France: Parliament reauthorizes two pesticides, environment minister nearly resigns

An absolute disaster for our sector and biodiversity as a whole

— France's UNAF (leading beekeeping association), via president Christian Pons and spokesperson Henri Clément

Greenpeace France accuses the government and its right-wing parliamentary allies of 'trampling on science, health, the environment and the clear will of the people,' calling the legislation 'deeply concerning' and 'shameful.'

What science says about these pesticides

Acetamiprid is a neonicotinoid — a class of insecticides acting on insects' central nervous system. Studies show it poisons bees by impairing their foraging ability and memory.

Flupyradifurone is not formally part of the neonicotinoid family but shares a similar mode of action on insects' nervous systems. A 2024 study suggests it can be lethal to certain honeybees.

According to data from France's Agriculture Ministry, national honey production was cut in half between the mid-1990s and mid-2010s, a period coinciding with the introduction of neonicotinoids. Habitat loss and climate change are also cited as factors.

A Vendée beekeeper's account

Yves Delaunay, a beekeeper in Vendée, illustrates the collapse observed in the 1990s. His honey production dropped from 80 kg to 5 kg per hive after neonicotinoids were introduced, and his colonies fell from 70,000 to 20,000 bees in days, with insects becoming disoriented and dying outside the hive.

Timeline

1. Mid-1990s
   Introduction of neonicotinoids in French agriculture. Beekeeper Yves Delaunay in Vendée sees his production drop from 80 kg to 5 kg per hive and his colonies fall from 70,000 to 20,000 bees in days.
2. Mid-2010s
   French honey production had been cut in half compared to the mid-1990s level, according to Agriculture Ministry data.
3. 2025
   Parliament adopts initial legislation reauthorizing acetamiprid despite a petition exceeding 2 million signatures. The Constitutional Court cancels the bill for violating the Charter for the Environment, a text of constitutional value integrated into French law in 2005.
4. July 21, 2026
   Parliament passes new legislation allowing the Anses to grant exemptions for acetamiprid and flupyradifurone. The Senate approves 214-111. The authorization of the two pesticides was inserted late in the bill to facilitate passage through the right-wing majority Senate.
5. July 22, 2026
   Environment Minister Monique Barbut submits her resignation, calling the law 'one environmental setback too many.' She is persuaded to stay after a meeting with President Emmanuel Macron.

What remains uncertain

The law does not directly reauthorize the two pesticides: it delegates to the Anses the power to grant targeted exemptions. The precise criteria the agency must apply to grant or deny these exemptions are not detailed in available information.

The full name of UNAF is not available in independently verified sources. The source article describes it as France's leading beekeeping association.

Frequently asked questions

26 July 2026 at 04:30

25 July 2026 at 22:38