[…] The EU’s 2001 information society directive contains a clause that says photos of architectural projects in public spaces can be taken free of charge. […] But the clause is optional. France, Belgium and Italy decided not to transpose it into national law. […]
People can now take photos of the Eiffel tower during the day but not at night. This is because the architect has been dead so long that the copyright rules no longer apply. But they have since installed lights.
http://euobserver.com/justice/126375