"France has decided to withdraw from the Energy Charter Treaty," President Macron told a news conference in Brussels after an EU summit, two days after the Netherlands made a similar announcement.

The move was done to be more "coherent" with the Paris Climate Accord, forged to combat global warming by relying more heavily on renewable energy sources, as well as to counter speculation in the energy market, he said.

As Europe transitions towards a carbon-neutral future, the 1994 ECT has become something of an albatross.

In June, the European Union struck a compromise deal -- to come into force next month if no signatories objected -- to revise the treaty to limit legal actions where they jeopardise climate goals.

But climate groups have slammed loopholes left in the update and say the treaty continues to put efforts to curb global warming at risk.