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The principles of protection established by the Coastal Act of January 3, 1986, have been considerably weakened by recent energy laws, undermining them even further. For its part, administrative case law has continued to take an approach based on precision and balance to resolve the many litigations regarding the regulations governing construction and development in coastal areas (extension of urbanized areas, limited extension of urbanization in areas close to the shore, protection of outstanding terrestrial and marine zones). Atmospheric pollution from ships remains a topical issue with the final outcome of the Azura case. The rules applicable to offshore renewable energies are being fine-tuned, even if simplification is still some way off. France’s protection of protected small cetaceans in the Bay of Biscay has been judged insufficient by both the French Council of State and the European Commission.