Press releases

Pernod Ricard donates property in the “Hills of Cavalière” to the French Coastal Protection Agency

Press release - Cavalière, Monday, 24 April, 2006 - Pernod Ricard has decided to hand over 83 hectares of forest to the French Coastal Protection Agency - the Conservatoire du littoral - for the symbolic price of one euro. This exceptional piece of land juts out over the sea and the cove of Cavalière in the Lavandou (Var). It represents the largest transfer of land made to the Conservatoire in the last decade, and will ensure that this remarkable natural landscape is definitively protected.

Following a decision to focus more on the business of wines and spirits, and as part of its commitment to environmental protection, Pernod Ricard has announced the donation of a stretch of shoreline overlooking the commune of Cavalière to the Conservatoire du littoral for the symbolic price of one euro. Paul Ricard originally purchased the land in 1960 to provide his Group’s staff with a holiday destination.

This donation is the largest transfer of land from private to public ownership that the Conservatoire du littoral has received for more than a decade. The Conservatoire will be responsible for preserving this magnificent area of wooded hills running along the ‘Corniche des Maures’ cliff side. The slopes of the natural cirque perched high above the cove and the fine sandy beach of Cavalière make it an area of remarkable ecological and biological value. At its highest point, the site also gives an exceptional view of the aptly named golden islands, the ‘Iles d'Or’, of Port-Cros, Porquerolles and Le Levant.

The Conservatoire will open the land to the public and encourage walkers to discover the natural plant and animal life, while ensuring that the local ecosystem is respected and conserved.

The donation of these 83 hectares is the main part of a property disposal that also includes the sale of two plots of land to the town of Lavandou at a price recommended by the owners:
- The transaction completed in January for the inland part of the beach (3.6 hectares),
- The transaction currently underway for the beach car park.

The Pernod Ricard Group will keep the holiday centre for Group employees (5.8 hectares) as well as 3.6 hectares of land within the last remaining urban development zone in Cavalière

At the official donation ceremony, Patrick Ricard, Chairman and CEO of Pernod Ricard declared: ‘I am proud that Pernod Ricard can play a part in the long-term protection of this coast and the magnificent region where the Group began.’

Didier Quentin, the local elected representative and Chairman of the Conservatoire added: ‘The size of this donation is proof of the generosity of a French Group that has become a worldwide name, and of the remarkable foresight of its founder, Paul Ricard, who was a pioneer in environmental protection. It also shows that this type of public interest ecological initiative is not only the responsibility of the authorities, but also relies on the support of private companies, patrons and individual citizens as part of a mutual desire to sustain these exceptional natural habitats forever, for all and by all.’

Pernod Ricard
Today, Pernod Ricard is the world’s second largest company in the Wine and Spirits sector. Its annual turnover is approximately 6 billion euros* and it employs over 17,000 people in 80 subsidiaries worldwide.

As a socially aware company that sponsors various humanitarian and cultural causes, the Pernod Ricard Group adheres to an active environmental protection policy, an excellent example of which is the work of the Paul Ricard Oceanographic Institute, which was created in 1966.

The main factors contributing to the Group’s success in the past 30 years are the quality of its teams, the stability of its shareholders and its decentralised organisational structure. But the Group’s strength also comes from its foundational values: commitment, an enterprising spirit, a friendly atmosphere, integrity and simplicity.

* Pro forma figure 2004/2005

The Conservatoire du littoral
Under the supervision of the French Ministry of Ecology and Sustainable Development since its creation in 1975, the Conservatoire du littoral has followed a policy of land acquisition to protect natural coastal and lakeside areas. With an objective of preserving a third of the country’s natural coastal landscape between now and 2050, the Conservatoire’s acquisition strategy takes into account the beauty of the site, the possibilities for responsible public access, and the pressures that are threatening its future.

Its mission is to prevent the definitive loss of a biological, aesthetic and cultural heritage that should be the property and the responsibility of all. Once it has acquired the sites, the Conservatoire supervises their management along with its partners (the State, local authorities, associations, mixed syndicates, and public and private organisations). Its annual budget is in the region of 40 million euros. Today it protects 100,000 hectares and more than 800 kilometres of shoreline in France and its overseas territories. Every year over thirty million visitors discover the protected sites in a spirit of respect for nature’s gifts, preserved forever, for all and by all.

Contacts Pernod Ricard:
Francisco de la Vega, Communications VP, Tel: +33 (0) 1 41 00 40 90
Florence Taron, Press Relations Manager, Tel: +33 (0)1 41 00 40 88

Contact Conservatoire du littoral:
Anne Konitz, Head of Communication, Tel: +33 (0)1 44 63 56 68