Planning – Environment

The firm has extensive expertise in planning and environment law and advises clients on matters as diverse as France’s ICPE and IOTA classifications, environmental permits, nature and heritage conservation, greenhouse gas emission quotas, mining law and forestry law.

It works primarily in the following areas:

• Assisting developers in obtaining and retaining the permissions required under planning and environment law to build and operate planned energy production facilities (e.g. identifying the necessary permissions; analyzing constructability against applicable planning documents; supporting the preparation, submission and evaluation of planning applications and the publicity formalities for permission notices; analyzing the risks of withdrawal or appeal).

• Auditing granted permissions and assessing the associated risks for the financing or acquisition of production facilities.

• Advising operators throughout the construction, commissioning and post-commissioning phases, particularly on implementing, amending, extending or renewing permissions, facilities compliance, meeting environmental requirements, and dismantling and restoring sites.

• Defending clients’ interests in prelitigation and litigation proceedings following negative decisions by the authorities (e.g. permissions refused or withdrawn, additional requirements, administrative penalties) or third-party objections to successful applications.