Paris (AFP)

The majority Senate on the right adopted Wednesday by show of hands, in a new reading, after amendments, the bill framing the restoration of the Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris, still deeming insufficient "improvements" made to the text by the government.

The text will return to the National Assembly, which will have the last word.

In particular, it ratifies the opening of a national subscription to manage the donations of individuals, businesses or communities that immediately flocked after the fire that destroyed April 15 the frame and the spire of this iconic monument. For individuals, it provides for an increase of the tax deduction to 75% (against 66%), up to a limit of 1,000 euros.

The Minister of Culture Franck Riester defended a goal that "has not changed: offer Our Lady a restoration to its height", ensuring that "there is no question of trampling the right", or confuse "speed is precipitation".

"Today the cathedral is not yet fully saved," he said. "There is always a risk that the cathedral will collapse."

The examination of the text at first reading by the deputies then the senators had resulted in very different versions. The representatives of the two chambers had then failed to find an agreement in a mixed joint commission, in particular because of article 9 authorizing the government to derogate by ordinance from certain rules, which had been abolished by the Senate.

Taking into account the criticisms, the government presented to the deputies, on July 3rd in new reading, amendments specifying its project by limiting the use of ordinances.

For the rapporteur Alain Schmitz (LR), these developments "improve the text", but "remain clearly insufficient".

Article 8 thus provides for the creation of an administrative public institution under the tutelage of the Minister of Culture to restore Notre-Dame and its immediate environment with the support of a scientific council. In particular, the senators specified that the project management would be carried out under the authority of the Chief Architect of Historic Monuments. They also defined the "immediate environment": squares, squares surrounding the cathedral and walk on the southern flank of Île de la Cité.

Article 9 also fixes in the law certain derogations concerning "preventive archeology" or the regulation of advertising on the site. There remained, however, an authority to derogate by ordinance from the rules of the road, urban planning and environmental code. The senators suppressed it.

The Senate has also reinstated several provisions voted in first reading, erased by members. In particular, it launched the national subscription on April 15, instead of the 16th, and reinstated the UNESCO World Heritage reference.

? 2019 AFP