French simplification law: what changes for data-centre siting in France
Source · Technology desk
— Summary
France's "simplification of economic life" law was passed by the National Assembly on Tuesday 14 April and the Senate on Wednesday 15 April, keeping its Article 15 intact. That article lets major data centres be classified as a "project of major national interest", a status that speeds compatibility with zoning documents, grid connection, and recognition of overriding public-interest reasons.
The stakes are large: major sites currently take 5 to 7 years to deliver in France, versus a target of around 10 months once the new status is granted — in line with Germany — compared with ~2 years for a standard building permit with no guarantee of success, says Régis Castagné, France head of Equinix (the world's biggest data-centre operator). France is the third-largest data-centre host in Europe, behind the UK and Germany. The government wants to position the country in the AI race: at the Paris AI Summit in 2025, Emmanuel Macron announced €109bn of French and foreign investments. Since then, about a dozen projects have been launched and one (€10bn) abandoned.
A left-wing amendment aimed at reserving the status to French players was rejected — most major projects are led by US firms. Classification is not automatic (decree from the Prime Minister, criteria on critical size and sovereignty), and pressure will mount on grid operator RTE for connections. Environmental NGOs call the law a "catch-all" and question the environmental impact. Source: Les Echos, 15 April 2026, Joséphine Boone.
The story in one line: France’s simplification law creates a “project of major national interest” status, targeting a cut in the delivery time of a major data centre from 5-7 years to about 10 months.
Key numbers
Current delivery time for a major project in France: 5 to 7 years.
Target delivery time with the new status: ~10 months (comparable to Germany).
Average time for a standard building permit: ~2 years, with no guarantee.
Envelope announced at the 2025 Paris AI Summit: €109bn in French and foreign investments.
Since then: ~10 projects launched, 1 abandoned (€10bn).
France’s European rank: 3rd for number of data centres, behind the UK and Germany.
Why it matters
The bottleneck for French AI data centres was never funding but administrative timelines. By recognising “major national interest”, lawmakers shift approval to the prefectoral level and unblock grid connections, zoning and appeals. Classification is not automatic: it requires a Prime Ministerial decree based on critical-size and sovereignty criteria. The binding constraint now becomes RTE, the French grid operator, already under pressure. Environmental opposition (“catch-all” law, doubts on real job creation) will likely intensify as project numbers rise.
Takeaway
For hyperscalers (mostly US), France has just caught up with Germany on administrative timing. For French industry, the trade-off is sharper: accelerate AI campuses while absorbing the energy bill and local acceptance costs.
Source: Les Echos, 15 April 2026, Joséphine Boone.