In the night from Monday to Tuesday, senators adopted by 183 votes to 129 a measure allowing the controlled reintroduction of acetamiprid and flupyradifurone into the emergency agriculture bill.
The vote took place against the advice of the government. The measure aims to temporarily authorise these insecticides, banned in France but allowed in other European countries, to support the beet, apple, cherry and hazelnut sectors.
Laurent Duplomb, Les Républicains senator, defended the proposal by denouncing an “hypocrisy” that weakens French production. The left described the text as an “unacceptable step backwards” and a “pro-pesticide escalation”.
Agriculture Minister Annie Genevard expressed concern that this point could jeopardise the entire bill during the joint committee scheduled for mid-July. Ecological Transition Minister Monique Barbut recalled the need to act with caution given doubts over the substances’ effects.
