⏱ 1 min read
Background
The A412 motorway is to link Machilly to Thonon-les-Bains, in the Haute-Savoie Chablais area. On 16 October 2026, the Lyon administrative court of appeal had refused to suspend the works. Opponents had announced an appeal in cassation.
The key points
On 27 October, the liberty and custody judge rejected the suspension of the works requested by the Annecy prosecutor's office. However, he ordered the concession holder to comply within eight days.
The measures imposed aim to protect wildlife, under penalty of a fine. Annecy prosecutor Lise Bonnet had referred the case to the judge on 21 October under an environmental summary procedure.
Key figures
- Deadline for compliance: eight days.
- Environmental measures not respected according to inspections: four.
- Reports by the French Biodiversity Office: four.
What it means for businesses
Inspections by the French Biodiversity Office found a lack of protection for watercourses used by beavers. They also report non-compliant facilities for amphibians and insufficient rescue fishing.
Who says what
The Annecy prosecutor's office: it considered that breaches of environmental requirements were harming the environment. It sought a halt to tree felling, scrub clearing, stump removal and earthworks.
France Nature Environnement: the association, which raised the alerts, denounced "clear and repeated" breaches of the environmental permit of 28 August.
What's next
The concession holder must apply the ordered measures within the set deadline. Works may continue in the meantime.
