French MPs respond to outcry over re-legalisation of pesticide linked to bee deaths 

A new round of debates on a controversial farming law are likely to take place in the French parliament after more than 1.5 million people signed a petition against the legislation. 

The law is set to re-legalise acetamiprid, a pesticide classified as a neonicotinoid.

A growing body of literature suggests that neonicotinoids may be harmful to human health and are a potential reason for declining bee populations in Europe.

In 2024 a major anti-pesticide lobby asked the EU to withdraw the pesticide from the market. 

While the President of the National Assembly, Yaël Braun-Pivet, said she was ‘favourable’ to organising a debate on the controversial legislation, she also stressed that they "will not be able to reverse the law passed under any circumstances." 

"The French have signed this petition. We will be able to organise a debate on the subject as soon as Parliament reconvenes [in September]," she said on Sunday (July 20). 

It is “now up to the Constitutional Council to rule on the law and its legality,” and further debate in the political chamber cannot influence this, Ms Braun-Pivet added.

Laurent Duplomb, who is a dairy farmer and introduced the original legislation, expressed his frustration with the move. 

"There will surely be a debate in the National Assembly just to repeat what's been said over the past six months," he said.

The bill was approved by a majority of Senators (70% in favour) and MPs (60% in favour).

“This petition system is designed to put pressure on the Constitutional Council and hope that it does not validate the law,” said Mr Duplomb to media outlet RMC. 

The Council will rule on the law – stating whether it is valid in its scope and does not go against France’s constitution – by August 10, meaning any debates in the Assemblée may come after the law has been promulgated by French President Emmanuel Macron. 

Why is the law controversial? 

The ‘Loi Duplomb’, named after Senator Laurent Duplomb, aims to bring widespread rule changes to the agricultural sector and quell farmers’ anger after several rounds of protests in 2024 and 2025.

The law aims to reduce several regulations in the industry and make it ‘easier’ for farmers to practice their trade. 

This includes reducing regulations on greenhouse gas emissions on ‘factory’ farms (in turn allowing them to be bigger and less controlled), changing water usage rules in the sector, and limiting the impact of environmental agency ANSES on farmers.

The petition against the law, which had more than 1.5 million signatures as of July 22, was created by 23 year-old-student Eléonore Pattery. 

She is currently studying for a master's in quality, safety, environment, and corporate social responsibility.

"As a future professional in environmental health and collective responsibility, I learn every day to apply what you - legislators - refuse to respect today," she wrote on social media.

(Re)-legalisation of controversial pesticide

 Most controversially, the law allows for the re-legalisation of acetamiprid, which was banned in France in 2020 and has been a point of contention since. 

Re-authorising the chemical was sometimes listed as one of the demands by farmers during protest action. 

Used for many crops, including leafy greens, fruits, and notably cherries, the pesticide was banned “on the basis of a political decision,” said Mr Duplomb. 

“The Director General of ANSES made it clear at the hearing that the decision to ban had not been taken following a scientific study,” he added. 

“Acetamiprid is authorised in 26 out of 27 EU countries.” 

France is the only country in the bloc to have so far banned the pesticide, but the current rules elsewhere in the EU only authorise the pesticide until 2033, after which point it must be approved again. 

Mr Duplomb claims that as the pesticide is only banned in France, farmers in the country are unfairly impacted and at a disadvantage against growers in other EU states.

The petition against the law can be found here, and the Assemblée nationale states it can be signed by both French citizens and full-time residents in France.

However to sign it you must log in to the Assemblée website using FranceConnect.