When I asked at my mairie, I was told green, not dry. Plenty of people around here don’t seem to care what colour it is and burn anything, no one seems to care. One chap told me, that to him, burning dry branches in the garden was no different to cutting up the branches and burning them on his woodburner
Doesn’t matter what one chap says. The law is what matters. By all means be ‘French’ and do as you please but be prepared to be punished. Dechets vegetaux and dechets verts just means garden waste, no matter what colour or how dry. It seems there is a national law but variations in certain areas. The Dordogne , for example. The local Mairie is the place to go.
Our French gardener started burning the cuttings and had a visit within 30 mins telling him to stop. The person said they are on route to stop 5 others
The French carried out a test on an average garden fire. It puts out in an hour what a diesel car would do in 18,000km ( from memory) so pollution is why.
No-one said the law had to be logical or consistent.
If he owns a poor (old French) wood burner that may be true.
Seems fairly clear unless there is some dérogation.
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Look you guys I’ve told you before - get your bonfire ready, put on a yellow hi-vis gilet, make a sign that says ‘Macron Démission’, put up a table with some charcuterie, wine and pastis on it, maybe a little BBQ, light the fire - job done! 
Apparently completely legal - no fear of any police action unless you start throwing your pastis bottles at them. 
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Since last October bonfires are banned in this area (24) but a request from the Marie gives us permission to have one within a 15 day window.
We would prefer to take it to the dechet for shredding/selling/giving back, but not possible without a trailer!
We own a working farm which by law are allowed to have bonfires, it is surprising the amount of near neighbours who now want to be friends with us, I wonder why?
Don’t think lighting a fire in a window sounds very sensible.
