Pesticides: tensions around expertise and derogations in France

Late October 2026, a scientific note on the risks of acetamiprid was neither published nor brought to the attention of parliamentarians before the vote on the agricultural emergency law. A few days later, Anses was tasked with assessing the reauthorization of two neonicotinoids with a one-month deadline, a deadline that will not be met. Early November, more than 100 scientists denounced in an op-ed the placing of Anses' pesticide expertise under trusteeship, while an investigation describes European officials favorable to the Omnibus X text. The European Parliament is due to rule in December on this project relaxing pesticide regulation, against a backdrop of tensions over expertise and French derogations. Finally, according to Générations futures, the restriction of a tax has deprived the water agencies of more than 90 million euros since 2019, and a report highlights that temporary derogations for banned pesticides have become recurrent.