France's constitutional council has rejected an attempt to overturn a ban on fracking, the controversial method of extracting gas from rock.
US-based firm Schuepbach Energy challenged a ban imposed in 2011 based on potential risks to the environment.
President Francois Hollande has opposed the technology, as have the Greens, a partner in the governing coalition.
France, which relies heavily on nuclear power, has some of the largest shale gas deposits in Europe.
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