Yes, but. The Constitutional Council, seized by more than 120 left-wing deputies and senators, validated with reservations on Friday August 12 the two texts of laws on purchasing power, framing in particular in terms “unpublished” certain provisions of the energy part. With these two decisions rendered on Friday, the Elders also validated with “reservations of interpretation” the abolition of the audiovisual license fee.
Regarding the draft law on emergency measures for the protection of purchasing power, the Elders expressed reservations “new” on the commissioning of an LNG terminal off Le Havre and on the increase in the ceiling for greenhouse gas emissions from certain facilities producing electricity from fossil fuels. For the Constitutional Council, these provisions are “likely to harm the environment”. Fossil fuels – coal, oil, gas – used by our societies for travel, housing or food cause global warming and degrade living conditions on earth.
“Unless the Environmental Charter is ignored, these provisions can only apply in the event of a serious threat to the security of gas supply” and of “threat to the security of electricity supply in all or part of the national territory”, says the Council. The Sages add that “the preservation of the environment must be sought in the same way as the other fundamental interests of the nation”a “reservation of interpretation formulated in new terms”they said in a press release.
Regarding the revival of power stations using fossil fuels, the Council set “an obligation to offset greenhouse gas emissions”. The Rebellious and environmental deputies, at the origin of the appeal, considered that these provisions violated the Charter of the environment of 2004, which is part of the preamble of the Constitution.
Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne welcomed the validation of these measures which “will be quickly implemented”assuring on Twitter that “against rising prices, the State is acting”. “The French will be able to quickly benefit from the support measures they need”, for her part, said the President of the National Assembly Yaël Braun-Pivet (Renaissance, ex-LREM). After a first part of measures in favor of purchasing power including 20 billion euros of expenditure, the Parliament adopted at the beginning of August the rectified budget for 2022 (PLFR) which opens 44 billion euros of appropriations.