French Parliament reaches fragile compromise on agricultural emergency law

On 16 July, deputies and senators gathered in a commission mixte paritaire (CMP) to negotiate the French agricultural emergency law intended to address farmer unrest. The 14‑member body produced a tentative compromise that must still be approved by the National Assembly on Monday and the Senate on Tuesday.

Key provisions of the draft include a limited re‑authorisation, under ANSES oversight, of two previously banned pesticides – acetamipride and flupyradifurone – for a handful of vulnerable crops. It also proposes to double the country’s agricultural water‑storage capacity by 2035 and to modify the supervisory framework of water agencies. The compromise is backed by the right‑wing Rassemblement National, centre‑right senators and centrist senators, while the left bloc voted against it and the two government‑aligned deputies abstained.

Environment minister Monique Barbut warned that the water measures “gravely jeopardise” water‑sharing amid repeated droughts, whereas agriculture minister Annie Genevard expressed more openness. Critics such as LFI MP Aurélie Trouvé denounced the deal as “a law dictated by right‑wing senators”, and LR deputy Julien Dive stressed that “only scientists will decide independently, not politicians”. If the CMP text is rejected in the final votes, a new reading will be required, delaying implementation for months.