France lifts ban on two pesticides, sparking beekeepers' outrage

France's parliament approved a bill that reauthorises the use of two pesticides, acetamiprid and flupyradifurone, previously banned in the country but permitted elsewhere in the EU. The legislation allows the food and environmental safety agency, Anses, to grant waivers for these chemicals to protect crops such as sugar beet, apples, hazelnuts and cherries from aphid‑borne diseases.

Beekeepers and environmental groups condemned the move, describing it as "scandalous, irrational and irresponsible." Henri Clément, spokesperson for the French beekeeping association UNAF, warned of "very high mortality rates and reduced harvests" for bees. Greenpeace France accused the centrist government and right‑wing parliamentary allies of "trampling on science, health, the environment and the clear will of the people." The country's environment minister, Monique Barbut, announced her resignation in protest but was persuaded to stay after meeting President Emmanuel Macron. In contrast, the FNSEA farmers' union praised the law as a victory for growers, and the agriculture minister, Annie Genevard, said it provides "real and tangible solutions" for the sector.