French Constitutional Court to Decide on Hydraulic Fracturing Next Month

Legal confrontation between France and US-based Schuepbach Energy continues as lawyers from the energy company claim that hydraulic fracturing is not as dangerous as depicted by green groups.

“No study has established that there is any risk linked to hydraulic fracturing,” Marc Fornaciari, the lawyer representing Schuepbach, told the constitutional court in Paris on Wednesday.

The French court will decide next month on the ban, following an appeal from the Dallas-based company contesting the ban on fracking. Schuepbach Energy, which held two exploration permits, first contested the ban in a court of Cergy-Pontoise near Paris. This court forwarded the case to France’s Council of State, which then referred it to the Constitutional Council.

President François Hollande confirmed the intention of its government to maintain the ban on hydraulic fracturing, despite the pressures from the industry and big oil and gas companies like EDF.

“It has been used 45 times in France and has never caused one problem,” added Fornaciari.

Nicolas Sarkozy banned fracking in 2011 and canceled shale-exploration licenses in the hands of Schuepbach and Total SA, in the light of protests in the South of the country.