Environmental assessment: changes to rules concerning specific mining and drilling operations

French Decree No. 2023-1032 was issued on 9 November 2023 to amend the environmental assessment rules applicable to specific mining and drilling operations. The update will affect sub-items 27 (deep drilling) and 28 (mining) of the Appendix to Article R122-2 of the French Environmental Code. One of the major changes, applicable to surface areas of 25 hectares or more, will be the mandatory submission for environmental assessment purposes of mining authorisations, as provided for in Article L611-1 of the French Mining Code. The aforementioned decree also amends French Decree of 6 March 2001, specifically provisions relating to the application’s format for an operating licence.