“Reautorizing acetamipride is opening Pandora’s box. Other neonicotinoids could return to the market ”

The DUPLOM law. However, at the heart of a petition criticizing its impact on the environment and health which panic the counters on the site of the National Assembly, aims to restore competitiveness to farmers by reducing certain constraints.

Definitely adopted on July 8 after fiery debates. Furthermore, the text, carried by Senator Laurent Duplob for “Raise constraints to the exercise of the farmer profession”is targeted by the petition of a student who reached the record number of 1.3 million signatures. Nevertheless, thus paving the way for a debate before the deputies, but without re -examining the text on the substance or a priori repeal.

Presented by its defenders as one of the responses to the crisis “reautorizing acetamipride opening pandora’s box. in the agricultural world of 2024. Meanwhile, the text contains several controversial measures:

The most criticized is the supervised reintroduction and as a derogatory of acetamipride, an insecticide from the family of neonicotinoids, prohibited since 2018 in France but authorized in Europe until 2033.

It was claimed by the FNSEA-Jeunes farmers alliance. Therefore, rural coordination, the first agricultural unions, especially for producers of sugar beets who claim to have no solution to effectively protect their cultures. The planters fear competition from imports of sugar produced with pesticides prohibited in France.

The return of neonicotinoids. very toxic to bees, is criticized by defenders of nature, beekeepers, the peasant confederation (3^e agricultural union), but also public agencies of water and scientists who recently alerted to the “Persistence” of these substances “reautorizing acetamipride opening pandora’s box. in the environment and health risks.

Another issue of the text is the role of the National Health Security Agency (ANSES). mandated since 2015 to assess the dangerousness of pesticides, but also authorize their marketing. The compromise text provides that the agency. when it examines the placing on the market and the use of plant protection products, will have to take into account “Agronomic, phytosanitary, and environmental circumstances, including climatic people prevailing on the national territory”.

As for the agents of the French Biodiversity Office (OFB). in charge of the Environment Police, those are now equipped with “Individual cameras”. The public establishment had been criticized by Prime Minister François Bayrou. who had described as “Faults” Certain inspections of OFB agents in “reautorizing acetamipride opening pandora’s box. farmers, “A belt weapon”.

The text also aims to facilitate the storage of water for the irrigation of crops, in a context of rarefaction of the resource linked to climate change.

Associations warned against “The establishment of megabassines”these immense reservations made up in winter by drawing from the water table. rivers, “Who monopolizes” Water resources “For the benefit of intensive agriculture”.

With the text. there will now be a presumption of“Major general interest” For storage structures, with the intention of facilitating procedures to obtain construction authorizations.

On the farming side, the law facilitates the expansion or the creation of intensive farming buildings. In particular, it allows, during the public inquiry, to replace the public meeting with a permanence “reautorizing acetamipride opening pandora’s box. in town hall. It also reports the livestock thresholds beyond which the farms must be registered. obtain an authorization: 40,000 chickens currently at 85,000 with the law and 2,000 pigs to 3,000.