Overview
- The bill cleared both chambers of parliament, with the National Assembly voting 296–224 and the Senate 214–111 to embed a waiver for two banned pesticides in emergency legislation passed Tuesday.
- Environment Minister Monique Barbut resigned in protest after the law was adopted and said she submitted her resignation to the president.
- Under the text, ANSES, France’s health and safety agency, can grant temporary, conditional and restricted authorisations for acetamiprid and flupyradifurone that are limited to specific crops and cannot exceed the negotiated duration.
- Environmental groups, medical and scientific societies, left‑wing parties and beekeepers have pledged legal challenges to the law, citing prior Constitutional Council rulings and studies linking the chemicals to harm to pollinators and potential health risks.
- Farmers’ unions and industry welcomed the measure as a fix for crop losses and cross‑border competitiveness, while the law’s easing of water‑storage rules raises a separate flashpoint that could drive protests and further political strife.