Controversial pesticide gets green light in France – bees and bumblebees threatened

France has controversially legalized the use of acetamiprid, a pesticide known to be toxic to bees and bumblebees, through a new law that has sparked significant environmental debate. The decision led to the resignation of the nation's environment minister, who later retracted her resignation following an appeal from President Macron.

The legislation, referred to by the left-wing opposition as the "poison law," permits the use of acetamiprid and another previously banned pesticide, flupyradifuron, for cultivating crops such as hazelnuts. These substances were banned in France in 2020 as part of a broader prohibition on neonicotinoids, a class of chemicals previously used to combat pests but found to cause severe neurological damage to pollinators.

While acetamiprid remains approved within the EU due to its perceived lower toxicity compared to other neonicotinoids, its reintroduction in France has drawn sharp criticism. Farmers had been lobbying for its return, and a proposal last year by Senator Laurent Duplomb to allow its use faced widespread protests and was ultimately blocked by the Constitutional Council.

Despite the previous opposition, Duplomb's proposal was ultimately included in a larger legislative package aimed at supporting French agriculture. The inclusion of the pesticide articles in the bill passed the Senate, with the ruling centrist bloc eventually accepting them to ensure the package's passage. Environmental groups and opposition parties view this as a betrayal, with left-wing leader Aurélie Trouvé urging voters to remember the decision made by prominent political figures.

Environment Minister Monique Barbut, who had reportedly resisted lobbying efforts from farmers for months, submitted her resignation on Wednesday. However, she withdrew it hours later after a direct plea from President Macron. Opponents of the law are now hoping the Constitutional Council will intervene again, as it did last year, to review the legality of the new legislation under France's environmental laws.