The “French Permit to Innovate”

The “French Permit to Innovate” or “Permis d’innover”

As stated in Article 99 of the ELAN law, the “French permit to innovate” supports projects that offer alternative solutions while ensuring public safety, accessibility, and environmental protection.

This provision provides project initiators the ability to request exemptions from certain technical regulations under the “French construction permit” at the start of a project, provided that the proposed solutions deliver equivalent or superior performance outcomes.

The granting of this innovative permit requires a meticulous evaluation by an independent body, commissioned by the project owner, and subsequent validation by the Regional Prefect. This validation relies on a favorable opinion from both the Safety Commission and the Accessibility Commission, following the stipulations in Article L111-19-10 of the French Construction and Housing Code.

Despite introducing a rigorous evaluation process and an enhanced monitoring mechanism to ensure compliance with commitments (as per Article R111-44-1 and R111-44-2 of the French Construction and Housing Code), the “French permit to innovate” signifies a bold step towards the modernization of the French construction permit system. It demonstrates a legal evolution catering to innovative projects within the building and urban planning sector in France