NGOs take France to court over “forever chemicals” contamination

Three environmental organisations — Générations Futures, Notre Affaire à Tous, and Bloom — along with six individuals exposed to PFAS pollution, have filed a legal case against the French state before the Paris Administrative Court, according to a report by RFI.

The plaintiffs argue that the authorities have failed to adequately protect both the environment and public health from the risks associated with PFAS, a group of synthetic chemicals widely used in industrial processes and consumer products due to their resistance to heat, water, and grease.

In a joint statement released on Thursday, the organisations said they are seeking a court order that would compel the government to take stronger measures to halt PFAS pollution and to assume responsibility for the environmental and health costs linked to contamination.

PFAS — per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances — are commonly referred to as “forever chemicals” because they persist in the environment and accumulate over time in soil, air, rivers, food supplies, and even the human body. Scientific research has linked certain PFAS compounds to a range of health concerns.

The claimants are calling on the state to stop further releases of PFAS into the environment, intensify decontamination efforts — particularly in drinking water — and compensate individuals affected by exposure.

According to the legal petition, the plaintiffs are requesting €10,000 in damages for each individual involved in the case, as well as an additional €1,000 per person for non-material harm suffered by residents of the Haut-Rhin and Haute-Savoie regions. The court has not yet issued a ruling.

François Veillerette, spokesperson for Générations Futures, said the case is intended to highlight what campaigners view as a systemic failure by the state.

“We see a two-fold failure here: past inaction and current inaction,” he told reporters.

The plaintiffs contend that the dangers associated with PFAS have been known for years. They cite parliamentary reports dating back to 2008 that warned of contamination across France and outlined the risks linked to these substances.

The legal filing states that a review of the government’s response reveals “culpable failures” in meeting its obligations, which the claimants say have directly caused harm.

Before initiating legal proceedings, the organisations submitted preliminary compensation claims in March to the Environment Ministry and the prime minister’s office. They turned to the courts after receiving no explicit response, according to the petition.

Campaigners also criticized what they described as a slow and reluctant political response. Although the government commissioned several reports on PFAS pollution in 2022 and 2023, France’s first law specifically aimed at protecting the public from PFAS originated from a bill introduced in February 2024 by Green MP Nicolas Thierry. The organisations claim the government only supported the legislation at the final stage.

Environmental groups argue that France faces particularly high levels of contamination, with PFAS detected in a wide range of everyday products, including cosmetics, cookware, food packaging, and clothing.

They also pointed to a report published in October 2025 by the French High Commission for Public Health and Environmental Policy, which found that 24 per cent of French teenagers had PFAS concentrations in their blood serum above the thresholds recommended by the European Food Safety Authority. By comparison, the figure was 18 per cent in Germany and just 1 percent in Spain.

While France has adopted legislation aimed at reducing PFAS pollution, campaigners say implementation has been slow. More than a year after the law was enacted, one of its key measures — a levy on manufacturers whose factories release PFAS into water systems — has yet to come into force.

By Tamilla Hasanova