Senator Laurent Duplomb (Haute-Loire), a member of the Republicans party, has announced his intention to revive an agricultural bill aimed at allowing the use of a controversial insecticide in France, acetamiprid. The senator plans to introduce a new bill to reintroduce a molecule currently banned in France, but still authorized at the European level until 2033.
This initiative reignites a highly sensitive debate, encompassing health, environmental, and economic issues. The insecticide in question belongs to the neonicotinoid family, which is accused of harming pollinators, and therefore biodiversity and agricultural production itself. Several NGOs and associations denounce the product as dangerous, citing in particular its impacts on water and potential risks to human health.
A political battle reignited despite recent censorship
This is not the first attempt. Last summer, a previous law sponsored by Laurent Duplomb had already sparked massive mobilization: a petition against the text garnered over two million signatures. Most importantly, the Constitutional Council struck down the most contested provision, the one that opened the door to the conditional reauthorization of this insecticide.
To circumvent further censorship, the senator is proposing a more structured approach this time: specific dates, explicitly targeted sectors, detailed methods of use, and a replacement clause in case a better alternative is found. This strategy aims to legally secure a potentially explosive text.
Supported by a segment of the agricultural sector, particularly sugar beet growers, the initiative is defended in the name of European competition: professionals are demanding access to the same products as their neighbors. Closely aligned with the FNSEA's position, Laurent Duplomb stands by this stance, at the risk of reigniting national debate surrounding pesticides and bee protection.
