France’s parliament passed a law on Tuesday allowing the food and environmental safety agency Anses to grant waivers for the neonicotinoid acetamiprid and the insecticide flupyradifurone to fight aphid-borne diseases that can devastate sugar beet, apple, hazelnut and cherry crops. French beekeepers, led by UNAF spokesperson Christian Pons and regional beekeepers such as Carolyn Bouguet and Henri Clément, called the move "scandalous, irrational and irresponsible," warning of very high bee mortality and reduced harvests. Scientific studies cited in reporting show acetamiprid has powerful neurotoxic effects that impair foraging and memory and a 2024 study suggested flupyradifurone could be lethal to some honeybees. Greenpeace France said the government and its parliamentary allies were "trampling on science, health, the environment and the clear will of the people." Agriculture minister Annie Genevard and the farmers' union FNSEA welcomed the bill as a victory for growers, while agriculture ministry figures note French honey production halved between the mid-1990s and the mid-2010s. Environment minister Monique Barbut submitted her resignation after the vote and then remained in post after meeting President Emmanuel Macron.
