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French President Emmanuel Macron has signed into law a modified bill banning the reintroduction of a bee-killing pesticide, following a petition signed by more than two million people, France 24 reported.
The legislation, which has sparked a major debate in France, was adopted in July in a divided lower house of parliament and has faced criticism for being rushed through without proper discussion, according to France 24. The law was published in the government's official journal on Tuesday after the Constitutional Council, France's highest court, struck down a contested provision regarding the reintroduction of acetamiprid. The court ruled that neonicotinoid insecticides posed "risks to human health" and deemed the provision unconstitutional for undermining the right to live in a balanced and healthy environment as guaranteed by the country's environmental charter, France 24 stated. Acetamiprid, banned in France since 2018, remains legal in the European Union. Supporters of the pesticide argue that French farmers need it to stay competitive with European counterparts. The main farmers' union has opposed the court ruling while welcoming the approval of other parts of the legislation, including measures to simplify planning permission for livestock buildings and water reservoirs for irrigation, France 24 reported. Supporters of the petition expressed frustration that went beyond environmental issues. They contended that acetamiprid, unlike other banned neonicotinoids at the EU level, does not pose the same risks, and without it, crops like sugar beets and hazelnuts face severe disease losses, France 24 added. Commentators have interpreted the petition as a sign of exasperation with political deadlock in the hung parliament and a demand for greater public influence on political decisions, France 24 noted. Following the court ruling, Macron stated his intention to quickly enact the law and rejected further parliamentary debate. The legislation has been named the Duplomb law after its author, Laurent Duplomb, a senator from the right-wing Republicans party. French Health Minister Yannick Neuder has called for a European reassessment of acetamiprid's impact on human health, France 24 reported. (ANI)
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