Driving through France in reserve remains a risk.

Three and a half weeks after the refinery strikes began, the fuel supply situation has improved.

The queues, some hundreds of meters long, that had also formed on the motorway in front of rest stops with gas stations have become fewer.

In the meantime, more than 30 percent of all stations in the country suffered from bottlenecks with at least one fuel, at the beginning of the autumn holidays in France and five German federal states it was less than 17 percent.

Niklas Zaboji

Economic correspondent in Paris

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However, the situation varies greatly from region to region.

Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in the east of the country around cities such as Dijon, Belfort and Besançon is particularly affected.

According to government information, 29 percent of all gas stations there are still empty or temporarily without petrol or diesel.

The situation also remains critical in Île-de-France around Paris and in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes in the south-east, which includes Lyon, Grenoble and Clermont-Ferrand.

In these two regions, around every fourth petrol station is affected.

In Normandy, on the other hand, it is only every tenth.

There are even fewer in Brittany and Nouvelle Aquitaine in the south-west.

In the Grand-Est region on the border with Germany, around 16 percent are only half as many gas stations experiencing bottlenecks as at the beginning of this week, although the filling of reserve canisters remains prohibited in Alsace, among other places.

Gasoline scarcer than diesel

The head of the French automobile association Mobilians spoke on the radio on Friday morning of a significant improvement and promised a return to the usual filling station stocks within five to seven days.

The situation on the freeways is almost back to normal.

France's Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne said the French could go on holiday in good spirits.

From the government's point of view, increased fuel imports, the easing of the Sunday driving ban for tankers and compulsory obligations in refineries have improved the supply situation.

Along the French motorways, petrol is slightly more scarce than diesel.

The concessionaire Vinci reported on Friday that 90 percent of the petrol stations on its routes in southern and western France have petrol and 92 percent diesel in stock.

At the concessionaire Sanef in the north, 82 percent have petrol and 90 percent diesel.

At APRR, which operates the motorways in eastern France, 82 percent of the filling stations have petrol and 88 percent have diesel.

Some of the production is still on hold

The strikes in France are not over, even though work has resumed in most refineries and fuel depots after successful wage negotiations.

Production is still suspended at two sites belonging to the energy group Totalenergies, including the country's largest refinery in Normandy.

Several French nuclear power plants are also still on strike.

This affects current electricity production and ongoing maintenance work.

Grid operator RTE warned this week of "serious consequences for electricity supplies" this winter if strikes continue.

Less than 30 gigawatts of the more than 60 gigawatts of capacity of the French nuclear power plant park are currently available.