LFI to challenge pesticide reintroduction in French Parliament

The La France insoumise (LFI) parliamentary group intends to use its legislative niche on October 29 to propose a bill aimed at repealing the conditional reintroduction of two pesticides: acetamiprid and flupyradifurone.

This follows the publication of the agricultural emergency law in the Official Journal after validation by the Constitutional Council. The Council ruled that temporary derogations for acetamiprid (for hazelnut production) and flupyradifurone (for apples, cherries, and sugar beets) serve the “general interest,” despite noting the substances' impacts on biodiversity, pollinators, birds, water, and soil, as well as risks to human health.

LFI President Mathilde Panot has criticized the move, labeling the law a “poison law” and citing a petition signed by 2.2 million people against the reintroduction of neonicotinoids. Panot also argued that the primary threats to agriculture are free trade agreements and unfair competition rather than the pesticides themselves.