According to the new legislation passed by the French parliament, residents who choose to live in the countryside near operating livestock farms or in the same building as shops, bars, or restaurants lose the right to complain about noise.
“Anyone planning to move to a French village but unhappy about waking up to the crowing of roosters, mooing of cows, rumbling of tractors, or the smell of manure will be shown the door from the courts,” reports The Guardian.
The French parliament has passed a law aimed at ending numerous noise complaints from disgruntled citizens who have moved from cities to the countryside in search of peace and quiet.
“Those who move to the countryside cannot demand that the locals who feed them change their way of life. How can one imagine that the courts are overwhelmed with complaints about nighttime mooing of cows? What can be done about it? Give them sleeping pills? If you don’t like life in the countryside, stay in the city, but if you decide to come, you will have to adapt to rural life as it is,” quotes the publication the words of Justice Minister Éric Dupond-Moretti.
According to the new law, residents whose homes are near or in the same building as an operating farm, shop, bar, or restaurant will not be able to file complaints about noise or other inconveniences related to them.
As reported, there have been several attempts in France to resolve disputes between owners of noisy animals and their neighbors. In particular, in 2019, there was a case involving a rooster named Maurice, who was attempted to be silenced “on legal grounds.” Similar efforts were made regarding ducks, geese, cows, and even cicadas. In May of last year, gendarmes visited 92-year-old Colette Ferry to remove three frogs from her pond that were disturbing the neighbors.
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