Decree on Outdoor Advertising and Signs

Name of Act
Decree No. 2012-118 on outdoor advertising, signs and pre-signs
Date of Adoption
01-30-2012
Country
EU Member
Yes
Description

The decree aims to protect the living environment by limiting outdoor advertising while allowing the use of new means. The act reduces the formats of wall advertising devices, depending on the size of the towns, up to four square meters in towns with less than 10,000 inhabitants. It establishes a density rule for classic devices sealed on the ground and wall along roads open to public traffic, by limiting one advertising device per 80 meter strip on private property and another on public property. It specifies the special and derogatory rules applicable in airports and train stations, in order to take into account their specificity in terms of size and operation, in particular for larger airports. It establishes an obligation to turn off light devices: light advertisements must be turned off at night, between one a.m. and six a.m., except for airports and urban units with more than 800,000 inhabitants, for which mayors will issue the applicable rules. Illuminated signs will follow the same rules. Illuminated advertisements, particularly digital ones, are specifically regulated with regard to their surface area, their luminance, their energy consumption and their anti-glare device. Advertising on tarpaulins is specifically regulated. Construction site tarpaulins may include advertising on half of their surface. Advertising banners must respect a density rule. Local advertising regulations, municipal adaptations of national rules, can henceforth only be more restrictive than the national rule. They will be developed, revised and modified according to the rules applicable to local urban planning plans.