Question 17299 — environment

Summary

Mr. Erwan Balanant draws the attention of the Minister of State, Minister for Ecological and Inclusive Transition, to France's recurring breaches of European Union law in environmental matters. At the end of January 2019, the European Commission sent four formal notices to France, triggering as many infringement procedures against it, on the basis of Article 258 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the Union European. As part of the first procedure, the European Commission considers that France had only partially transposed Directive (EU) No. 2015/1513 relating to the promotion of the use of energy produced from renewable sources. This directive aims, on the one hand, to reduce the risk of indirect changes in land use linked to the production of biofuels, and on the other hand, to initiate the transition towards advanced biofuel products. The deadline for its transposition was December 10, 2017. In the second procedure, the European Commission considers that France has carried out an incorrect transposition of Directive No. 2012/27/EU relating to energy efficiency, amending Directives 2009/125/EC and 2010/30/EU and repealing Directives 2004/8/EC and 2006/32/EC. The deadline for transposition having expired since June 5, 2014, the European Commission asks France to present, within two months, the arguments aimed at demonstrating that it complies with the obligations set by this directive so that the European Union increases its energy efficiency by 20% between 2012 and 2020. The third procedure concerns the implementation of Regulation (EU) No. 1143/2014 of October 22, 2014 relating to prevention and to the management of the introduction and spread of invasive alien species, entered into force on 1 January 2015. After that date, Member States were required, on the one hand, to establish dissuasive sanctions and, on the other hand, to draw up specific lists of invasive alien species, which had to be communicated to the Commission. Faced with France's inaction, the European Commission urged it to provide said information within two months. By the fourth procedure, the European Commission criticizes France for not having brought its legislation into compliance with Directive No. 2008/50/EC concerning ambient air quality and clean air for Europe, the obligation to take appropriate measures to shorten the excess periods as much as possible. Once again, France has two months to present its arguments. These four formal notices highlight blatant delays which seriously harm citizens. Until now, France has not been able to allow them to benefit from these various essential advances for the energy transition. Furthermore, in the absence of responses that the European Commission considers satisfactory, the latter would be likely to issue, in each of these procedures, a reasoned opinion, corresponding to the second phase of the infringement procedure provided for by Article 258 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. Under this same provision, the Court of Justice could then be seized. Almost a month after receiving these implementations, he asked what measures have been taken or are planned by the Government to bring France into compliance with its European obligations and to guarantee these ecological advances to fellow citizens. Finally, he would like to know what response France intends to provide to the European Commission in order to prevent the latter from issuing reasoned opinions or opening proceedings before the Court of Justice of the European Union.

Machine translation from French. The official text remains authoritative.

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