On July 5, 2022, Bridge Energies submitted an application to the Prefect of Seine-et-Marne for a prefectural permit to drill two new hydrocarbon exploration wells in Nonville, France. The application was submitted within the perimeter of an existing, 25-year mining title granted in 2009. Bridge Energies request was supplemented on November 22, 2022, and granted via an official decree on January 30, 2024, by the Prefect. Eau de Paris, the public entity that manages Paris’s drinking water supply, filed a complaint on March 29, 2024, seeking the annulment of the prefectural order and the relief of 3000 EUR from the State and Bridge Energies. The plaintiff specifically seeks relief under Article L. 761-1 of the Code of Administrative Justice. 

In its complaint, the plaintiff alleged that the authorization of the prefectural permit followed an impact study that “presents deficiencies regarding the project’s effects on water resources, or climate change, on reasonable alternatives, and on biodiversity.” The plaintiff contends that the project ignores Article L. 414-4 of the Environmental Code, as it fails to “assess impacts on Natura 2000 sites.” The plaintiff contends that the permit application fails to analyze compatibility with the “water-management master plan for the Seine basin and Norman coastal rivers”, causing a breach in Article 6 of Decree No. 2006-649 of June 2, 2006. The plaintiff argues that “the order suffers from a procedural defect”, considering the inquiry commissioner failed to issue “reasoned, impartial, and objective findings.” The plaintiff also alleges that the project violates Article L. 161-1 of the Mining Code because it poses significant risks for water resources and natural habitats and that the project “contravenes the local urban-planning code of the commune of Nonville.” 

The case proceeded before the Tribunal Administratif de Melun, which issued its judgment on January 30, 2025. The court found that the prefectural authorization contained multiple legal defects, specifically in its inadequate evaluation of biodiversity and resource impacts and its insufficient pollution prevention measures. The court did not fully annul the permit, instead issuing a sursis à statuer (suspension of judgment). This suspension grants the State and Bridge Energies a ten-month period to mend the identified deficiencies. The court stated that it will issue a final decision at the end of this period.

Eau de Paris v. Bridge Energies and the Prefect of Seine-et-Marne

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Eau de Paris v. Bridge Energies and the Prefect of Seine-et-Marne - judgment

Filed

On July 5, 2022, Bridge Energies submitted an application to the Prefect of Seine-et-Marne for a prefectural permit to drill two new hydrocarbon exploration wells in Nonville, France. The application was submitted within the perimeter of an existing, 25-year mining title granted in 2009. Bridge Energies request was supplemented on November 22, 2022, and granted via an official decree on January 30, 2024, by the Prefect. Eau de Paris, the public entity that manages Paris’s drinking water supply, filed a complaint on March 29, 2024, seeking the annulment of the prefectural order and the relief of 3000 EUR from the State and Bridge Energies. The plaintiff specifically seeks relief under Article L. 761-1 of the Code of Administrative Justice. 

In its complaint, the plaintiff alleged that the authorization of the prefectural permit followed an impact study that “presents deficiencies regarding the project’s effects on water resources, or climate change, on reasonable alternatives, and on biodiversity.” The plaintiff contends that the project ignores Article L. 414-4 of the Environmental Code, as it fails to “assess impacts on Natura 2000 sites.” The plaintiff contends that the permit application fails to analyze compatibility with the “water-management master plan for the Seine basin and Norman coastal rivers”, causing a breach in Article 6 of Decree No. 2006-649 of June 2, 2006. The plaintiff argues that “the order suffers from a procedural defect”, considering the inquiry commissioner failed to issue “reasoned, impartial, and objective findings.” The plaintiff also alleges that the project violates Article L. 161-1 of the Mining Code because it poses significant risks for water resources and natural habitats and that the project “contravenes the local urban-planning code of the commune of Nonville.” 

The case proceeded before the Tribunal Administratif de Melun, which issued its judgment on January 30, 2025. The court found that the prefectural authorization contained multiple legal defects, specifically in its inadequate evaluation of biodiversity and resource impacts and its insufficient pollution prevention measures. The court did not fully annul the permit, instead issuing a sursis à statuer (suspension of judgment). This suspension grants the State and Bridge Energies a ten-month period to mend the identified deficiencies. The court stated that it will issue a final decision at the end of this period. 

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An aim to achieve a quantifiable outcome within a given time-frame, set by an institution such as a national government.

Policy instruments are techniques or tools used by governing authorities to promote certain policies in order to achieve predetermined goals. Put simply, instruments are how a government tries to achieve its goals, with this taxonomy being focused on national policy instruments.

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Renewable energy means all forms of energy produced from renewable sources in a sustainable manner.

Fossil fuel is a generic term for non-renewable energy sources such as coal, fossil gas, and oil (including crude oil, and petroleum products), that can be used for electricity and heat generation. Fossil fuels are hydrocarbons formed from pressurised and heated organic material buried over millions of years.

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Area of the economy in which actors engage in identical or related activities.

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A ban is a legal action that prevents the sale or supply of a product or service, or that recalls a product from the market. Examples are bans on SF6, greenwashing, fossil fuel advertisement or single-use plastics.

Either money or something of monetary value is transferred between two or more organisations, people or countries.

Conditions that enhance the feasibility of adaptation options. Enabling conditions include finance, technological innovation, strengthening policy instruments, institutional capacity, multi-level governance and changes in human behaviour and lifestyles.

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Terrestrial means "of the earth" and relates to the risks to ecological system that includes all living organisms and their interactions within land-based environments, such as forests, grasslands, and deserts.

Oil is a combustible liquid fossil fuel composed mainly of hydrocarbons, occurring as crude oil and refined into petroleum products such as petrol, diesel and kerosene.

Activities of industries that extract natural resources, such as mining, oil, and gas, for commercial use.

This sector involves managing waste treatment, sanitation, pollution control and environmental cleanup.

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Climate change can have a range of impacts on technological system. Extreme weather events can cause infrastructure failures like power outages or damage to roads and bridges, as well as the impacts from waste following natural disasters. Human activities also cause technological impacts, such as the risks posed by oil spillage and leaks.

Slow onset events evolve gradually from incremental changes over many years or from increased frequency or intensity of recurring events. As defined in the Cancun Adaptation Framework (2010), slow onset events include risks and impacts from rising temperatures, desertification, biodiversity loss, land and forest degradation, glacial retreat, ocean acidification, sea level rise, and salinization.

Eau de Paris v. Bridge Energies and the Prefect of Seine-et-Marne - judgment

Policy instrument

Risk

Fossil fuel

Greenhouse gas

Economic sector

Adaptation/resilience

Finance