
Can a French citizen's petition reverse the reintroduction of a banned pesticide?
But some farmers, environmentalists and medical experts have criticised many of the law's proposals – particularly one provision that proposes to reintroduce the insecticide acetamiprid, a chemical known to be toxic to pollinators such as bees and to ecosystems – which was banned in France in 2018.
The contentious provisions spurred 23-year-old masters student Eleonore Pattery to launch a petition against the law on July 10, which brought the bill to the public's attention. The petition's author, 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.
At the time of writing, the petition had collected more than 1.5 million signatures – higher than any other petition published on France's official National Assembly site so far.
The reintroduction of acetamiprid – an insecticide that belongs to a class of synthetic chemicals similar to nicotine called neonicotinoids, often shortened to "neonics" – is the most divisive provision of the law.
Neonics were developed in the 1980s to target the central nervous system of insects and disrupt nerve function. These insecticides are extremely effective against a wide range of pests like aphids and grubs, and have been used globally since the 1990s. In France, they are widely used by beetroot and hazelnut growers.
However, they come with a list of caveats that harm biodiversity and human health, according to experts.
Unlike contact pesticides that coat the surface of a plant, neonics are absorbed by the plant and distributed through its leaves, flowers, pollen, and nectar.
While this makes them very effective against pests, they also cause impaired navigation, reduced learning, weakened colony health and death among bees. Various beekeeping organisations have urged citizens to fight against the law for this very reason and have branded the chemical "a bee killer".
Scientists also say that neonicotinoids tend to remain inside the soil and hurt non-target species i.e., insects and animals that don't hurt crop yield but play an essential role in maintaining ecological balance.
However, the invertebrates aren't the only ones at risk. A growing body of research shows that neonicotinoids impact human nervous systems too. Hundreds of doctors and researchers have signed an open letter published by French healthcare organisation Médecins du Monde that says the law fails to address the collapse of biodiversity and the impact on farmers' health. The letter specifically mentions three chemicals: acetamiprid, flupyradifurone and sulfoxaflor.
'The primary consequence of these dysfunctions is an increased risk for farmers of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), myeloma, prostate cancer, Parkinson's disease, and neurodevelopmental disorders, to take just a few examples, while the precautionary principle (and the European regulation) requires that no marketing authorisation be issued in the event of a risk to human health or biodiversity,' it says. The letter has been backed by The French League Against Cancer and the European Federation of Neurological Associations.
01:34
Environmentalists are also concerned by some of the other provisions of the law.
The law claims it will promote the expansion of industrial agriculture by easing permits for large livestock facilities and water reservoirs. Critics say this move will harm smaller family-run operations and is likely to increase greenhouse gas emissions and environmental degradation.
The Duplomb law will also implement several long-standing demands from France's largest farm union FNSEA, which has historically supported pesticide use.
"We need to maintain our means of production, and I believe there's a lot of exaggeration in the comments being made," the head of FNSEA, Arnaud Rousseau, told franceinfo radio.
Growers also argue that acetamiprid, allowed in other EU countries, is vital to fight yellows disease, which cut yields by 30% in 2020 and slashed sugar output.
Can a citizen's petition change the law?
The number of signatures on Pattery's petition continue to climb, and increasing pressure on the government to revisit the law.
The French government has defended the bill, but has been obliged to acknowledge the outcry, amid the rapidly rising number of signatures.
In France, petitions with over half a million signatures can prompt a parliamentary debate, but do not require a new vote.
National Assembly chairwoman Yael Braun Privet said the government "had to listen to the people. We will hold a debate but this debate will not – it cannot – change the text that was just voted." Former Prime Minister Gabriel Attal has also said he would back a debate.
Benjamin Morel, a constitutional expert and lecturer at the University of Paris-Panthéon-Assas agrees, saying that while the petition might lead to a debate, it will not ultimately lead to any change in the text of the law itself: "For the Duplomb law not to be enforced, a new bill would have to be introduced, or the president of the Republic would have to get involved."
" Emmanuel Macron could request a new deliberation by Parliament, in accordance with Article 10 of the Constitution," Morel adds. But he believes that the result of the vote would be identical.
