Classified Installations for the Protection of the Environment (ICPE) - Recording Status

Regulations governing facilities classified for environmental protection (ICPE) go back a long way. They date back to Napoleon's reign. For many years, there were two categories of installations: those subject to authorization, which presented the greatest risk or impact on the environment, and those subject to declaration, which were less dangerous and/or less polluting.

It has become clear that the lengthy and cumbersome authorization procedure is not necessarily justified for facilities with known potential impacts and hazards (e.g. covered warehouses). What's more, the authorization procedure is often costly for small structures, which have to outsource the preparation of the single environmental authorization file, and this does not encourage the establishment of economic activities.

The creation of the registration system has simplified the procedure for certain operators. One of the objectives of this change in nomenclature was to enable inspectors to focus more on high-risk facilities, without jeopardizing environmental protection, while ensuring that the public is kept informed about this new category.