CIPEL

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CIPEL

Franco-Swiss cooperation for the benefit of Lake Geneva water

Since 1963, the International Commission for the Protection of the Waters of Lake Geneva (CIPEL), a Franco-Swiss intergovernmental body, has been contributing to the coordination of water policy on the scale of the Lake Geneva watershed, i.e. between France and Switzerland, and more specifically on the territories of the departments of Ain and Haute-Savoie as well as those of the cantons of Vaud, Valais and Geneva.

Its territory covers 10,000 km2

includes :

  • 2 countries
  • 2 departments
  • 3 cantons
  • 554 municipalities

Its 4 core missions

MONITOR, WATCH AND WARN

For more than 50 years, CIPEL has been monitoring the lake's water quality on a regular basis. It carries out the studies needed to gain a better understanding of the functioning of aquatic environments and to determine the nature, extent and origin of pollution.

RECOMMEND, AND WHEN NECESSARY AND POSSIBLE, PRESCRIBE

Based on the results of its monitoring and studies, CIPEL draws up recommendations for improving the quality of water and aquatic environments, which it sends to the Swiss and French governments.

MANAGING AND COORDINATING PLAYERS

CIPEL federates all Swiss and French partners over the long term. It organizes multi-stakeholder meetings to promote the exchange of experience and create synergies between the various players in the water sector.

INFORM AND RAISE AWARENESS

Informing and raising awareness of the issues involved in protecting and preserving the lake's waters is an important mission for CIPEL, which targets a variety of audiences: the general public, associations, elected representatives, the scientific community and CIPEL's institutional partners.

Its objectives

Maintain or restore the ecological quality of water and aquatic environments, in particular by :

Use of lake water as drinking water after simple treatment

Leisure activities (fishing, swimming, water sports, etc.) in optimal conditions

Predominance of noble fish thanks to natural reproduction

"IF YOU DON'T HAVE A VISION, WHAT'S THE POINT OF ADAPTING? WE ADAPT TO A GOAL. FROM A VISION, WE CAN DEFINE A PATH, A ROUTE, A RHYTHM, OTHERWISE WE GET RESTLESS. I'M NOT INTERESTED IN RESTLESSNESS, I'M INTERESTED IN ACTION.

Erik Orsenna, at the "Quelle vision pour le Léman en 2030" meeting

CIPEL celebrates 60 years of existence

A look back at the major challenges and actions
that have marked these 6 decades

Its organization

CIPEL coordinates a vast network of players and skills

It focuses in particular on the fight against pollution from domestic, agricultural, urban and industrial sources, as well as the preservation of natural aquatic environments.

It enables numerous water stakeholders to share knowledge on scientific, technical and governance issues, on a local scale.

Its permanent secretariat

Composed of 4 employees

Nicole GALLINA

Corporate Secretary and
Secretarial Manager

Leslie BONJOUR

Executive assistant, accountant and communications manager

Adrien ORIEZ

Scientific and technical
and technical

Frédéric SOULIGNAC

Scientific collaborator

CIPEL French Delegation

Head and President of the Commission :
Fabienne BUCCIO, Prefect of the Auvergne Rhône-Alpes Region (AuRA)

  • Cécile BIGOT-DEKEYSER, Prefect of the Ain department
  • Aurélie CHARILLON, Ain Departmental Councillor
  • Serge DELSANTE, Auvergne Rhône-Alpes Regional Councillor
  • Jean-Philippe DENEUVY, Director, DREAL AuRA
  • Yves Le BRETON, Prefect of Haute-Savoie
  • Laurent ROY, Director, R.-M.&C. Water Agency
  • Martial SADDIER, President of the Haute-Savoie Departmental Council

CIPEL Swiss Delegation

Head Rémy ESTOPPEY, Head of Section, Water Division, Federal Office for the Environment, Berne

  • Antonio HODGERS, State Councillor in charge of the Land Department, Geneva
  • Franz RUPPEN, State Councillor in charge of the Department of Transport, Equipment and the Environment, Valais
  • Vassilis VENIZELOS, State Councillor in charge of the Department of Youth, Environment and Security, Vaud
  • Constance KAEMPFER, Directorate of Public International Law, Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, Bern

CIPEL Operational Committee

A cross-functional body responsible for ensuring the coherence of CIPEL's missions.

