The measures are supposed to protect foreign investments in the field of energy, but the treaty has been strongly criticised within the European Union.
The decision to withdraw from the Energy Charter Treaty was confirmed at Friday’s government council meeting, following a proposal by the energy minister. Claude Turmes later wrote on Twitter that the treaty was not compatible with the Paris Agreement objectives, which aim to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees centigrade:
According to Turmes, the treaty prioritises protection for investments in fossil fuels and nuclear energy.
The international political agreement was written and signed in the early 1990s and at the time sought to ensure the protection of energy investments in Western Europe in the aftermath of the Cold War.
Although the European Commission has proposed a reform of the treaty, several countries such as the Netherlands, France and Germany have already announced their withdrawal.
