DistantNews
Support us
French National Assembly Approves Reintroduction of Banned Pesticides
🇨🇭 Switzerland /Environment & Climate

French National Assembly Approves Reintroduction of Banned Pesticides

From Le Temps · () French

Translated from French, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Approved/passed
  • French deputies narrowly approved a bill allowing the temporary reintroduction of two pesticides banned in France but permitted in the EU.
  • The vote, which saw divisions within the governing majority, allows the use of acetamiprid and flupyradifurone for struggling agricultural sectors.
  • Environmental groups condemned the decision, while the main agricultural union hailed it as a major turning point.

French deputies narrowly approved a contentious agricultural bill late Monday, permitting the temporary reintroduction of two pesticides previously banned in France but authorized within the European Union. The vote, occurring after a tense session, revealed significant rifts within the government's own ranks, with 296 deputies voting in favor and 224 against.

Will you vote for this horror?

— Unnamed DeputyQuoted in the article, reflecting opposition to the pesticide reintroduction.

The emergency agricultural bill now requires a final conforming vote from the Senate, which is expected to be a formality. A key provision maintained for senators allows for the conditional, derogated reintroduction of acetamiprid and flupyradifurone. These substances could be used by a select few agricultural sectors facing difficulties. However, this decision revives controversy, echoing a public mobilization against the Duplomb law last year, which sought to reintroduce acetamiprid before being struck down by the Constitutional Council.

The ban (on acetamiprid) remains the principle.

— Prime Minister's officeStating the government's position on the controversial pesticide.

Despite calls from some deputies within the governing majority to withdraw the measure, the Prime Minister's office maintained that the ban on acetamiprid remains the principle. They deferred the decision to parliament. When majority deputies proposed an amendment to remove the provision, the government, possessing veto power at this stage, blocked its examination. The left-wing parties largely voted against the bill, but lacked the numbers to block it against the combined votes of the far-right National Rally and two-thirds of the governing coalition.

The Senate's deadly turn regarding the reintroduction of banned pesticides.

— Générations FuturesEnvironmental group's statement condemning the decision.

French society remains divided on the issue. The environmental group Générations Futures decried the Senate's decision as a "deadly turn" regarding the reintroduction of banned pesticides. Conversely, the FNSEA, France's primary agricultural union, celebrated the bill's adoption as a "major turning point."

A major turning point with the adoption of the text.

— FNSEAThe main French agricultural union's reaction to the bill's approval.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Le Temps in French. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog