Agricultural Law: Pannier-Runacher opposes the return of neonicotinoids but denounces parliamentary obstruction

The Minister for Ecological Transition, Agnès Pannier-Runacher , declared on Sunday that she was "not in favour of the reintroduction" of a neonicotinoid insecticide in France, while denouncing the parliamentary obstruction against a text expected Monday in the Assembly and which would allow this return.

"In a country that has banned neonicotinoids, I think it's a shame to reopen this possibility, because we're losing all the momentum we've had investing in alternatives. And we'll be revisiting the issue in a few years because a ban will inevitably come about" at the European level, the minister told franceinfo.

The bill put forward by LR Senator Laurent Duplomb , aimed at "lifting the constraints" on the farming profession, notably provides for the reintroduction by way of derogation of acetamiprid, a neonicotinoid insecticide banned in France since 2018 but authorized elsewhere in Europe until 2033.

This provision, demanded by beet and hazelnut producers, is criticized by beekeepers and environmentalists, and has deeply divided parliamentarians. The text will be the subject of a motion of rejection on Monday by its supporters, who hope to circumvent the approximately 3,500 amendments tabled, notably by environmentalists and the left. This Sunday, RN vice-president Sébastien Chenu "did not rule out" the possibility that the party's deputies would vote for the motion of rejection.

Agnès Pannier-Runacher denounced an "unacceptable" attempt to hijack parliamentary debate. "Compared to the text that initially provided for an unlimited reopening of the use (of acetamiprid, editor's note), the Senate has strictly locked down this use , it is subject to strict conditions. And we can still make progress at the level of the National Assembly. So you see, what I find shocking is precisely that the political debate is not taking place," she declared.

"The question that has arisen today is what level of risk are we willing to accept, and what limits do we place on the use of a set of products that allow us to produce our food in acceptable quantity and quality," she noted.

Stressing that France was "among the countries that are most restrictive in terms of phytosanitary products", she underlined that "in the face of pests, in the face of a certain number of dangers that threaten crops, we need to have a pharmacopoeia", insisting generally on the question of "dosage".