 鈥渆ffectively exclude low-income households, particularly non-taxable households [those with incomes too low to tax]鈥� even though these households are 鈥渘evertheless subject to the same legal obligations [of 诲茅产谤辞耻蝉蝉补颈濒濒别尘别苍迟闭鈥�.

She said that introducing a tax credit would ensure that everyone affected by the requirement would be on an 鈥渆qual footing鈥�.

Controversial credit?

The bill was controversial for some, with both Philippe Juvin and Roland Lescure (the general rapporteur for the budget, and the Economy Minister, respectively) both claiming that 诲茅产谤辞耻蝉蝉补颈濒濒别尘别苍迟 costs are already eligible for payments via the personal services system, le cr茅dit d鈥檌mp么t services 脿 la personne (Cisap). 

The Cisap system enables taxpayers to claim for tax refunds if they pay for eligible home help and services, e.g. a regular gardener who is covered by the scheme.

But Mr Saulignac disputed that it applies to 诲茅产谤辞耻蝉蝉补颈濒濒别尘别苍迟, calling the statement 鈥渁bsolutely false鈥�.

The tax credit bill received support from others, however. 

Marc Fesneau, current president of the Les D茅mocrates party and former Minister of Agriculture, said that 鈥渁 tax credit capped at 鈧�3,000 per household鈥� would still 鈥渃ost less than fire management鈥� in areas in which forest fires present a genuine risk.

Forest fire risk

Forest fires are always a danger in France in the summer months. The first major outbreak of summer 2025 happened on June 29, with a 400-hectare blaze in Aude that required 150 firefighters to extinguish.

High temperatures and a lack of rainfall in the summer mean the risk of forest fires is increasing. Official state forecaster M茅t茅o France publishes a  in the summer, which shows departments where the risk of a blaze is highest.