The Socialists in the French Senate have lodged a protest against the refusal by the Senate majority to set up an information team to look into the environmental impact of the French nuclear weapons tests in the South Pacific.
They issued a statement after the Senate leaders rebuffed the initiative by a French Polynesian senator, Richard Tuheiava.
It says there had appeared to be a consensus to set up such a mission.
The statement says the move was rejected on the pretext that the matter had been dealt with when the nuclear test compensation law had been drawn up.
