Overview

• 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.