The Constitutional Council restores low-emission zones
• On May 21, 2026, the Constitutional Council partially struck down the 'economic life simplification' law, annulling 25 articles, including those aimed at removing or loosening low-emission zones and the Net Zero Land Take scheme.
• The decision allowed cities to keep regulating car traffic to preserve air quality and to maintain a tool against soil artificialization, both deemed essential for public health.
• However, several environmentally contested measures, such as easing major highway projects and data-center installations, were retained, illustrating an incomplete transformation of regulatory frameworks.
Source: Reporterre – "Le Conseil constitutionnel rétablit les ZFE et le zéro artificialisation nette"
Large retail accused of capturing food value added
• A Senate report published in May 2026 challenged the unequal distribution of value added across the food chain, noting that retailers such as Carrefour, E.Leclerc and Intermarché captured 40% of food product value, while farmers received only 8%.
• This imbalance exposes producers and favors high margins on essential goods, making access to healthy food harder for many consumers.
• The report proposed imposing more transparency on margins and financial flows, along with better regulation to promote fair access to healthy products for all.
Source: Reporterre – "Grande distribution : « Vendre des produits sains à prix coûtant, c'est possible »"
Cycling rises in rural France, a challenge for the government
• The cycling and walking network recorded a 5% increase in bicycle use in France over the first four months of 2026, with particularly strong growth of 9% in rural and medium-density areas.
• This shift came alongside a drop in fuel consumption and rising petrol prices linked to the war in the Middle East, prompting the government to extend financial support to several sectors.
• The association criticized these measures, calling for structural investment in cycling infrastructure, in line with the observed change in behavior.
Source: Reporterre – "Vélo : un usage en hausse début 2026, surtout en ruralité"
Europe's largest data center divides Seine-et-Marne
• The Campus IA project, backed by players such as MGX, Mistral AI, BPI and Nvidia, planned to build Europe's largest data center in Fouju on 90 hectares of farmland, for a €50 billion investment.
• The center will require electricity consumption equivalent to a nuclear reactor and have an exceptional environmental impact, notably in CO2 emissions, PFAS use and local nuisances, prompting opposition from associations and health concerns.
• The goal is major economic development, facilitated by a new French law simplifying data-center siting, despite notable environmental and social impacts.
Source: Vert le media – "«On ne s'occupe pas de la population» : en Seine-et-Marne, le futur plus grand datacenter d'Europe électrise les associations"
Rail liberalization in France: the risk of balkanization
• The Senate report published on May 19, 2026 by Marie-Claire Carrère-Gée and Hervé Maurey delivered a critical assessment of the liberalization of France's rail sector, pointing to significant costs for public finances, a market unattractive to new operators, and major losses for foreign companies.
• This context drove a recentralization on profitable lines, a dehumanization of stations, and a fragmentation of the network harming its coherence and risking the gradual disappearance of lines vital to regional planning.
• The senators recommended strengthening state control through the DGITM as a single integrator, to ensure the coordination, viability, and transformation of the rail system in the face of growing disorganization.
Source: Reporterre – "Trains : l'État a cru au « pouvoir magique » de la concurrence... et c'est un fiasco"
Macron prepares a decisive turn for nuclear power in France
• Emmanuel Macron announced a major electrification plan, awaited for ten years, following a term marked by an energy policy swinging between abandoning the nuclear program (Fessenheim closure, Astrid halt) and then relaunching six new nuclear reactors.
• The 2022 removal of the 50% cap on nuclear in the electricity mix, driven by Les Républicains, changed the legislative framework for all economic players.
• This reorientation is part of an effort to restore nuclear power's central role in France's energy transition.
Source: Le Monde – "« Il ne peut y avoir de plan d'électrification du pays sans baisse du prix de l'électricité », affirment une centaine de parlementaires LR"
The collapse of the Carbon gigafactory threatens France's solar independence
• The startup Carbon was placed in judicial liquidation on May 13, 2026, ending its solar-panel gigafactory project in Fos-sur-Mer, which aimed to produce 5 GW annually and create 3,000 direct jobs.
• This industrial setback triggered strong reactions within the solar sector, underlining the fragility of the national strategy to reduce dependence on Chinese imports in this key transition sector.
• The project's failure questions France's ability to build a competitive and durable value chain in the solar industry.
Source: Le Monde – "Panneaux solaires : l'échec du projet de gigafactory à Fos-sur-Mer remet en question la stratégie française"
Ultra-processed foods in France: associations demand urgent regulation
• 43 associations, including Foodwatch, Yuka and France Assos Santé, publicly asked the French government — notably Sébastien Lecornu, Annie Genevard and Stéphanie Rist — to protect public health by regulating ultra-processed foods.
• They cited proven health risks, cross-party legislative proposals, and a petition gathering more than 130,000 signatures to support their calls for advertising restrictions and clearer labeling.
• Given the prevalence of these products, which make up 80% of supermarket food offerings, they expect a firm political response to effectively protect the population.
Source: Reporterre – "Produits ultratransformés : 43 associations pressent le gouvernement d'agir"
Mandatory Nutri-score in France: health awaits a decision
• On May 26, 2026, a coalition of 79 organizations — including the National Academy of Medicine, learned societies, health unions and NGOs — called for the Nutri-score to become mandatory in France through a citizen petition filed with the National Assembly.
• This mobilization came amid similar recommendations from the national health insurance fund and the Court of Auditors, as well as the signatures of more than 3,300 scientists and health professionals warning of a public-health emergency.
• The stated objective was to secure a major regulatory shift to require Nutri-score labeling on all packaged foods and in advertising.
Source: Reporterre – "Nutri-score : « Que faut-il de plus pour le rendre obligatoire ? » interrogent 79 organisations"
Heat at work: regulation under debate after seven deaths in 2024
• A decree of May 27, 2025 required employers in France to implement specific measures for each heatwave alert issued by Météo-France, such as ventilating premises, adjusting work hours, and providing cool water, to ensure suitable working conditions.
• In 2024, seven work-related deaths directly linked to heat were officially recorded, mainly affecting the construction, agriculture, and moving sectors.
• Despite these obligations, the Labor Code sets no precise temperature threshold requiring work to stop, raising questions about the systemic effectiveness of the regulation.
Source: Le Monde – "Travailler sous de fortes chaleurs : quelles sont les règles ?"
