France moves to re‑allow controversial acetamipride pesticide

On 30 June 2026 the French Senate approved an emergency agricultural bill, 183‑129, that would re‑introduce the neonicotinoid insecticide acetamipride into French farming. The measure, dubbed the “Duplomb law” after senator Laurent Duplomb, overturns France’s 2022 ban and aligns the country with other EU states that still permit the product.

Opposition comes from Agriculture Minister Annie Genevard, beekeepers and health experts who warn that acetamipride harms pollinators and may disrupt human endocrine systems. A 2025 petition signed by more than two million French citizens forced the Constitutional Council to partially strike down the earlier version of the law, but the right‑wing Senate majority has resurrected the controversial clause. The debate centres on balancing agricultural yields against documented risks to bees, biodiversity and public health.

The pesticide is already authorised in the EU and in Switzerland for controlling sap‑sucking insects on fruit crops, but French opponents argue its solubility leads to water contamination and long‑term ecological damage.