French petition against return of bee-killing pesticide passes 1mn
The so-called "Duplomb law" has stirred public anger for permitting a return of acetamiprid -- a chemical known to be toxic to pollinators such as bees and to ecosystems. It was adopted on July 8 but has not yet come into effect.
A 23-year-old master's student launched the petition against the law on July 10, with support quickly snowballing with the backing of many including actors and several left-wing lawmakers. More than 500,000 people signed it in 24 hours from Saturday and Sunday alone.
The law's proponents however argue farmers face too much regulation in France as is, and allowing them to use acetamiprid again would help reduce the constraints they face.
National Assembly Speaker Yael Braun-Pivet on Sunday ruled out abandoning the legislation, named after the conservative lawmaker who proposed it, as it would "save a certain number of our farmers".
The petition's author, Eleonore Pattery, who describes herself as "a future environmental health professional", called the new law a "scientific, ethical, environmental and public health aberration".
"It represents a frontal attack on public health, biodiversity, the coherence of climate policies, food security, and common sense," she said.
- 'Bee killer' -
Acetamiprid has been banned in France since 2018, but remains legal within the European Union.
The insecticide is particularly sought after by beet and hazelnut growers, who say they have no alternative against pests and face unfair competition.
On the other hand, beekeepers have branded the chemical "a bee killer". French scientists who have studied its disorientating effects on bees confirm it is toxic to them.
Its effects on humans are also a source of concern but, in the absence of large-scale studies, its risks remain unclear.
The petition calls for the "immediate repeal" of the law and a "citizen-led consultation involving health, agricultural, environmental and legal stakeholders".
Launched on July 10, two days after the Senate adopted the text, it had already passed 500,000 signatures on Saturday.
- Appeal to Macron -
Petitions do not in themselves trigger a review or repeal of the legislation but unprecedented public support may prompt renewed parliamentary discussion on the matter.
Under French rules, if a petition reaches 500,000 verified signatures, the National Assembly may choose to hold a public debate limited to the content of the petition itself.
Speaker Braun-Pivet told the broadcaster franceinfo on Sunday she would be in favour of such a debate, but lawmakers "could not in any case go back on the law which has been voted through".
President Emmanuel Macron does have the power to send the text back for deputies to re-examine it, and on Sunday Green party leader Marine Tondelier appealed to him to do just that in a video posted online.
In late June, ahead of the law's passage, several thousand demonstrators -- including farmers, environmental organisations and scientists -- rallied across France calling for the bill to be withdrawn.
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The trade agreement between India and Britain, the world's fifth- and sixth-largest economies, was announced in May, more than three years after negotiations started, and stalled, under Britain's previous Conservative government. The UK government said the deal will reduce India's average tariff on British goods from 15 per cent to three per cent. Import taxes on whisky and gin will be halved from 150 per cent to 75 per cent before falling to 40 per cent by year 10 of the deal. Automotive tariffs will fall from over 100 per cent to 10 per cent under a quota. Britain said the deal is expected to increase bilateral trade by STG25.5 billion annually from 2040 and add almost STG5 billion a year to the British economy. India's Trade Ministry said in May that 99 per cent of Indian exports will face no import duty under the deal, which applies to products including clothes, shoes and food. 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Formal talks began in 2022 on a free trade agreement that then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson hailed as a key goal after Britain left the EU. Johnson famously promised to have a deal done by the Diwali holiday in October of that year. The two countries held 13 rounds of negotiations without a breakthrough before talks were suspended while both nations held general elections in 2024. Almost two million people in the UK have roots in India, where Britain was the colonial power until independence in 1947. Starmer said Britain and India "have unique bonds of history, of family and of culture, and we want to strengthen our relationship further, so that it is even more ambitious, modern and focused on the long term." Speaking as England and India face off in a Test cricket series, Modi sad the sport was "a great metaphor for our partnership." "There may be a swing and a miss at times but we always play with a straight bat," he said. 