Skip to main content
FRANCE

Ban of chimney fires lifted in Paris area

The ban of chimney fires which was to take effect on 1 January 2015 in all households of the Paris region has been lifted by the prefect, following a demand by French Minister of Ecology Ségolène Royal.

The ban of chimney fires which was to take effect on 1 January 2015 in all households of the Paris region has been lifted by the prefect, following a demand by French Minister of Ecology Ségolène Royal.
The ban of chimney fires which was to take effect on 1 January 2015 in all households of the Paris region has been lifted by the prefect, following a demand by French Minister of Ecology Ségolène Royal. Wikimedia Commons
Advertising

Authorities in the Paris area had taken a decree forbidding people living in the Ile-de-France region, which includes Paris and seven counties around it, to make fires in their fireplaces in the name of the fight against pollution.

But French Minister of Ecology Ségolène Royal had promised earlier in the month to lift this ban she considered as “ridiculous”, asking the authorities in Ile-de-France to cancel the prohibitive order.

Hence the prefect of Paris issued a prefectoral decree Monday and the prefects of the seven other departments of the Ile-de-France region should do the same within the next 15 days.

The very criticized measure would have affected Paris and 435 towns of the Ile-de-France region.

It mainly relied on a really contested study by Airparif, the body in charge of measuring the air quality, which made fireplaces responsible for 25 percent of fine-particle emissions (as much as road traffic).

Wood professionals had argued these numbers were largely overestimated.

In mid-December, Royal had said on the French TV news channel BFMTV this ban was not adapted to the actions against pollution in Ile-de-France, adding it was poorly understood and that it was seen as “a punishment”.

Instead, subsidies are being put into place to help citizens change their heating system to reduce the consumption of wood and the emission of fine-particles.
 

Daily newsletterReceive essential international news every morning

Keep up to date with international news by downloading the RFI app

Share :
Page not found

The content you requested does not exist or is not available anymore.