1. Understanding the environmental authorization system

Between 2014 and 2016, environmental authorizations were tested under the name of "single authorization". The aim was to simplify procedures for operators, with the aim of issuing a single authorization covering all the authorizations required for a project subject to authorization.

At the start of the experiment, only certain classified facilities in certain regions were targeted. This experimentation was gradually extended, in particular by la loi n° 2015-990 du 6 août 2015 , known as the Macron law, which targeted classified facilities presenting "a project of major economic interest" (PIEM) in terms of employment, regional development or their strategic nature.