The controversial law on agriculture carried by the senators Laurent Dupumb (LR) and Franck Menonville (UDI) is preparing to take the last stage of the parliamentary course. Gathered in camera this Monday in joint joint committee (CMP), deputies and senators have reached an agreement on a common version of the text, revealing final adoption in the coming days.
This bill, defended as a means of “lifting constraints in the exercise of the farmer profession”, will be subject to a final vote this Wednesday, July 3 in the Senate, then Tuesday, July 8 in the National Assembly. If the vote in the Senate is hardly in doubt, that of the deputies could be more uncertain, even if a large support is emerging on the side of the Republicans, the national rally and part of the presidential majority.
An “environmental decline”
The heart of the controversy remains the reintroduction, under strict conditions, of acetamipride, a pesticide of the family of neonicotinoids has prohibited in France since 2018. Its effects in humans are a source of concerns, even if the risks remain uncertain, for lack of scale. If he is still authorized elsewhere in Europe, he is accused of harming pollinators. Beekeepers speak of a “bee killer”, while producers of beets or hazelnuts believe that they have no real alternative against pests.
The compromise validated on Monday provides for a “review clause” after three years and forbidden to plant plants attracting pollinators to the areas treated. But these guarantees did not convince the opponents: four left parliamentarians voted against in CMP, denouncing an “environmental decline”.
A response to the difficulties of the sector
Beyond the question of pesticides, the text affects several sensitive subjects, including a recovery of environmental authorization thresholds for intensive farms or facilitation of water storage for irrigation. On the other hand, a senatorial system which aimed to increase the influence of the government in the work of the Anses health agency on pesticide authorizations was removed within the framework of this parliamentary compromise, according to several participants.
The Minister of Agriculture, Annie Genevard, defended the text by seeing a response to the difficulties of certain sectors. “Its recovery can only be done under very strict conditions for sectors which today are in the impasse of treatment, but which tomorrow, I hope, will find a solution in biocontrol or in alternative treatment”, on the other hand, the Minister of Ecological Transition Agnès Pannier-Runacher expressed her reserves on the re-authorization of acetamipride, believing that Molecule as if it were harmless, which is not the case ”.
Our file on pesticides
A “suicidal” agricultural model
Faced with the mobilization of environmental associations, left -wing elected officials and minority agricultural unions, rallies took place in Paris this Monday at the call of the “Nourrir” collective. The latter denounces a law “in the service of agro-industry”. Jean-Luc Mélenchon, the leader of rebellious France evokes a “suicidal” agricultural model.
It remains to be seen whether certain deputies of the majority, reluctant to this orientation, will take the step of a negative vote next week. The Renaissance president of the Sustainable Development Commission, Sandrine Le Feur, has already announced her opposition, denouncing a text which crosses “several red lines”.
