Environmental rules - France

Updated 09/2009

Legal requirements

France adopted its national sustainable development strategy in 2003 and its environment charter in 2004.

National sustainable development strategy
Environment charter
Environment code

The purpose of sustainable development for businesses is to improve and assess environmental, social and economic performance.

Policy covering this is established by the:

CIDD (inter-ministerial committee for sustainable development);
CNDD (national sustainable development council);
French chambers of commerce and industry.
Inter-ministerial committee for sustainable development
National sustainable development council
Chambers of commerce and industry and sustainable development: 21 illustrations of their actions

Environmental control

France's environment code for businesses is overseen by MEDAD (ecology and sustainable development ministry)

Ecology and sustainable development ministry

Water management

The European directive on water protection and management has set ambitious targets for clean surface and underground water.

Act implementing the directive establishing a framework for a Community water policy

France's law on water and aquatic environments has tightened waste water regulations for businesses:

tougher penalties for business owners disposing of waste illegally ;
new procedure for obtaining a disposal permit ;
changes to how pollution tax is calculated - now based on net pollution;
new levy to help pay for waste collection network modernisation.
French law on water and aquatic environments
Information booklet on water management
Water - Chamber of commerce and industry
Water agencies

Waste management

The environment code:

sets out the priorities for waste management;
provides for departmental and regional plans for eliminating waste;
lists the classified facilities for protecting the environment and sets out details on issuing permits for operating waste storage or treatment plants.
Waste - regulations

Businesses are free to go beyond the minimum environmental legal requirements at their own initiative.

Sustainability — France

Administrative procedures

Declaration procedures

Land development

All business owners are subject to a company premises declaration procedure. The completed declaration is then sent to the local prefecture.

Permit procedure
Permit system
Department prefectures
Forms available

Waste management

Anyone producing hazardous waste must submit a hazardous waste tracking document (BSDD) to the environment ministry. All businesses must also pay certain levies, e.g. a special levy for removing non-domestic waste, charges for removing non-hazardous waste, etc.

Hazardous waste tracking document
Waste taxes
Forms available

Permits and licences

Water

The law on water and aquatic environments has amended the disposal permit procedure. This mandatory permit is required by each commune's decontamination department.

Water agencies
Disposal permit

The ' water ' nomenclature is a list of plants, structures, works and activities (IOTA) which have an influence on water or how aquatic systems function.

'Water' nomenclature

It includes the systems for permits and declarations according to the hazards of the IOTA and the seriousness of their impact on water resources and aquatic systems.

Permit procedure - System for 'water' permit and declaration
Declaration procedure - System for 'water' declaration and permit

Resources

The French environment and energy management agency (ADEME) offers an array of helpful tools:

'carbon footprint' software, which calculates a business's greenhouse gas emissions;
pre-diagnosis and diagnosis specifications to encourage rational energy use;
eco-business planning.
Environment and energy management agency
'Carbon footprint' software
Pre-diagnosis and diagnosis
Eco-business planning [381 KB]