France to fine air conditioned shops with open doors
25th July 2022
FRANCE: The French government is set to introduce fines for air conditioned shops that leave their doors open to the street.
The French minister of ecological transition, Agnes Pannier-Runache, is reported to have said that she will issue a decree “in the coming days” which will fine shops up to €750 for having their doors open while the air conditioning or heating is working. It is not thought that it will apply to restaurants, bars and cafes.
Similar rules are already in place in some areas of France. The Mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, issued an order on Friday forcing stores using air conditioning to keep their doors closed when their air conditioning system is on, or face fines of up to €150. A similar ban was also announced last week in Lyon, Bourg-en-Bresse and Besançon.
While the latest rules are a reaction to the increasing European energy crisis, it is not the first time such measures against this wasteful practice have been introduced around the world. Rules have been in place in New York for many years which can fine premises up to $1,000 for repeated offences.
