French President François Hollande has stated categorically that France will not pursue fracking to access alternative energy sources. In an interview for French TV following the Bastille day celebrations on 14 July, Hollande said that: ‘As long as I am president, there were will be no exploration for shale gas.’

The message reinforces a ban put in place in 2011 by former president Nicolas Sarkozy, over concerns about environmental pollution. However, the French Constitutional Council is currently considering whether such a law is unconstitutional. Hollande’s statement also overrules a call by the French industry minister, Arnaud Montebourg, for a state-backed shale gas exploration company.