There are many good reasons to salute the speech Lyon market authority president Willy Plazzi gave at the WUWM meeting in Rome last week.

The newly passed bill for wholesale markets has broken the deadlock in a tricky legal situation, the market will keep its national interest, and work should begin on the new Corbas site in 2005.

But one development deserves even more attention. Last winter, before the legal issues were sorted out, Lyon tenants and the company in charge of planning the future site began actively working on the structure of the new premises.

Even though there were divergent views within the market, tenants seized the moment to safeguard their futures.

Because of their foresight, tenants now know they will be given the possibility to buy, hire or contract a long lease for their new location. Everyone will gain, whichever route is chosen. When the decision has been made, the market will be in a very good position to deal with whatever life throws at it, as long as goodwill and vision are maintained.

There are still some sensitive topics to tackle. The choice of new management to act as authority and the ownership of the property are just two.

But this “entente cordiale” has definitely given a new lease of life to Lyon’s wholesalers. Rather than sit back and allow authorities to make their decisions for them, they actively took part in the development of their market, and whatever the French administration decides cannot faze them.