Chairman : Sylvain RODRIGUEZ, Director of the Industrial, Urban and Rural Environment Department, Vaud

  • Nicolas ALBAN, Directeur de la délégation de Lyon, à l’Agence de l’eau Rhône-Méditerranée & Corse, Lyon
  • Orlane ANNEVILLE, Scientific Council co-chair, Researcher at INRAE-CARRTEL, Thonon-les-Bains
  • Damien ASSADET, Chef du service eau et environnement, à la Direction départementale des territoires de la Haute-Savoie, Annecy
  • Mathieu COSTER, Scientific Council Co-Chairman, Scientific Assistant at the Cantonal Water Office, Geneva
  • Franck COURTOIS, Directeur du service Environnement, au Conseil départemental de l’Ain, Bourg-en-Bresse
  • Christine GENOLET-LEUBIN, Head of Environment Department, Valais
  • Bruno GRAND, Responsable du service Environnement, au Conseil départemental de la Haute-Savoie, Annecy
  • Caroline LIEBICH, Collaboratrice scientifique, à l’Office fédéral de l’environnement, Berne
  • Laurence DAYET, Cheffe de service déléguée Eau, Hydroélectricité et Nature, à la Direction régionale de l’environnement, de l’aménagement et du logement, Lyon
  • Gilles MULHAUSER, Managing Director, Office cantonal de l'eau, Geneva
  • Thierry PONCET, General Engineer in charge of the Rhône-Mediterranean basin at the Direction régionale de l'alimentation, de l'agriculture et de la forêt, Bourg-en-Bresse.
  • Jean ROYER, Head of the Environmental Protection and Management Service, Ain Departmental Territorial Directorate, Bourg-en-Bresse

CIPEL Scientific Council

A body responsible for carrying out scientific work on all topics relating to the lake and rivers of the Lake Geneva basin.

Co-president : Orlane ANNEVILLE, INRAE-CARRTEL, Thonon-les-Bains
Co-president : Mathieu COSTER, Office cantonal de l'eau, Geneva

  • Hélène BOURGEOIS, Environment Department, Valais
  • Franck CATTANEO, HEPIA, Geneva
  • Nathalie CHEVRE, University of Lausanne, Vaud
  • Benoît FERRARI, Ecotox Centre, Lausanne
  • Ion IORGULESCU, Cantonal Water Office, Geneva
  • Jean-Philippe JENNY, INRAE-CARRTEL, Thonon-les-Bains
  • Sébastien LEHMANN, Federal Office for the Environment, Bern
  • Caroline LIEBICH, Federal Office for the Environment, Bern
  • Jean-Luc LOIZEAU, University of Geneva
  • Nathalie MENETREY, Department of Industrial, Urban and Rural Environment, Vaud
  • Cécile PLAGELLAT, Industrial, Urban and Rural Environment Department, Vaud
  • Jean-Claude RAYMOND, French Biodiversity Office, Thonon-les-Bains
  • Frédéric RIMET, INRAE-CARRTEL, Thonon-les-Bains
  • Natacha TOFIELD-PASCHE, EPFL, Lausanne

CIPEL 2023 annual budget, in Swiss francs: CHF 921,940

Annual operating budget for the secretariat : CHF 371,940

  • PRODUCTS
  • Contributions: CHF 371,440
  • Other products: CHF 500
  • EXPENSES
  • Personnel expenses: CHF 315,000
  • Operating expenses: CHF 56,940

Annual budget for studies and actions: CHF 540,000

  • PRODUCTS
  • Contributions: CHF 540,000
  • EXPENSES
  • Studies and actions: CHF 355,000
  • Personnel expenses: CHF 185,000

Funding is provided by CIPEL's institutional partners, according to a financial distribution key:

  • France (25%), the Swiss Confederation (30%), the State of Vaud (23.85%), the State of Geneva (11.7%) and the State of Valais (9.45%).

Convention constitutive de la CIPEL

Discover the original text of the agreement concluded between Switzerland and France in Paris in 1962, which came into force in 1963.

Action plan 2021-2030

CIPEL's 4th action plan is structured around three main strategic axes, 12 themes and 29 actions

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