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ARTICLE · 22 APRIL 2025

France Adopts New Fast-Track Environmental Litigation Regime For Strategic Projects

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On 21 April 2026, France adopted Decree No. 2026-302 on the simplification of environmental litigation procedures and the acceleration of certain projects (the Decree)...

FranceEnvironment
Anne Lapierre
Anne Lapierre
Tala Fawaz
Tala Fawaz

On 21 April 2026, France adopted Decree No. 2026-302 on the simplification of environmental litigation procedures and the acceleration of certain projects (the Decree), published in the Official Journal on 22 April 2026. The Decree marks a further step in the French government’s strategy to shorten development timelines for projects considered critical to the country’s economic sovereignty, reindustrialization agenda and energy transition.

To that end, the Decree amends the French Code of Administrative Justice (CJA) by creating a new accelerated and unified litigation framework applicable to a category of developments designated as “strategic projects.” By concentrating jurisdictional rules and reducing procedural delays, the reform seeks to address one of the recurring constraints facing major infrastructure and industrial projects in France: the length and complexity of administrative disputes, particularly in environmental matters.

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