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Formal talks began in 2022 on a free trade agreement that then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson hailed as a key goal after Britain left the EU. Johnson famously promised to have a deal done by the Diwali holiday in October of that year. The two countries held 13 rounds of negotiations without a breakthrough before talks were suspended while both nations held general elections in 2024. Almost two million people in the UK have roots in India, where Britain was the colonial power until independence in 1947. Starmer said Britain and India "have unique bonds of history, of family and of culture, and we want to strengthen our relationship further, so that it is even more ambitious, modern and focused on the long term." Speaking as England and India face off in a Test cricket series, Modi sad the sport was "a great metaphor for our partnership." "There may be a swing and a miss at times but we always play with a straight bat," he said. 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"Improving competitiveness cannot rely on 'building walls and fortresses', Xi added, according to Xinhua. "'Decoupling and breaking chains' will only result in isolation." "It is hoped that the European side will keep the trade and investment market open and refrain from using restrictive economic and trade tools," he said. During the meeting in Beijing's Great Hall of the People, von der Leyen told Xi: "As our co-operation has deepened, so have imbalances," according to a pool report. "We have reached an inflection point," she added, urging China to "come forward with real solutions". She was referring to the EU's trade deficit with China, which ballooned to a historic 305.8 billion euros ($A544 billion) last year. EU trade actions in the past year have targeted Chinese exports of EVs among other goods, and its officials have repeatedly complained about Chinese industrial overcapacity. In a further veiled criticism of Brussels' recent hawkish stance on China, Xi also warned EU leaders to "make correct strategic choices". The two EU officials are set to meet Chinese Premier Li Qiang later. Both sides hope to reach a modest joint statement on climate, now one of the rare bright spots in their co-operation. In a posting on X, however, von der Leyen struck a more conciliatory tone, describing the summit as an opportunity to "both advance and rebalance our relationship". Topics the Europeans are expected to raise in the talks are electric vehicles and China's rare earth export controls that disrupted supply chains worldwide, causing temporary stoppages in European automotive production lines in May. Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged top European Union officials to "properly handle differences and frictions" as he criticised Brussels' recent trade actions against Beijing at a tense summit dominated by trade concerns and the Ukraine war. Expectations were low for the summit in the Chinese capital marking 50 years of diplomatic ties after weeks of escalating tension and wrangling over its format, with the duration abruptly halved to a single day at Beijing's request. "The current challenges facing Europe do not come from China," Xi told visiting European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa, state news agency Xinhua said. He urged the EU to "adhere to open co-operation and properly handle differences and frictions", after von der Leyen earlier called for a rebalancing of trade ties with the world's second largest economy, saying relations were at an "inflection point". "Improving competitiveness cannot rely on 'building walls and fortresses', Xi added, according to Xinhua. "'Decoupling and breaking chains' will only result in isolation." "It is hoped that the European side will keep the trade and investment market open and refrain from using restrictive economic and trade tools," he said. During the meeting in Beijing's Great Hall of the People, von der Leyen told Xi: "As our co-operation has deepened, so have imbalances," according to a pool report. "We have reached an inflection point," she added, urging China to "come forward with real solutions". She was referring to the EU's trade deficit with China, which ballooned to a historic 305.8 billion euros ($A544 billion) last year. EU trade actions in the past year have targeted Chinese exports of EVs among other goods, and its officials have repeatedly complained about Chinese industrial overcapacity. In a further veiled criticism of Brussels' recent hawkish stance on China, Xi also warned EU leaders to "make correct strategic choices". The two EU officials are set to meet Chinese Premier Li Qiang later. Both sides hope to reach a modest joint statement on climate, now one of the rare bright spots in their co-operation. In a posting on X, however, von der Leyen struck a more conciliatory tone, describing the summit as an opportunity to "both advance and rebalance our relationship". Topics the Europeans are expected to raise in the talks are electric vehicles and China's rare earth export controls that disrupted supply chains worldwide, causing temporary stoppages in European automotive production lines in May. Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged top European Union officials to "properly handle differences and frictions" as he criticised Brussels' recent trade actions against Beijing at a tense summit dominated by trade concerns and the Ukraine war. Expectations were low for the summit in the Chinese capital marking 50 years of diplomatic ties after weeks of escalating tension and wrangling over its format, with the duration abruptly halved to a single day at Beijing's request. "The current challenges facing Europe do not come from China," Xi told visiting European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa, state news agency Xinhua said. He urged the EU to "adhere to open co-operation and properly handle differences and frictions", after von der Leyen earlier called for a rebalancing of trade ties with the world's second largest economy, saying relations were at an "inflection point". "Improving competitiveness cannot rely on 'building walls and fortresses', Xi added, according to Xinhua. "'Decoupling and breaking chains' will only result in isolation." "It is hoped that the European side will keep the trade and investment market open and refrain from using restrictive economic and trade tools," he said. During the meeting in Beijing's Great Hall of the People, von der Leyen told Xi: "As our co-operation has deepened, so have imbalances," according to a pool report. "We have reached an inflection point," she added, urging China to "come forward with real solutions". She was referring to the EU's trade deficit with China, which ballooned to a historic 305.8 billion euros ($A544 billion) last year. EU trade actions in the past year have targeted Chinese exports of EVs among other goods, and its officials have repeatedly complained about Chinese industrial overcapacity. In a further veiled criticism of Brussels' recent hawkish stance on China, Xi also warned EU leaders to "make correct strategic choices". The two EU officials are set to meet Chinese Premier Li Qiang later. Both sides hope to reach a modest joint statement on climate, now one of the rare bright spots in their co-operation. In a posting on X, however, von der Leyen struck a more conciliatory tone, describing the summit as an opportunity to "both advance and rebalance our relationship". Topics the Europeans are expected to raise in the talks are electric vehicles and China's rare earth export controls that disrupted supply chains worldwide, causing temporary stoppages in European automotive production lines in May. Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged top European Union officials to "properly handle differences and frictions" as he criticised Brussels' recent trade actions against Beijing at a tense summit dominated by trade concerns and the Ukraine war. Expectations were low for the summit in the Chinese capital marking 50 years of diplomatic ties after weeks of escalating tension and wrangling over its format, with the duration abruptly halved to a single day at Beijing's request. "The current challenges facing Europe do not come from China," Xi told visiting European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa, state news agency Xinhua said. He urged the EU to "adhere to open co-operation and properly handle differences and frictions", after von der Leyen earlier called for a rebalancing of trade ties with the world's second largest economy, saying relations were at an "inflection point". "Improving competitiveness cannot rely on 'building walls and fortresses', Xi added, according to Xinhua. "'Decoupling and breaking chains' will only result in isolation." "It is hoped that the European side will keep the trade and investment market open and refrain from using restrictive economic and trade tools," he said. During the meeting in Beijing's Great Hall of the People, von der Leyen told Xi: "As our co-operation has deepened, so have imbalances," according to a pool report. "We have reached an inflection point," she added, urging China to "come forward with real solutions". She was referring to the EU's trade deficit with China, which ballooned to a historic 305.8 billion euros ($A544 billion) last year. EU trade actions in the past year have targeted Chinese exports of EVs among other goods, and its officials have repeatedly complained about Chinese industrial overcapacity. In a further veiled criticism of Brussels' recent hawkish stance on China, Xi also warned EU leaders to "make correct strategic choices". The two EU officials are set to meet Chinese Premier Li Qiang later. Both sides hope to reach a modest joint statement on climate, now one of the rare bright spots in their co-operation. In a posting on X, however, von der Leyen struck a more conciliatory tone, describing the summit as an opportunity to "both advance and rebalance our relationship". Topics the Europeans are expected to raise in the talks are electric vehicles and China's rare earth export controls that disrupted supply chains worldwide, causing temporary stoppages in European automotive production lines in May.
