France is a large country with medium population density and a large agriculture sector. It is home to a great diversity of land-based and marine ecosystems, both in its European territory and its Outermost Regions and Overseas Territories.
Although the country has overall a good record in implementing environmental EU law and an ambitious set of environmental policies, intensive farming and fishing, forest exploitation, suboptimal water management, urbanisation, land take and transport infrastructures continue to have significant impacts on its environment.
Highlights
France is making progress with regards to its transition towards a circular economy, in terms of secondary use of materials, resource productivity and EU Ecolabel promotion. Green procurement environmental criteria also increased significantly in 2023; a success praised by the French Court of Auditors.
Progress is being made on air quality, although further action is needed.
Main Challenges
Circular economy
Waste management remains a challenge. France is at risk of not reaching the 2025 target of re-use and recycling of municipal waste. France already missed the 2020 municipal waste targets, which led to the launch of an infringement procedure.
Nature and biodiversity
Improving river continuity and ecological flows and the protection of biodiversity and natural capital remain issues of concern - despite the ambitious national biodiversity strategy for 2030 and international commitments taken by France.
As evidenced in the assessment of the third cycle of river basin management plans and the second cycle of flood management plans, France needs to improve river continuity and ecological flows and to reduce the water pollution from pesticides and nutrients released by intensive agriculture.
Governance and investment
The investment gap amounts to €21.1 billion per year, 0.8% of GDP, slightly higher than the EU average of 0.77%.
To improve governance, more data is needed on environmental impact assessments duration.