Student’s Petition Against Pesticide Triggers Legislative Debate

A petition launched by a 23-year-old student opposing the return of a banned pesticide garnered more than a million signatures and triggered a parliamentary debate, a move that marks a first in France’s recent history, Politico reported. 

The petition centers on the Duplomb Law, named after one of its sponsors, which was passed in the French parliament in early July with the intention of simplifying farmers’ work by cutting red tape and helping them to stay competitive but also temporarily allowing the use of acetamiprid, an insecticide that has been banned in France since 2018. 

Farmers, especially those growing beets and nuts, say the pesticide is essential for shielding their crops from pests and animals. They add that it is unfair to ban its use in France while competitors in other European countries can use it. 

Opponents, however, say acetamiprid is toxic for humans and lethal for bees. 

Two days after the law’s passage, Eléonore Pattery, a student from the south-western city of Bordeaux, started a petition calling for the law to be scrapped, claiming that it represents a “scientific, ethical, environmental and health aberration,” according to Radio France Internationale. 

On Saturday, Pattery’s proposal crossed the 500,000-signature threshold, and by late Sunday, the number had more than doubled to pass 1 million. 

According to French law, once a petition reaches at least 500,000 verified signatures from across the country, the Assemblée Nationale has the right to hold a public debate on the petition’s topic.  

However, reaching the threshold does not guarantee that the proposed legislation will be amended or repealed. On Sunday, the speaker of the parliament said that it would hold a debate but that it would not change the law, France 24 added. 

The success of the petition, nevertheless, deals a blow to the government, which supported the measure. Left-wing farmers’ unions and several green and left-wing parties opposed it. 

In May, French farmers rode into Paris on tractors and blocked highways around the city in an attempt to persuade parliament to pass the bill. 

Meanwhile, thousands of people, including environmental groups and scientists, have been protesting against the return of the pesticide in recent months.