France to stop granting oil exploration licences, says energy minister

French energy minister Nicolas Hulot said on Friday the government planned to present a draft law this autumn that would stop granting licences for oil and gas exploitation in France and overseas territories.

"There will be no new licence granted for exploration of hydrocarbons, we will pass the law this autumn," Hulot said on his Twitter account following an interview on BFM-TV.

Hulot, an environmental campaigner before he became a minister last month, also added that diesel and petrol taxation would remain unchanged in the near future.

(CGTN)