France's Constitutional Council on Thursday rejected a controversial pesticide bill that would have allowed the reintroduction of acetamiprid – a chemical banned since 2018 due to its harmful effects on pollinators, ecosystems and human health. The bill drew strong public opposition, including a petition that collected more than 2.1 million signatures.
The court struck down the most contested part of the Duplomb law, ruling it violated France's Environmental Charter, which has constitutional status.
President Emmanuel Macron said he had “taken note of the Constitutional Council’s decision” and would “promulgate the text as it results from this decision as soon as possible”, the Élysée Palace said.
The council allowed other parts of the law to stand. It approved measures simplifying paperwork for large livestock operations and the construction of water storage facilities for agriculture – though with some reservations for the latter.
It also ruled that the law had been adopted in line with constitutional rules, despite being rejected by its own backers at one point in the National Assembly.
French court to rule on agriculture law that poses threat to bees and nature
Unions welcome ruling
The Confédération Paysanne, France’s third-largest agricultural union, welcomed what it called a “step victory” and urged continued pressure “to obtain a reorientation of agricultural policies”.
“We hope that the mobilisation will not die out,” said Stéphane Galais, the union’s spokesperson, speaking to AFP outside the Constitutional Council in Paris. The group promotes a “real” agroecological transition.
The Duplomb law was passed in early July with government support, despite opposition from scientists, environmental groups and much of the public.
The proposal to bring back acetamiprid – part of the neonicotinoid family of pesticides – became the focus of protest.
The chemical is still allowed in other parts of Europe, but France banned it in 2018. Its return was pushed by the powerful FNSEA farming union to help beetroot and hazelnut growers. Senator Laurent Duplomb, a member of Les Républicains and a former FNSEA leader, sponsored the bill.
The council said it had to rule under pressure from both public opinion and farming interests. It found that “lacking sufficient oversight”, the measure was incompatible with the “framework defined by its jurisprudence, stemming from the Environmental Charter”.
Grassroots campaign against controversial French pesticide bill gathers momentum
'Risk to human health'
In their ruling, the judges stressed that neonicotinoids “have impacts on biodiversity, particularly for pollinating insects and birds” and “induce risks for human health”.
A previous exemption had been granted in 2020, limited to sugar beet crops and restricted to seed coatings. But the new clause was broader. It was not limited in time or to a specific crop, and it also permitted spraying – which raises the risk of the substance spreading into surrounding environments.
“By introducing such a derogation, the legislature deprived of legal guarantees the right to live in a balanced environment respectful of health guaranteed by article 1 of the Environmental Charter,” the judges wrote.
The ruling represents a setback for farming interests seeking more flexibility in pesticide use. For environmental campaigners, it is a clear win that reaffirms constitutional protections.
While the pesticide clause has been struck out, the rest of the Duplomb law remains in place – including rules that simplify procedures for large farms. The Élysée said the revised version would be published “as soon as possible”.
