While the UK seeks to further the use of fracking, a constitutional council in France has upheld a ban on the controversial technique.
Fracking is a method of forcing trapped gas out of rocks by pumping pressurised water, chemicals and sand under the ground. Opponents fear the practice could potentially harm the environment.
France’s former president, Nicholas Sarkozy, introduced a ban in 2011 on the practice which his successor has promised to uphold, despite the country having some of the biggest shale gas deposits in Europe.
The ban was challenged by a US energy firm after two of its exploration licences were cancelled.
The constitutional council said it “threw out” the complaints and ruled that the 2011 law complies with the constitution. It noted that the lawmakers had pursued a legitimate goal in the interest of protecting the environment.
The court also rejected an argument that the ban went against property rights.
The council has the power to annul laws if it finds that they are unconstitutional.
The French oil company Total SA had also lodged an appeal and is awaiting a ruling.
The US uses fracking and believes that its oil output will surpass that of Saudi Arabia by 2020, which would make the US nearly self-reliant, according to the International Energy Agency.