For now, France's left – the four parties formerly allied under the banner of the New Popular Front – have promised to continue to battle to repeal the Duplomb law. "The fight has only just begun," warned Green Party MP Sandrine Rousseau on franceinfo radio on Monday.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


France 24
2 hours ago
- France 24
Ukraine will fix anti-graft law, minister tells AFP ahead of crucial vote
President Volodymyr Zelensky changed the law that curbed the powers of anti-graft bodies after the original legislation sparked the largest public unrest since Russia's invasion more than three years ago. The law had put the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) under the direct authority of the prosecutor general, who is appointed by the president. Critics said the move could facilitate presidential interference in corruption probes. On Thursday, the parliament is to vote on a new version, approved by the agencies, which restores their independence, but also provides for regular lie detector tests for anti-graft officials. "We anticipate the vote tomorrow. The relevant parliamentary committee has already given its approval. We are getting this fixed," Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga told AFP in an interview. Several hundred people staged a new protest in the rain in central Kyiv on the eve of the vote to put pressure on lawmakers. "Hands off NABU and SAPO," they chanted. "I hope that things will improve somehow, but it will be almost impossible to completely restore our reputation," Olena, a 51-year-old IT worker, told AFP at the protest. Another protester, Pavlo, said however that he did not think the action "did any harm" as people were focused on the war with Russia. But he added that the law has damaged public trust in the government, which already "wasn't very high". The minister said last week's protests proved Ukraine is a democracy. "The Ukrainian authorities heard their (civil society) voices, as well as those of our partners," he declared. 'National interest' Sybiga reiterated Kyiv's commitment to fight corruption and its desire to join the European Union and NATO military alliance, "there is no alternative to this path," the minister said. "This is a principled position of President Zelenskyy and this is in our national interest." European allies had been worried that the law would undermine anti-corruption reforms key to Ukraine's bid to join the EU, but supported the new amendments. It remains to be seen whether members of the parliament, which is mostly loyal to Zelensky, will approve the new version. Commentators and Ukrainian media feared some lawmakers under potential investigation by the agencies may be reluctant to support the new bill. Thirty-one MPs have been mentioned in NABU's investigations, SAPO said in a statement on Wednesday. NABU and SAPO were created a decade ago when Ukraine undertook anti-corruption reforms after the pro-European Maidan protests, dubbed as the Revolution of Dignity. They uncovered major corruption cases, including within the presidency, parliament and judiciary. However only three out of the 10 most significant cases resulted in prison sentences, according NABU. "Hope dies last," said Olena, who took part in Wednesday's protest.


France 24
2 hours ago
- France 24
Ukraine will 'fix' controversial anti-graft law, FM says on eve of vote
Ukraine will fix a controversial anti-graft law that sparked protests last week, its foreign minister told AFP on Wednesday, ahead of a parliamentary vote Thursday on the amendments. President Volodymyr Zelensky changed the law that curbed the powers of anti-graft bodies after the original legislation sparked the largest public unrest since Russia 's invasion more than three years ago. The law had placed the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) under the direct authority of the prosecutor general, who is appointed by the president. Critics said the move could facilitate presidential interference in corruption probes. Zelensky approves new bill restoring 'independence' of anti-corruption bodies after protests 01:46 The new version, approved by the agencies, restores their independence, but also provides for regular lie detector tests for anti-graft officials. "We anticipate the vote tomorrow. The relevant parliamentary committee has already given its approval. We are getting this fixed," Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga told AFP in an interview. He reiterated Kyiv's commitment to fight corruption and its desire to join the European Union and NATO military alliance, saying "there is no alternative to this path". European allies had worried the law would undermine anti-corruption reforms key to Ukraine's bid to join the EU. Ukraine's top anti-corruption investigator said last Friday that he did not expect attempts to derail his agency's work to end despite Zelensky's U-turn. NABU director Semen Kryvonos said he was taken aback by the attempt to curtail his agency's fight against graft but did not name those who may have been behind the legislation. "Everyone united around the idea of ruining our independence," Kryvonos told Reuters in an interview in Kyiv, referring to parliament passing the controversial measures. "This was a shock for me – how much demand had built up to destroy us." It remains to be seen whether members of the parliament, which is mostly loyal to Zelensky, will approve the new version. Commentators and Ukrainian media feared some lawmakers under potential investigation by the agencies may be reluctant to support the new bill. Thirty-one MPs were mentioned in NABU's investigations, SAPO said in a statement on Wednesday.


