A proposed law in France that would weaken the authority of the country’s health watchdog and potentially reauthorize banned pesticides has drawn strong opposition from over 1,000 doctors and scientists.
Radio France Internationale reports.
In short:
- More than 1,000 health and science professionals signed an open letter denouncing a bill that would let the Agriculture Ministry bypass the independent evaluations of Anses, France’s health and environmental safety agency.
- The bill, introduced by Senator Laurent Duplomb, proposes creating an agricultural advisory board with power to reauthorize banned pesticides, including those harmful to pollinators and human health.
- Anses Director General Benoît Vallet threatened to resign if the bill becomes law, calling it a direct threat to the integrity of scientific oversight in pesticide regulation.
Why this matters:
France has long stood at the center of Europe’s pesticide reform, banning bee-killing neonicotinoids and positioning its regulatory agency, Anses, as an independent body guided by science. Critics of the bill say it threatens to undo a decade of progress by allowing political and agricultural lobbying interests to override health-based evaluations. Neonicotinoids and similar pesticides not only decimate insect populations — crucial for pollination and ecological balance — but also carry risks for human health, particularly among children and farmworkers. Weakening oversight could lead to renewed exposures and the rollback of environmental protections grounded in robust science.
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