The case, opened in Paris, and heard by a new court chamber which focuses on corporate social and environmental responsibility, could see Perenco forced to pay reparations to affected communities in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The Paris court announced on Thursday, October 16, that France's second-largest oil company will soon be tried. The NGOs Sherpa and Friends of the Earth had taken Perenco to court in late 2022 following revelations by Disclose, in partnership with Investigate Europe and EIF, about the group's pollution in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Disclose, 17/10/2025
The evidence for the case includes findings from the cross-border investigation "Perenco's Black Oil in DRC", supported by Journalismfund Europe under the Earth investigations initiative, and published back in 2022. The lawsuit was opened following a civil complaint lodged by Friends of Earth France and Sherpa after the investigation's release. You can read more about the court case here.
The Perenco Files, published by Disclose, the Environmental Investigative Forum - EIF and Investigate Europe revealed 167 pollution incidents linked to Perenco’s operations, including in protected natural areas. Despite Perenco’s denials, a recent Congolese parliamentary report seen by Investigate Europe found heavy pollution, infertile soil, and serious health impacts among residents.
This investigation was part of EIF long time efforts to uncover the Perenco's wrong doing worldwide from 2020, when it looked into the company's unregulated extraction activity in Tunis, supported by a network of offshore companies, to 2024 when EIF initiatied and coordinated the 'Perenco system' investigation, carried out in partnership with Mediapart, InfoCongo, InfoAmazonia and Convoca. It documented the systemic ecological impact of Perenco worldwide and more than a hundred cases of pollution in protected ecosystems.
More context in the press-release of the Environmental Investigation Agency: "Worker Deaths, Ghost Headquarters, and Bribery Accusations: Oil Company Perenco Exposed."
In the framework of Environmental Investigative Journalism grant programme, Journalismfund Europe had supported multiple investigations into environmental damage caused by large European companies, including on other continents.
On the right: Image by InfoCongo.
