The protected species status, established in 1976, is one of the main legal tools for biodiversity protection in France. It prohibits the destruction, capture or disturbance of protected animals and plants, with very few exceptions.
However, this status is now under threat. The penalties for violations have been gradually reduced, diminishing the deterrent effect of the law. In addition, exemptions (authorisations to circumvent these prohibitions) are become more common, allowing infrastructure or agricultural projects to be carried out to the detriment of protected species.
Case law has sometimes reinforced the strength of this status by cancelling non-compliant projects (motorways, reservoirs), but recent legislative changes, such as the law of April 2025, continue to open loopholes which weaken effective protection.
In short, the protected species status, which is supposed to be a solid bastion for nature, risks losing its substance. It is tending to become more of an administrative formality than an effective protection tool, putting the most vulnerable species at risk from economic and land-use pressures.