• The non-prosecution agreement is the largest concerning the environment signed in France to date.
• The deal encourages faster conclusion and remediation of environmental damage.
• The decision is criticized by local environmental groups and consumer groups. 

The preliminary probes into unauthorized well usage and fraud in filtering mineral waters concluded with this deal. Authorities justified the non-prosecution agreement, citing Nestlé’s cooperation with the investigation.

STRASBOURG, France: Prosecutors announced Tuesday that Nestlé’s water subsidiary, which produces brands like Perrier, will pay 2 million euros ($2.2 million) to close French probes into illegal wells and the treatment of mineral water.

Frederic Nahon, the prosecutor in the eastern town of Epinal, stated that the non-prosecution agreement marks the “biggest concerning the environment signed in France to date.” The deal concludes preliminary probes into the unauthorized use of wells and illegal practices of filtering mineral waters, which is prohibited in France as mineral waters must remain natural.

The Swiss group, which also owns the water brands Vittel and San Pellegrino, will invest 1.1 million euros over two years in environmental restoration projects in several French towns where it operates. The prosecutor justified the non-prosecution agreement, noting that Nestle cooperated with the probe, brought its practices into compliance and that there were no public health consequences.

The deal, “while sanctioning the unauthorized activities that were found, encourages a faster conclusion, remediation of the environmental damage, and compensation of several parties,” he said.

A local environmental group welcomed the deal, while consumer groups criticized it.

“It’s a scandalous decision which sends a very bad message about a climate of impunity: Nestle Waters can deceive consumers around the world for years and get away with it by pulling out its checkbook,” said Ingrid Kragl, a fraud expert at Foodwatch.

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