On Monday 24 July, the NGOs ClientEarth and Collectif Nourrir announced that they had filed a case in the Court of Justice of the European Union against the European Commission for unlawfully approving France’s strategic plan implementing the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).
According to the NGOs, the French plan does not meet the objectives of the CAP, because it does not encourage the reduction of greenhouse gases, in particular the methane emitted by cattle farms, and does not provide significant financial incentives to reduce the use of pesticides and fertilisers or to promote more sustainable farming practices. Through this legal action, the NGOs intend to force the Commission to reassess France’s strategic plan.
In 2022, the NGOs had asked the Commission to reassess its approval of the French plan, but the Commission refused, stating that it had only limited power to shape national plans.
In this case, the NGOs argue that the Commission’s refusal to reassess France’s plan runs counter to its legal obligation to uphold its own laws. According to the NGOs, the European Commission must ensure that taxpayers’ money is used to achieve the EU’s climate and environmental objectives. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)