Bortoli, Sylvie <br/><br/>
Acetamiprid: the story of a controversy 

 -  2025.<br/>							 
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<br/><br/> During the summer of 2025, a bill introduced by Senator Laurent Duplomb sparked intense controversy in France. The text aimed to temporarily re-authorise the use of acetamiprid, a pesticide from the neonicotinoid family, which is currently used for specific crops such as sugar beet and hazelnuts. The law was passed without debate in the National Assembly and triggered strong opposition from civil society, NGOs, and the scientific community. A petition calling for its repeal quickly gathered over two million signatures. The law was ultimately promulgated on 12 August, but was partially struck down by the Constitutional Council, which annulled the article relating to acetamiprid.From a scientific standpoint, neonicotinoids are known for their neurotoxic effects, impacting both insects and humans. While often seen as less harmful, acetamiprid is in fact suspected of numerous adverse effects, including neurotoxic, nephrotoxic, genotoxic, carcinogenic, and pro-metastatic potential, with concerning levels of human impregnation—particularly among children. Despite warnings identified by regulatory agencies for over a decade, European regulatory assessments remain incomplete, relying on limited and outdated data.This case highlights major shortcomings in the regulatory assessment process for pesticides, particularly its inability to consider the “cocktail effect” and the reality of multiple and cumulative exposures. While the Constitutional Council’s censorship of the provision regarding acetamiprid is seen as a victory for public health, a recent decree granting the Ministry of Agriculture greater authority to define “priority uses” of pesticides raises concerns. This could undermine the independence of Anses (the French Agency for food, environmental and occupational health and safety), which plays a critical role in ensuring objective, science-based evaluations.