Key facts
- French lawmakers approved an emergency farm bill by 296 votes to 224.
- The bill could allow the temporary reintroduction of acetamiprid and flupyradifurone.
- Environmental groups like Greenpeace criticized the bill for ignoring scientific warnings.
- The bill also includes measures on water storage, farm income, livestock protection, and wolf attacks.
- A waiver for pesticide use would require approval from France's health and safety agency and could not exceed three years.
French lawmakers approved an emergency farm bill in the early hours of Tuesday, by a vote of 296 to 224, which could permit the temporary reintroduction of two pesticides previously banned in France but authorized by the European Union. The legislation, supported primarily by right-wing and far-right lawmakers, has drawn strong criticism from environmental groups, including Greenpeace, who argue it disregards scientific warnings about risks to pollinators, ecosystems, and human health.
The most contentious measure would allow, via a waiver, the use of acetamiprid on hazelnuts and flupyradifurone on sugar beets, apples, and cherries. The sugar industry contends these pesticides are necessary to protect crops from aphids, which have severely impacted beet harvests in past years. A waiver would require approval from France's health and safety agency, Anses, and would be limited to a maximum of three years. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu stated on X that the compromise "puts science back at the heart of the decision-making process."
The bill also includes provisions to ease rules for water-storage infrastructure and addresses farm income, livestock protection, and wolf attacks. The vote follows a previous instance where France's constitutional court blocked the reintroduction of acetamiprid due to insufficient safeguards. The potential resignation of Ecological Transition Minister Monique Barbut, who was absent from the National Assembly vote, has been raised by French media, though Agriculture Minister Annie Genevard and government spokesperson Maud Bregeon declined to comment.