Press Release: France: progress by French authorities allows Commission to close files on hunting and drinking water

The European Commission on 5 April 2006 decided to discontinue legal action against France over two cases of violations of EU environmental law. The first related to a judgement from 2000 by the European Court of Justice, which required France to ban hunting of wild birds during their pre-nuptial migration and reproduction periods. The other case concerned the issue of polluted drinking water in Brittany, for which the Court condemned France in 2004.