Agriculture: Petition against the Duplomb Law surpasses two million signatures

The petition against the Duplomb law, which allows, under certain conditions, the reintroduction of a pesticide banned in France since 2018, surpassed the two million signature mark on the National Assembly website this Monday morning.

It reached 500,000 signatures last weekend, an unprecedented number on the Palais Bourbon gates. This threshold paves the way for a debate in the chamber, which will not, however, allow the already adopted provisions to be reversed on its own. However, pressure is mounting on the government, which is being urged by the left, NGOs, and now a significant portion of public opinion to repeal the text.

A Cluster17 poll for Génération Ecologie, published in La Tribune Dimanche, confirms this sense of distrust: 61% of respondents say they are against the law, including 46% who are "very against it." Furthermore, 64% hope that Emmanuel Macron will not enact the bill and will submit it for further deliberation in Parliament.

The petition by Eleonore Pattery, a 23-year-old student , has been widely shared on social media by NGOs, political groups, and also personalities such as actor Pierre Niney, musician Julien Doré, and influencer EnjoyPhoenix.

She calls for the "immediate" repeal of the law, "a democratic review of the conditions under which it was adopted" despite there being no real debate in the chamber, and a "citizen consultation of stakeholders in health, agriculture, ecology, and law" on the issues raised. The success of my petition "proves that collective intelligence exists – and that it will triumph, sooner or later," the student commented on LinkedIn on Wednesday.

In addition to measures on water retention and environmental authorization thresholds for livestock buildings, the "Duplomb-Menonville" law, named after the right-wing and center-wing senators who introduced it, has attracted criticism due to a measure for the conditional reintroduction of a pesticide, acetamiprid, banned in France since 2018 but authorized in Europe.

Its use is being demanded by beet and hazelnut producers, who believe they have no alternative to combat pests and face unfair competition from their European competitors. Conversely, beekeepers warn of it as a "bee killer." Its effects on humans are also a source of concern, although the risks remain uncertain due to a lack of large-scale studies.

The text, finally adopted by Parliament after a very turbulent legislative process, now awaits the decision of the Constitutional Council, which will deliver its "a priori" decision on August 7 and could censor all or part of the law. Only then will Emmanuel Macron be able to decide whether to promulgate the text or request a second deliberation in Parliament, a request particularly from the left.