Overview

• The French Senate has approved changes to the 'Zero Artificialisation Nette' (ZAN) law, eliminating the 2031 intermediate target to halve soil artificialisation.
• The revised law replaces the 2031 milestone with a less specific 2034 target, leaving reductions to be determined locally by authorities.
• Local governments gain greater autonomy under the proposal, with the ability to exceed soil artificialisation limits by 20% or more with prefect approval.
• Exemptions are introduced for industrial, renewable energy, and social housing projects, which will not count toward artificialisation limits until 2036.
• Environmental groups criticize the changes as undermining biodiversity and climate goals, while the proposal awaits further review by the National Assembly before summer.