French lawmakers approve farm bill allowing temporary pesticide use

Key facts

• French lawmakers approved an emergency farm bill allowing the temporary reintroduction of acetamiprid and flupyradifurone.
• The bill passed the Senate with 214 votes in favor and 111 against.
• Acetamiprid, harmful to pollinators, was banned in France in 2018 but is allowed by the EU until 2033.
• Flupyradifurone, a neonicotinoid, has been banned in France since December 2019 and is authorized in the EU until 2029.
• The use of these pesticides would be exceptional, conditional, and limited to a maximum of three years, requiring approval from the health agency Anses.

French lawmakers have approved an emergency farm bill that allows for the conditional, temporary reintroduction of two pesticides, acetamiprid and flupyradifurone, despite significant environmental opposition. The bill passed the Senate with 214 votes in favor and 111 against.

Acetamiprid, known to be harmful to pollinators, was banned in France in 2018 but is permitted by the European Union until 2033, with decreasing dosage limits. Flupyradifurone, a new-generation neonicotinoid, has been banned in France since December 31, 2019, and is authorized for use in the EU until 2029. The emergency law permits the Minister of Agriculture to request the health agency Anses to authorize their exceptional use, subject to conditions and for a maximum of three years.

The legislation has caused divisions within the ruling majority. The Minister for the Ecological Transition, Monique Barbut, opposed the bill and announced her intention to resign. Green MP Daniel Salmon criticized the move as a "reckless and destructive headlong rush" that disregards scientific evidence. Centrist senator Franck Ménonville, however, defended the text as a response to the "hypocrisy of producing less in France in order to import ever more products that do not comply with our standards."

In addition to the pesticide measures, the bill addresses other agricultural concerns, including easing rules for water-storage infrastructure, farm income, livestock protection, and wolf attacks.