Redrafted proposal for the Duplomp law, meticulously revised and potentially open for revocation?
Acetamiprid Remains Banned in France Amidst Political Debate
The reintroduction of acetamiprid, a neonicotinoid pesticide banned in France since 2018, has been blocked by the French Constitutional Council. The Council ruled on August 7, 2025, that allowing its return would violate France's environmental charter with constitutional legal status.
The contested provision in the Duplomb law, which aimed to permit exceptions to the ban, was struck down for infringing the right to live in a balanced and healthy environment, given acetamiprid's known harmful effects on biodiversity, pollinating insects, birds, water, soil, and human health.
This decision followed widespread public opposition, including a student-led petition that gathered over two million signatures protesting the law's adoption on July 8, 2025, and critiquing the rushed parliamentary process lacking proper debate. While some farmers and agricultural groups had supported the pesticide's reauthorization due to concerns about pest control and economic competitiveness, especially for beet and hazelnut growers, the Constitutional Council emphasized the environmental and health risks outweigh these considerations.
As a result, the current legal status is that acetamiprid remains banned in France, notwithstanding its continued legality in the European Union. The government, including President Macron, is obliged to respect the ruling, although the divergence between French and EU law raises concerns about potential unfair competition affecting certain farming sectors.
The future prospects for acetamiprid's reintroduction in France appear very limited unless new legislation compliant with the constitutional environmental requirements is drafted and enacted, which would require more detailed regulation and safeguards than the struck-down law provided.
Laurent Wauquiez and Marine Le Pen have harshly criticized the Constitutional Council's decision. Left-wing parties and environmental defense associations view the partial censorship as a first victory and promise to "continue the political fight." Yannick Neuder, Minister of Health, insists on the need to launch a review by European health authorities of the health impact of acetamipride before considering a new Duplomb law.
It is difficult to imagine the Macronists supporting a text that would attempt to reintroduce neonicotinoids, following the Constitutional Council's decision on August 7th. A majority of deputies from the Ensemble for the Republic (EPR) group, including their president Gabriel Attal, voted in favor of the Duplomb law at the National Assembly. However, the support for a new text dedicated to the reintroduction of acetamipride from the government that had supported the original Duplomb law seems unlikely.
Agnes Pannier-Runacher, Minister of Ecological Transition, has constantly affirmed her opposition to the reintroduction of neonicotinoids, including acetamipride. François Ruffin, a former insoumis, has expressed his wish for France to weigh in with all its might to ban acetamipride at the European level.
The FNSEA, the largest French agricultural union, and the Young Farmers called for the law to be promulgated as soon as possible, including to allow the implementation of articles simplifying the management of livestock farms and authorizing water storage. The FNSEA demands that the censored points be quickly taken up again in any new version of the Duplomb law, to allow for the reintroduction of acetamipride. The EPR deputies have stated that they will never engage in political contestation of their institutions and must defend farmers while respecting the rule of law.
Along with the PS and LFI, they are considering submitting a proposal for a law to repeal the recently adopted Duplomb law. Laurent Duplomb, the originator of the Duplomb law, did not rule out proposing a new version of his text. If there is an impact on human health from acetamipride, it will be necessary to ban this product, according to Yannick Neuder.
The Constitutional Council validated 80% of the Duplomb law, including articles related to the lifting of transpositions in terms of livestock farming and plant protection products. The FNSEA and the French farmers argue that the reintroduction of acetamipride is necessary to compensate for the unfair competition that French farmers are facing, since the product is authorized throughout the European Union until 2033.
This ongoing debate highlights the complex interplay between environmental concerns, public opinion, and economic interests in France's agricultural policies.
- In the ongoing debate about France's agricultural policies, the environmental science community and advocacy groups are praising the Constitutional Council's decision to uphold the ban on acetamiprid, citing its detrimental effects on biodiversity, pollinating insects, and human health.
- The politics of climate-change and environmental-policy-and-legislation have taken center stage in the French parliament, with the policy-and-legislation surrounding pesticides like acetamiprid being a major point of contention.
- General-news outlets are closely following the debate over the reintroduction of acetamiprid, as the decision affects not only France's domestic agricultural landscape, but also its relationship with the European Union and the global community, given the ongoing concerns over climate-change and the impact on the environment.
