Characterisation of abnormal neighborhood disorder : In a judgment delivered on 21 May 2026, the French Court of Cassation ruled on the reasoning of a court of appeal that had found the use of bells on animals to constitute an abnormal neighborhood disorder.

The appellants argued that, in the context of the return of wolves to the region and the threat these predators pose to livestock, the use of sheep bells was necessary to protect biodiversity, which serves the public interest and contributes to the objective of sustainable development. They therefore contended that the ringing of the bells could not constitute an abnormal neighbourhood disorder.

The Court of Cassation dismissed the appeal, holding that the court of appeal had provided sufficient reasoning by finding that the bells attached to the animals constituted an abnormal neighbourhood disorder because the flock was already adequately protected by the presence of guard dogs, which provided sufficient protection against predation attempts and theft in the sheepfolds. The court also noted that the continuous ringing of the bells could not be regarded as a characteristic sound of the region’s rural environment.