The parliamentary compromise reached around the Duplomb bill feels like a step backward. This text, negotiated by fourteen elected officials in a joint committee (CMP), notably provides for the reintroduction of acetamiprid, a neonicotinoid pesticide banned in France since 2018. A final vote is expected in the Senate on Wednesday, then in the National Assembly on Tuesday, July 8. Behind the argument of supporting struggling agriculture, parliamentarians in favor of the bill intend to "lift the constraints" weighing on farmers, starting with beet and hazelnut producers, who have been calling for the return of this insecticide for years. Although authorized elsewhere in Europe, acetamiprid is singled out by beekeepers for its harmful effects on pollinators. The risks to human health, also documented, were the reason for its ban in 2018.
Concessions on form, a red line on substance
The compromise includes a "review clause" after three years and prohibits the planting of bee-attracting plants in treated areas. This framework was deemed sufficient by MoDem group president Marc Fesneau, who welcomed a balanced plan, according to him "without overbidding or giving up." But this line defended by the right and the center does not convince everyone. In the chamber, divisions are widening. The text was adopted by the Joint Committee by ten votes to four, with opponents coming from La France Insoumise and the Socialist Party. Several Macronist elected officials remain skeptical. Sandrine Le Feur, Renaissance president of the Sustainable Development Committee, has already announced that she will vote against it, denouncing a project that crosses "several red lines." Others could follow suit.
Tensions are not limited to the benches of the Assembly
For several days, rallies have been taking place in front of the Senate. This Monday, activists, farmers, and NGOs protested against what they call a bill "serving agribusiness." According to them, this law ignores science and environmental warnings. The agricultural component of the law goes beyond the sole issue of pesticides. It also plans to relax environmental authorization thresholds for intensive livestock farming and facilitate the creation of water reserves for irrigation. However, the Senate's attempt to strengthen the government's influence over ANSES was abandoned by the Joint Committee. The Senate's vote, which leans toward the right, is beyond doubt. In the Assembly, a majority seems likely, thanks to the combined votes of the National Rally, the Republicans, and part of the presidential bloc. Laurent Duplomb, one of the initiators of the bill, expressed confidence, assuring that he had received the support of Gabriel AttalBut within the ranks of the majority, unity is crumbling. And opponents still hope to tip the fragile balance of this arithmetic majority.