Le Figaro
4 hours ago
- Le Figaro
To Fight Sexual Violence, Teenagers Advocate for Limits on Social Media Access
The French Commission on Incest and Sexual Violence Against Children (Ciivise) has formed a 'mirror group' of 15 teenagers, aged 14 to 17, to suggest measures to combat sexual violence, based on their own experiences. 'Protect us on social media!' This is no longer just a measure promoted by experts and politicians. Teenagers themselves are calling for the introduction of an age limit — between 13 and 15 — for accessing digital platforms. This is one of the key recommendations made by a group of fifteen young people aged 14 to 17 from Paris, the suburbs, the provinces, and overseas territories, who were brought together by Ciivise to discuss measures to combat sexual violence against minors. With one in ten children falling victim to this type of violence, 'this is the first time that adults have decided to give teenagers a voice on this issue,' says Léonie, 17, from Brittany. 'Until now, we haven't really been involved in public policy, even though we have ideas based on our experiences as teenagers.' Publicité While minors are overwhelmingly on Snapchat, TikTok, and Instagram, digital prevention has been a 'major topic' of discussion for this Ciivise 'mirror' group, which has worked for a year and produced a report with 23 recommendations. 'There were heated debates about the minimum age for accessing social media,' says Sven, 15. 'We hesitated between 13 and 15. We didn't decide. We're letting the public debate run its course.' The public debate is in full swing, with Emmanuel Macron stating in June that France should ban social media for children under 15 within 'a few months" if this is not done at the European level. A law to this effect was passed in 2023 but has so far remained a dead letter. While some young people are less convinced than others about the effectiveness of a ban 'that will probably be circumvented,' they have nevertheless decided in favor of an age limit. 'It's an important signal. There can be no education without prohibition, just as there can be no prohibition without education,' says Sven. 'These are really two measures that work together, even if education can prevent many more dangers.' Margot, for her part, favored the age limit of 15, her own age. 'In middle school, we're pretty immature and we're not necessarily aware of what's right or wrong on social media,' she says. Since the subject is rarely discussed with parents, 'we're thrown in at the deep end without any explanation and we find ourselves facing dangers.' The teenager cited the case of friends whose photos were misused on Instagram, even modified by artificial intelligence. 'Social media is what will define relationships in the future. We need to learn how to use it properly,' says Sven, who is more in favor of a 13-year-old age limit. But still, '7-year-olds posting photos on social media is not acceptable!' he says. Publicité 'TikTok is hot.' Almost everyone has received messages, videos, photos, or solicitations of a sexual nature from strangers, often at a very young age. 'At the age of 9,' estimates Léonie. And on streaming sites, sexual pop-ups are rampant. 'TikTok is hot,' says Gabin, 18, who is concerned that even private videos are fed into the overwhelming algorithm of the Chinese social network, which is currently under scrutiny by a parliamentary committee. On X (formerly Twitter), there are 'videos of murders and rapes without any censorship, it's mind-boggling,' says Alice. The problem is that not being on social media 'excludes you from the group,' says Prune. To protect the youngest users, this 'mirror' group of Ciivise also recommends that private messages should only be possible 'from the age of 13' and only between people who are mutual followers. Platforms that meet certain quality and safety criteria could also be awarded a label allowing them to be open to minors. Mistrust toward the police and the justice system The other major finding of this working group is that young people are the first to be confronted with the testimonies of victims of sexual violence and incest. In the group, everyone has at some point been the confidant of these difficult-to-bear secrets. This role encourages them to want to develop peer support, i.e., mutual aid between people of the same age or facing the same problems. This measure was unanimously agreed upon. 'Young people no longer necessarily trust the police and the justice system. That bond has been broken,' says Margot. 'We tend to turn to other young people, to our friends. But someone who hears these secrets doesn't necessarily know how to react. It's a heavy burden. We feel lost when faced with these revelations that are entrusted to us." Should one talk about it or keep it secret? Should one turn to a teacher or a nurse? To better equip teenagers, the mirror group proposes the introduction of a peer support permit, obtained at school and adapted to each class. This 'training' would aim to ensure that every child knows how to receive and respond to testimonies and how to refer victims. 'We tend to teach young people to speak up, but we don't tell them anything about how to receive what they say,' says Samuel Comblez, deputy director general of the e-Enfance Association, who was one of the supervisors of this working group. Publicité The procedures to be followed in the event of disclosures could also be communicated as part of the new emotional, relational, and sexuality education program (EVARS), the teenagers suggest. All these ideas were presented to Sarah El Haïry, High Commissioner for Children, and Clara Chappaz, Minister Delegate for Digital Affairs. This material could be invaluable in legitimizing new measures.