A new French law allows for the reintroduction of banned pesticides, which has had a huge reaction to a petition against it, which collected more than 600,000 signatures on Saturday.
The so-called “Duplomb Law” has aroused public anger because it allows the return of acetylpiperidine – a known chemical that is toxic to pollinators such as bees and ecosystems. It was adopted on July 8 but has not yet taken effect.
The legislation, named after the proposed Conservative MP, was proposed in parliament to “reduce restrictions on French farmers.”
But its move brought back acetylaminebenzene, prompting a 23-year-old master’s student to launch a petition that quickly snowballed and gathered support from many, including actors and several left-wing MPs.
The official website of the French parliament shows that it accumulates more signatures than anyone else. On Saturday, at 8:30 pm GMT, the counter passed 620,000.
Eleonore Pattery, the author of the petition, described himself as “the future environmental health expert”, calling the new law “scientific, ethical, environmental and public health distortions.”
“This represents a frontal attack on the consistency of public health, biodiversity, climate policy, food security and common sense,” she said.
– ‘Bee Killer’ –
Acetyldipyridine has been banned in France since 2018, but remains legal within the EU.
Beet and hazelnut growers have hunted down pesticides in particular, saying they have no other alternative pests and are facing unfair competition.
Beekeepers, on the other hand, describe the chemical as a “bee killer.”
Its impact on humans is also a source of concern, but the risks remain unclear without large-scale research.
The petition calls for “immediate repeal” of the law and “citizen-led consultations involving health, agriculture, environment and legal stakeholders.”
The petition itself did not trigger a review or repeal of legislation, but unprecedented public support could prompt a rediscussion on the matter.
According to French regulations, if the petition reaches 500,000 verified signatures, the National Assembly may choose to hold a public debate, limited to the contents of the petition itself.
In late June, before the law was passed, thousands of protesters, including farmers, environmental groups and scientists, gathered across France to demand the bill to be withdrawn.
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