Brussels warns France to enshrine river quality assessments in national law

The French law does not enshrine river quality assessments as required in the Water Framework Directive. For example, in France, solutions to allow migratory fish to overcome dams are not included when assessing the quality of such rivers. For that reason, the European Commission decided to open an infringement procedure by sending a letter of formal notice. France now has two months to respond and address its shortcomings. In the absence of a satisfactory response, the European Commission may decide to issue a reasoned opinion.

The infringement procedure was announced in the infringement package the European Commission presented on 11 March. As underlined in the Water Resilience Strategy, full implementation of EU water quality requirements is key to protecting human health and the environment, and strengthening the EU’s competitiveness and resilience. ‘The Water Framework Directive aims to ensure that water bodies which are heavily modified, for instance, due to hydropower plants, reach a ‘good ecological potential’ by 2015, or, in case of a derogation, by 2021 or 2027’, writes the European Commission in the infringement document published on 11 March.

Fish migration key to healthy rivers

Fish migration is key to ecologically healthy rivers. Fish ladders (passe à poissons) help restore river continuity because they enable migratory fish to bypass barriers like dams, supporting biodiversity and natural ecosystem functioning. Another measure to give room to migratory fish is the removal of dams. France has not been inactive in removing dams from rivers to give room to migratory fish. According to a dam removal report in 2024, the Member State is second best in Europe when it comes to removing river barriers.

Selune river dam removal project

One of the biggest dam removal projects was the removal of dams in the Sélune river in northern France. This project appears to be a success. In 2024, environmentalists found sea lampreys, eels and salmon. After more than 90 years, the river, which empties into the bay of Mont St Michel in Normandy, flowed freely again in late 2022. This was the result of the full removal of the Roche qui Boit dam and the removal of a bigger dam, at Vezins, in 2020. The European Commission now demands that the assessment of these measures will be included in national law.