President Emmanuel Macron has announced that France will withdraw from an energy agreement that climate groups say is being used by the fossil fuel industry to legally challenge environmental measures, PA Media reports.

The Energy Charter Treaty (ECT) came into force in 1998 to protect foreign investment in the energy sector. Climate nongovernmental organizations are calling for a massive EU withdrawal from the treaty.

Italy has already withdrawn from the ECT, and Spain and the Netherlands have also announced similar plans.

As part of the EU's Green Deal policy, member states agreed last year that the treaty should be reviewed to discourage any further investment in fossil-fuel-based energy infrastructure projects "unless they are fully consistent with an ambitious, clearly defined pathway towards climate neutrality" in line with the goals of the United Nations.

Last month, Macron called for a " massive acceleration" of renewable energy development, including offshore wind farms and solar power, with a new plan that aims to bring lagging France closer to the energy policies of its EU neighbors.