Overview
- Senators began debating an emergency agricultural bill that includes an amendment from LR senator Laurent Duplomb to reauthorize acétamipride on a derogatory basis, with the vote scheduled for Monday, June 29, 2026.
- Major farming organizations and sugar‑beet producers back the amendment and say access to acétamipride would help fight aphid‑borne diseases and restore competitiveness with neighboring countries that still use the product.
- Researchers, toxicologists and medical bodies strongly oppose the reintroduction, citing evidence of harm to pollinators, wide environmental contamination and potential human health risks such as endocrine and reproductive toxicity.
- INRAE’s long‑running Rés0pest trials show pesticide‑free cropping with synthetic fertilizers can reach about 80–85% of local average yields but carry higher year‑to‑year variability and would need public subsidies and industry buy‑in to scale.
- A prior attempt to reintroduce acétamipride was struck down by the Conseil constitutionnel in August 2025 after mass public opposition, a legal and civic precedent that could shape how the Senate vote and public reaction unfold and that may affect the emergency law’s final adoption.