Toulouse mairie fined over shops leaving lights on at night

The city of Toulouse has become the first local authority in France to be fined for “inaction” against excessive night-time light pollution from shops and local businesses.

Toulouse’s Administrative Court made the ruling in May, after receiving evidence from the Occitanie-Pyrénées branch of France Nature Environnement (FNE), which identified 36 shops that were not respecting lighting regulations.

A ministerial decree published in 2013 and updated in 2018 states that interior lighting in commercial premises, shop windows and exhibition spaces must be switched off by 01:00, or one hour after the premises are no longer in use – whichever is later. Lights should remain off until 07:00.

“It is the mayor’s responsib-ility to ensure that these rules are enforced, given the impacts of this pollution: economic waste, effects on health and biodiversity,” stated FNE.

In January 2023, the association sent a letter to the mairie requesting that formal notices be sent to the businesses that were not complying with regulations. The group never received a response to its letter.

“We were forced to take legal action. The wide-ranging issues associated with light pollution are now well documented, and the law exists to enable prevention. 

“It is incomprehensible that, even today, so many mayors are failing to take action on this,” said Cécile Argentin, president of FNE Occitanie Pyrénées.

The court ordered the mairie to issue formal notices to 30 of the 36 shops within one month, and ruled that Toulouse must pay €1,500 to FNE. The Connexion contacted Toulouse’s mairie for an update on the situation at the end of June. “Of the 36 businesses initially concerned, only three are still in breach. All have been served with a formal notice,” it stated.

Shopkeepers and business owners now have 15 days to comply with the regulations and to inform the city council. If they fail to do so, the city council can impose penalties, such as daily fines (up to €200 a day) or a one-off fine of up to €750.

“The local police are now using CCTV to check that all shops have switched off their lights,” explained the mairie.

“For years, Toulouse city council has been carrying out a long-term campaign
to raise shopkeepers’ awareness of the issues surrounding light pollution (more than 50 businesses have been contacted),” it added.