Sources of environmental regulations
Overview of environmental regulations in France

France's first environmental regulations can be traced back to the late 19th century. For example, Napoleon's decree of October 15, 1810 regulated the operation of factories and workshops that emitted unhealthy or inconvenient odors. At the time, however, the aim was not so much to protect the environment as to establish public hygiene rules to regulate the coexistence of industrial activities and housing.

It wasn't until the 1970s that France's major environmental laws were enacted, thanks to the creation and activism of a number of environmental associations that raised political awareness of the need for...