1. Public participation

1.1 The two phases of participation

In terms of public consultation on major infrastructure or development projects, national plans and programs, and public policy reform projects with an impact on the environment or regional development, the Environmental Code has formalized several consultation procedures.

The changes introduced in Order no. 2016-1060 of August 3, 2016 aim to strengthen upstream consultation on plans, programs and projects, at a stage in their development when they can more easily evolve to take account of public comments in order to improve the quality of projects, increase their social acceptability and facilitate their implementation.

The consultation process therefore takes place in two phases: the first, known...