-
French municipal elections: key points from the first round
Results show far-right strength in smaller towns and fragmented alliances in major cities
-
Pet owner in France faced large fine and prison sentence over ‘illegal’ cat
Issue revealed during a routine visit to vet
-
French weekly weather forecast March 16-20: spring sunshine after cloudy start
Warmer weather to arrive on Tuesday before cloud returns at the end of the week
Plastic bag ban delayed to April
European Commission has yet to approve the law, which would banish single-use bags from shops
A BAN on single-use plastic bags in all French shops, which was due to come into force on January 1, has been delayed for three months.
The measure, which is part of a wide-ranging law on the transition to renewable energy, is awaiting approval from the European Commission which asked for clarification on some minor points.
The ban was approved by parliament in September and environment minister Ségolène Royal hopes it will create jobs in the manufacturing of biodegradable and long-life bags.
Hypermarket chains have already reduced their plastic bag use over the past decade in a voluntary agreement. The number of bags they gave out fell from 10.5 billion in 2002 to 600 million last year. Some shops charge a few centimes to encourage shoppers to bring their own bags.
