Veil Jourde, advisor to Semmaris, in the context of Agoralim’s qualification as a project of general interest

Veil Jourde advised Semmaris, the organizing authority of the Rungis International Market, on the qualification of the Agoralim project on the Goussainville site as a project of general interest (PIG).

Spearheaded by Semmaris since 2021, following a call for ideas initiated by Prime Minister Jean Castex, Agoralim is an ambitious project for the Île-de-France food chain, aimed at developing platforms in the north of the region that complement the historic Rungis market.

With the primary aim of guaranteeing the food independence and sovereignty of the Île-de-France region, Agoralim aims to optimize the distribution of fresh produce, and promote sustainable, local agriculture that meets consumer expectations.

An initial 130,000m² site in Goussainville (95) has been identified to accommodate all players in the value chain: production, processing, storage and distribution. Intended to create between 3,000 and 5,000 local jobs, as well as a specialized training center (food trades, agriculture, food logistics), it is scheduled to open in 2027.

It is in this context that Semmaris has obtained from the French government the qualification of this phase of Agoralim as a “PIG” by the signature of a prefectoral decree on October 4, 2024, in application of the procedure governed by articles L.102-1 et seq. of the French Urban Planning Code. Now classified as a “PIG”, Agoralim is recognized as being in the public interest, enabling it to take precedence over local urban planning documents, and facilitating the implementation of public authority prerogatives.

This qualification remains an exception: since the creation of this procedure in 1983, less than a hundred projects have been recognized as PIG by the State.

Semmaris was advised by Veil Jourde, with partner Maxime Seno, associate Livia Elshoud and associate Andy Berrebi on regulatory issues.