French Court Orders Government to Act on Toxic Algae Crisis in Brittany

The tribunal ruled that state measures to combat nitrate pollution were insufficient and gave authorities ten months to address the ecological damage.

The administrative court in Rennes ruled that the French government has failed to adequately address nitrate pollution causing harmful algal blooms in Brittany.
The court ordered the regional prefect to implement stronger measures within ten months to reduce agricultural nitrate runoff and repair ecological harm.
The association Eau et Rivières de Bretagne filed two lawsuits in 2022, citing state inaction despite years of warnings and environmental damage.
The proliferation of green algae, linked to agricultural fertilizers, has caused health risks and fatalities due to hydrogen sulfide gas emitted by decaying algae.
While the court acknowledged the ecological damage, it awarded only €5,000 in moral damages to the association, far below the €3.2 million requested.