The article providing for this measure was adopted with 42 votes to 6, after debates marked by a series of compromises between the government and the left, which wanted to toughen up the system.

The government initially defended a threshold of 2,500 m2, while environmentalist and rebellious deputies asked to go down to 500 m2.

After debates, the government did not object to a cursor placed at 1,500 m2, as also requested by Macronist deputies, thus giving a new pledge of goodwill to the left, whose support it intends to obtain for this bill.

The Senate, which had examined the text first, had substituted the logic of surface wanted by the government by a logic of number of locations, retaining the threshold of 80 places.

The Assembly therefore reinstated the initial criterion expressed in m2.

The deputies also voted for environmental amendments reducing the scope of the exemptions provided for in certain cases, by giving possibilities of "adaptation" rather than "exemption".

They also voted identical amendments tabled by the left and majority deputies, such as the former Minister for the Ecological Transition Barbara Pompili, removing the initially optional nature of the sanctions and making them systematic in the event of non-compliance with the 'obligation.

An LFI amendment doubling the penalties provided (to 20,000 euros and 40,000 euros, depending on the size of the car park) was also adopted with the support of the government.

Against the advice of the government, the deputies then adopted an environmental amendment conditioning any new construction of collective social housing by private housing organizations to the installation of renewable energy equipment (EnR).

The government did not oppose the adoption of an amendment by Green MP Julien Bayou providing for the roofing of non-residential buildings to be covered with a "reflective coating" (this may be white paint) aimed at reducing the use of air conditioning in hot weather.

On the other hand, the ecologists failed to obtain the reinstatement of a measure which they were very keen on, introduced by the Senate and removed in committee in the Assembly, which made it compulsory to install "EnR processes" on buildings not existing residential properties of more than 250 m2 from 2028.

© 2022 AFP