EURACTIV.fr Archives

In Paris, as in many European cities, the number of cars is declining, which is leaving a vast amount of underground car parks empty. With its start-up project called "La Caverne", Cycloponics is reclaiming these urban territories using them as a way of growing plenty of organic vegetables. EURACTIV France reports.

MEPs in charge of negotiating the EU's next seven-year budget, the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), came to Paris to seek France's support before the start of decisive talks on the future European budget. EURACTIV France reports.

After 25 hours in office, the now-former Minister-President of Thuringia, liberal candidate Thomas Kemmerich (FDP) was forced to resign as his party wanted to shake-off the "stigma" linked to being supported by far-right party AfD. The political crisis has reached Brussels, causing quite the uproar among Renew MEPs. EURACTIV France reports.

French MEPs are mobilising for the French municipal elections and have shown open support for some candidates. Conservative MEP Agnès Evren is even the top candidate of Les Républicains (LR) for the elections in the 15th Paris arrondissement. EURACTIV France reports.

In 2018 alone, the French government spent €400 million to reduce the use of pesticides, even though their use ended up increasing. France's public auditor is criticising the situation and calling on integrating agro-ecological transition objectives into the CAP. EURACTIV France reports.

French oil giant Total's failure to respect France's 'corporate vigilance' law has led to human rights violations in Uganda, according to a group of French and Ugandan NGOs who are suing the company. But the court procedure has taken an unexpected turn that did not please the plaintiffs. EURACTIV France reports.

Paris believes an age limit for receiving aid from the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) would make room for young people in the farming sector. But Brussels does not see it that way, saying this would amount to age discrimination. EURACTIV France reports.

French oil group Total is responsible for 1% of the world's CO2 emissions and failing to respect its so-called 'corporate duty of vigilance', according to a group of plaintiffs representing 14 local authorities and four NGOs who are bringing a case against the giant. EURACTIV France reports.

With the travel of football players and fans having a significant impact on the environment,  France's football clubs, including amateur ones, have started developing initiatives to reduce travel. EURACTIV France reports.

Having struggled to reduce the use of plant protection products, France intends to work twice as hard on the development of so-called 'biocontrol' methods. Besides, it is pushing to develop more favourable rules at the European level for the industry. EURACTIV France reports.

French NGOs and multinational oil and gas company Total continue their arm-wrestling over the tax status of palm oil used in crop-based biofuels. EURACTIV France reports.

Once the UK leaves the EU on 31 January, new MEPs will be taking up seats in the European Parliament. Due to its growing population, France will obtain five of 27 new seats. EURACTIV France reports.

By using hemp, brewers grains and spelt husk, many French SMEs are starting to manufacture natural insulation materials based on bio-sourced materials and biowaste, which have not previously been 're-purposed'. In other words, they are using 'green' alternative to conventional insulation. EURACTIV France reports.

The EU's internal market commissioner, Thierry Breton, suggests tapping into the ECB's "easy money" and issuing long-term bonds of up to 50 years in order to unlock the €1,000 billion needed to finance the European Green Deal. EURACTIV France reports.

While the EU's plastic recycling rate has seen a slight increase of 1.4% between 2016 and 2018 amounting to 32.5% total according to Plastics Europe, France has been dragging the average down with a 24.2% recycling rate in 2018. EURACTIV's partner le Journal de l'Environnement reports.

The forest continues to expand in France, according to industry figures, but the industry is not making the most of it. EURACTIV France reports.

The wide-ranging European Green Deal provides for a European fund for a just transition, which is meant to support regions that are economically highly dependent on fossil fuels. But not all member states will benefit from it. EURACTIV France reports.

From May onwards, hundreds of EU citizens will be invited to reflect on Europe's future at a conference that will debate European policy priorities in an attempt to introduce direct democracy in EU decision-making. EURACTIV France reports.

Despite France's campaign against glyphosate and a plan to ban it in a majority of agricultural practices by the end of 2020, the world's most commonly used weedkiller saw its sales volumes soar by 10% in the country in 2018.

Pesticide-free zones, implemented in France since 1 January 2020, have angered winegrowers, who are losing a great deal of surface area, while civil society still considers them insufficient. EURACTIV France reports.

The European Commission's carbon border tax proposal would have a small impact on French households, unlike the country's own proposal to tax energy which prompted the birth of the 'gilets jaunes' movement. EURACTIV France reports.

The concentration of the French dairy industry, which is at the origin of the impoverishment of milk producers, paradoxically ranks the sector above its global competitors, according to a study by France Agrimer. EURACTIV France reports.

The French government continues to defend its pension reform proposal initially recommended by the European executive. Although it has since been watered down, its divisiveness has led to the paralysis of the transport system for almost a month. EURACTIV France reports.

Sixteen days of negotiations were not enough to find common ground on international carbon trading rules, one of the main issues of contention at the COP25 climate summit in Madrid. EURACTIV France reports.