Duplomb Law: Petition for Repeal Breaks Records

A petition against the Duplomb law is breaking all records. Launched on July 10 , two days after its final adoption, it had accumulated nearly 370,000 signatures as of Saturday, July 19.

This law is supposed to lift constraints on farmers by reauthorizing the use of a highly controversial pesticide: acetamiprid .

Banned in France, but authorized elsewhere in Europe until 2033, the product is particularly demanded by beet and hazelnut producers , who believe they have no alternative against pests and are subject to unfair competition.

Conversely, beekeepers warn of "a bee killer." Its effects on humans are also a source of concern, although the risks remain uncertain due to a lack of large-scale studies.

The signatories of this petition hope to reimpose the debate on MPs. It was created at the initiative of Eleonore, a 23-year-old master's student in "Quality, Safety, and Environment."

She denounces "a dangerous act" for residents, ecosystems, and humanity. "You want us to eat poison," she writes, pointing to the product from the neonicotinoid family.

The petition is circulating widely on social media, notably relayed by personalities such as actor Pierre Niney and numerous left-wing MPs, and aims to reach 500,000 signatures. Once this threshold is reached, a new debate could be organized in the Assembly. Aurélie Trouvé, chair of the Economic Affairs Committee, is committed to this, even though these discussions have not yet taken place.

"It's about bringing the voice of the people to the House. A section of the population is strongly opposed and very afraid of this law, which reauthorizes a dangerous pesticide," the MP explained on RMC radio.

The lack of real debate in the chamber is one of the arguments put forward by left-wing MPs who filed an appeal on July 11 before the Constitutional Council, hoping to censure it for procedural errors. At this stage, this is the most realistic option to prevent its promulgation.

Beyond the implications of this petition, it could become symbolic. If it reaches half a million signatures, it would be a first in the history of the National Assembly. No petition has ever been debated in the Chamber in the history of the Fifth Republic.

As a reminder, a petition reaching 500,000 signatures in 30 different departments can be debated in the Chamber, if the Conference of Presidents accepts it.