French Railway Company Fined for Complicity in Environmental Damage
On August 22, 2023, SNCF Reseau, a subsidiary of the French publicly owned railway company SNCF responsible for railway track maintenance, was fined 450,000 euros by the criminal court of Angers for complicity in environmental damage.
During pruning operations along the railway tracks in 2019, the company caused harmful disturbance to the natural habitat of endangered bird species, including black-capped warblers, coal tits, and Eurasian wrens. The damage has been particularly severe due to the pruning activities coinciding with the nesting season.
SNCF Reseau was found guilty of “complicity by a legal person in unauthorized interference with the conservation of the natural habitat of a protected species” and “complicity by a legal person in unauthorized interference with the conservation of non-domestic animal protected species.” As a result, the company was ordered to pay a substantial fine of 450,000 euros. Additionally, the company contracted by SNCF Reseau to conduct the actual pruning work was also fined 30,000 euros, 15,000 euros of which have been suspended.
The legal framework for prosecuting this type of cases in France was established on December 23, 2016, with the entry into force of Decree No. 2016-1792. This decree addresses complicity in contraventions (that is, minor infractions typically punishable by fines) under the French Environmental Code. Its overarching goal was to hold construction and works companies, as well as other entities involved, accountable for their environmental impact. In this context, the conviction of SNCF Reseau in the criminal court represents a notable step towards realizing this objective and underscores the importance of environmental responsibility in today's society.
It is important to note, however, that the judgment rendered by the criminal court of Angers is not final, and that SNCF Reseau has already lodged an appeal against it.
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