Macron Enacts Law Banning Pesticide Harmful to Bees

(MENAFN) French President Emmanuel Macron has formally enacted a revised version of the Duplomb Law, officially halting efforts to bring back a highly controversial pesticide linked to bee deaths, according to reports from local media.

On Tuesday, France’s official government journal published the updated legislation, which definitively blocks the reauthorization of pesticides containing acetamiprid, a type of neonicotinoid known to endanger pollinators and biodiversity. The law’s amendment follows growing public outcry and a petition opposing the pesticide that garnered over two million signatures.

The legislative shift came swiftly after a ruling last Thursday by France’s Constitutional Council, which invalidated a central clause in the original law. The court determined that a provision allowing for conditional exemptions to the national ban on neonicotinoids was unconstitutional, citing risks to health and the environment.

Specifically, the Council struck down an article that would have permitted limited use of phytopharmaceutical products containing acetamiprid, stating it violated environmental protections.

Although still permitted in other parts of the European Union, acetamiprid has been the target of fierce criticism from environmental advocates in France. Some agricultural producers — particularly in the beet and hazelnut sectors — had lobbied for its return, claiming it was essential for safeguarding their crops.

However, left-wing lawmakers who brought the case to court argued that the proposed exemptions violated the French Environmental Charter, which enshrines both the precautionary principle and the right to a healthy environment.

The Duplomb Law has been at the heart of an intense national dispute, sparking student-led activism and culminating in a landmark petition drive. The widespread mobilization played a key role in shaping the final version of the law.

MENAFN13082025000045017169ID1109922794