Lead
France's Environment Minister Monique Barbut has announced her resignation after parliament approved an agriculture bill allowing the temporary reintroduction of two pesticides that critics say harm bees.
In a statement posted on LinkedIn on Wednesday, Barbut said she had informed the Prime Minister that the conditions for her to remain in government were no longer being met, and that she would present her resignation to the president that day.
"Contrary to the commitments that had been made to me, the government prevented any debate on the removal of this measure," she wrote, describing the reversal as "one environmental setback too many."
Coverage comparison
Two outlets, France 24 (English) and RFI (English), reported on Barbut's resignation and the legislation that prompted it. Both described the bill as allowing the reintroduction of bee-harming pesticides, and both quoted Barbut's resignation statement. France 24's coverage emphasized the minister's resignation as an environmental setback, while RFI highlighted the controversial nature of the legislation.
Both outlets noted that the bill reintroduces two pesticides previously banned in France: acetamiprid, a neonicotinoid, on hazelnuts, and flupyradifurone on sugar beets, apples, and cherries. The pesticides have been forbidden in France since 2018 and 2019 respectively.
RFI added details that France 24 did not include in the provided material, such as the role of France's health and safety agency Anses in authorizing the waiver, and the denunciation of the bill by Greenpeace as "a disgrace."
Key claims
The legislation, approved by parliament on Tuesday, is designed to "reduce constraints" on French farmers and reintroduces the two pesticides by a waiver. Proponents argue that French sugar beet, apple, and hazelnut farmers need the insecticides to compete with their European counterparts. The pesticides are allowed in the European Union, but individual countries can limit their use.
Opponents, including environmental campaigners and some unions representing small-scale farmers, say the bill benefits the large-scale agro industry and ignores scientific warnings about risks to pollinators, ecosystems, and human health. Greenpeace has denounced the bill as "a disgrace."
According to RFI, the waiver for the pesticides needs to be approved by Anses, which has just two months to deliver its conclusions. The waiver cannot exceed three years.
France 24 reported that the Constitutional Council previously struck down a provision to reintroduce acetamiprid due to health risks. A petition against the reintroduction of acetamiprid has reportedly gathered more than two million signatures, according to a claim that was contested in the provided material.
Barbut, who previously headed WWF France and served as executive secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, said in her resignation statement: "Politics is not my world, and if this is what politics is about, it definitely never will be." She also recalled that in 2016, France chose to ban acetamiprid in the name of the precautionary principle, based on scientific evidence available at the time.
Perspectives
The government and bill proponents argue the pesticides are necessary for French farmers to remain competitive within the European market. Environment Minister Monique Barbut, who resigned in protest, criticized the government for preventing debate on removing the measure and described the reversal as a significant environmental setback. Environmental groups and some farming unions oppose the bill, contending it ignores scientific evidence of risks to pollinators, ecosystems, and human health.