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LIVING IN FRANCE

On the agenda: What’s happening in France this week

Here's a round-up of what's happening in France on the week beginning April 26th.

Published: 26 April 2021 10:18 CEST
On the agenda: What's happening in France this week
Is Emmanuel Macron planning another TV appearance? Photo: Nicolas Tucat/AFP

Monday, April 26th

Schools return to classes after the rescheduled Easter holidays. Primary and infant schools restart in-person teaching after a three-week break, while secondary schools and high schools (collèges and lycées) have one more week of distance learning.

Close family members or co-habitees of people with a compromised immune system are now eligible for a Covid vaccine, whatever their age.

READ ALSO When will you be eligible for a Covid vaccine?

Launch of the #MarchesAttaque campaign, which looks at accessibility of public spaces for disabled people, which campaigners say is extremely poor in many areas of France.

Tuesday, April 27th

Publication of unemployment figures for the first trimester of 2021, a figure that will be anxiously scrutinised to asses the impact of the year-long health restrictions and the government financial aid packages.

Debate between leading candidates for the Île-de-France region ahead of the regional elections, which have been pushed back to June because of the health situation.

The European Parliament to vote on ratifying the EU-UK trade and cooperation agreement that defines post-Brexit relations with Britain. Ahead of the meeting, French fishermen have been staging protests over what they say is a failure of UK authorities to grant them fishing licences.

Wednesday, April 28th

Debate in the European Parliament on vaccine passports, which EU leaders hope to have in place to allow travel to open up over the summer.

Meeting of the Defence Council which looks at the latest Covid health situation and restrictions. On the agenda is the plan to reopen France, which begins on May 3rd with the scrapping of the 10km rule and is expected to continue in ‘mid May’ with the reopening of non-essential shops and café terraces – however this could be done on a regional basis for areas with low infection rates.

MAP Which areas of France have the lowest Covid levels?

Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin will present to ministers proposals for new anti-terror measures in the wake of the attack on Friday in which a female police administrative worker was murdered by a Tunisian man who had reportedly been radicalised after watching Islamist material online.

Thursday, April 29th

Possible TV appearance from president Emmanuel Macron? It has been reported that the president wants to make a TV address “at the end of April” to lay out in more detail the plans for reopening France. However this has not been confirmed.

Friday, April 30th

Public statistics body INSEE set to publish estimates for France’s financial outlook for the first part of 2021.

Saturday, May 1st

May Day protests and demonstrations. These will be smaller than the traditional May Day events, but there are some events planned including in Paris to mark the Fête du Travail. Normally May 1st is a public holiday, but as it unfortunately falls on a Saturday this year there is no extra day off work.

READ ALSO The French holiday calendar for 2021

Sunday, May 2nd

Easter in the Orthodox church.

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PROPERTY

How to ensure your French property is insured for storm damage

Storm Ciaran’s property-wrecking passage through France - with another storm forecast for the weekend - may have many people wondering how comprehensive their insurance cover is. 

Published: 3 November 2023 15:45 CET
How to ensure your French property is insured for storm damage

In the wake of Storm Ciaran, thousands of property owners in France are preparing insurance claims – with initial estimates of the bill for damage between €370 million and €480 million.

Home insurance is compulsory in France, whether you own the property you live in or you rent – and it must include some level of storm damage cover. 

Check also to see if your insurance provides cover in case of a declaration of a catastrophe naturelle.

The garantie tempête (storm guarantee) covers damage caused by violent winds. What constitutes a ‘violent wind’ varies from contract to contract, but there appears to be a widespread consensus of agreement on wind speeds over 100km/h.

In most insurance contracts, this covers damage caused by the storm and within the following 48 hours – so you’re covered if, for example, a tree weakened by the storm comes down within that period and damages your property.

Be aware that, while the storm guarantee automatically covers the main property, it generally only covers any secondary buildings and light constructions – such as a veranda, shed, solar panels, swimming pool or fence – if they are specifically mentioned in the contract. 

The same is true of any cars damaged by debris. A basic insurance contract might not include storm damage, so it is always worth checking.

Damage must be reported to your insurer as quickly as possible. The deadline for making declarations is usually five days after any damage is noticed. This is especially important for second home owners, who may not be at the property when the damage occurs. 

In some cases – such as in the aftermath of Storm Ciaran – insurers may extend the reporting period. But under normal circumstances, it’s five days after the damage has been discovered.

What happens next

To make a claim, the first thing to do is contact your insurer by phone or email. Your insurer will take you through the next steps, but usually you have to send in a declaration – which should include an estimate of any losses and for any repairs, with evidence where possible, such as photographs and any receipts for purchases. 

Your insurer may also request proof of wind intensity, which can be provided for example by a nearby weather station.

The insurance company may appoint an expert to come and assess the damage, so make sure to keep damaged property safe until they arrive, as well as all invoices for any urgent repair work. 

What if you’re a tenant?

If you rent your property, you must report any damage inside the accommodation to your insurer and also notify your landlord so that they can file their own claim. 

In the case of a co-propriete, you must declare damage inside the accommodation to your insurer, while the trustee sends his own declaration to the collective insurance (which sometimes covers the private areas) .

How long does it take for claims to be settled?

Payment of the compensation provided for by the “storm guarantee” depends your home insurance contract. After the insurer has estimated the amount of damage, compensation is generally paid between 10 and 30 days following receipt of the insured’s agreement.

What if we got flooded?

In the case of flooding, you may have to wait for a natural disaster order to be issued. 

Catastrophe naturelle

The ‘state of natural disaster’ is a special procedure that was set up in 1982 so victims of exceptional natural events, such as storms, heavy rain, mudslides and flooding, as well as drought, can be adequately compensated for damage to property.

The government evaluates each area and deems whether it qualifies for the status of catastrophe naturelle (natural disaster). 

Essentially once a zone is declared a natural disaster, victims can claim from a pot of funds created by all insurers. If the zone is not declared a disaster, insurance companies are under no obligation to pay out. 

Under a “state of natural disaster” residents are covered for all those goods and property that are directly damaged by the phenomenon, in this case storms.

It applies to residential or commercial buildings, furniture, vehicles and work equipment that are already covered by insurance policies.

Homes must be already covered by a multi-risk insurance policy for the status of natural disaster to count.

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