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Introduction Buying a Business in France The SAS 70 Standards in France. Primexis Using Shared Service Centers French Environmental Legislation Regarding Construction Vacations rights in France 40 measures to encourage foreign investment in France French social welfare system Hiring a French Representative Distribution of Goods sold by a Foreign company in France France: a paradise for holding companies? Summary of the accounting obligations in France The advantages of outsourcing the company's payrol Implementation of new regulations for assets Franchising, the main accounting issues Tax treatment for direct selling Common business forms in France Unstoppable French Real Estate New Regulations for Fixed Assets: Implications 2005 Finance Act

French environmental legislation regarding construction

The French Economist René PASSET defined, as early as 1973, all economic activity as contributing to the degradation of the environment in which it develops. If the negative consequences of the development of human activity on the planet have been underestimated, environmental awareness is now a major issue that may easily be measured by the rise of numerous ethical environmental funds around the world. Real Estate, through building and construction, has long since been directly concerned by government regulations and tax incentives regarding the preservation of the environment..

Legislation and Environmental standards

In the UK, the Department of Trade and Industry published in July 2006 “The Energy Challenge” report. The objectives pursued are to significantly increase energy savings and limit carbon dioxide emissions. This report will strengthen the already existing and considerate legislation on the subject of Energy policy in Real Estate. As early as 1984 this issue was debated in the “Building Act”, amended twice in 2000 and very recently a March 2006 circular included the calculation tools to determine the energy performance of buildings.

In France, the first steps taken towards including environmental issues in construction can be traced back to 1992 when Marie-Noelle LINDEMANN, delegate Minister in charge of Housing and Living Standards started work on a quality improving approach of construction. It was considered at the time that new buildings should be of higher quality standard. This high quality standard would then automatically ensure a sufficient level of environment compliance for the new constructions. Since then the environmental issue in construction has been at the heart of the debate that was concluded by the birth of the HQE standard (Haute Qualité Environnementale). The HQE methodware approach has for main objectives to create environmentally friendly buildings not only for their occupants but also for the community. 14 objectives have been defined by the HQE label :
- 7 for the interior environment in order to guarantee not only the acoustics, visual, olfactory, and thermal comfort of the occupants but also the quality of the air and water,
- 7 for environment in general such as the buildings orientation, the choice of materials used,  water, energy, maintenance and waste management.