France's agriculture minister 'very satisfied' after controversial emergency law adopted

France's Minister of Agriculture, Annie Genevard, expressed "great satisfaction" following the National Assembly's adoption of a controversial agricultural emergency law. The legislation, born from farmer protests earlier in the year, is designed to better protect French farmers against unfair competition.

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Yesterday evening, the deputies did useful work for French agriculture.

A key, debated measure within the law allows the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety (Anses) to reintroduce, on a derogated and conditional basis, two pesticides previously banned in France but permitted within the European Union. These pesticides, acetamiprid and flupyradifurone, could potentially be used by a limited number of struggling agricultural sectors.

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This law 'born from the (farmer, editor's note) protests at the beginning of the year' and 'worked on with the farmers', allows 'to better protect them against unfair competition'.

However, the potential reintroduction of acetamiprid has created internal government tensions. Reports suggest that the Minister of Ecological Transition, Monique Barbut, personally opposes its return. Some government lawmakers had proposed removing acetamiprid via an amendment, a move the government refused, leading to friction. Genevard stated that acetamiprid has not been reinstated in the text, emphasizing that any future derogation would require Anses to determine there is no impact on human health or the environment, a situation of emergency, and a lack of alternatives, for a limited time and scope.

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Acetamiprid has not been reinstated in this text.