France, Sept. 17 -- Three NGOs are taking the French state to court over its failure to remove millions of diesel cars fitted with cheating software from the roads, nearly a decade after the so-called "dieselgate" scandal first broke.

France Nature Environnement (FNE), the consumer group CLCV (Consumer Affairs, Housing and Living Environment) and international environmental law group ClientEarth on Wednesday filed a case before the Paris administrative court.

The action, revealed by Radio France and the centrist dailyLe Monde, accuses the government of "serious failings" for not recalling cars with fraudulent devices, despite a constitutional duty to guarantee citizens the right to a healthy environment.

The software was designed to de...