French Environment Minister Monique Barbut offered to resign after parliament approved a farm bill that would temporarily allow two pesticides suspected of harming bees. President Emmanuel Macron declined to accept her resignation, and Barbut has chosen to remain in government. The bill permits acetamiprid on hazelnuts and flupyradifurone on sugar beets, apples and cherries, but any waiver must be approved by France's health and safety agency and may last no more than three years. Environmental groups and some unions say the measure favors large agribusiness and threatens pollinators; industry representatives say the pesticides are needed to protect crops from aphids.
French Environment Minister Reverses Resignation After Macron Rejects Exit Over Contested Pesticide Waiver
French Minister for Ecological Transition, Biodiversity, and International Negotiations on Climate and Nature Monique Barbut leaves following the weekly cabinet meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, February 4, 2026. REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier
PARIS — French Environment Minister Monique Barbut, who said she would resign in protest after parliament approved a farm bill permitting the temporary reintroduction of two pesticides suspected of harming bees, will remain in the government after President Emmanuel Macron refused to accept her resignation, government spokesperson Maud Brégeon said on Wednesday.
Barbut had posted on LinkedIn that she told the prime minister the conditions for her continued service were "no longer being met" and that she planned to hand her resignation to the president that day. After Macron declined to accept her departure, Barbut decided to stay in her post, Brégeon told reporters.
What the Bill Allows
The farm bill includes a waiver that would permit the use of acetamiprid — a compound in the neonicotinoid family — on hazelnuts, and the use of flupyradifurone on sugar beets, apples and cherries. The waiver would be time-limited, cannot exceed three years and still requires approval from France's health and safety agency before taking effect.
Controversy and Reactions
Environmental campaigners and some unions representing small-scale farmers say the measure favors large-scale agribusiness and ignores scientific warnings about risks to pollinators, ecosystems and human health. Greenpeace called the bill "a disgrace."
Opponents: Warn the pesticides could harm bees and other pollinators and weaken ecosystem resilience.
Supporters: The sugar industry and some growers argue the pesticides are needed to protect crops from aphids, which have severely damaged beet harvests in recent years.
Last year, a petition opposing the bill gathered more than 2 million signatures — a record for the National Assembly's petition site. The constitutional court previously blocked an attempt to reintroduce acetamiprid, citing insufficient safeguards.
Next Steps
If the waiver proceeds, it will be subject to review and approval by France's health and safety agency and will be capped at a maximum duration of three years. The political debate is likely to continue as environmental groups, farmers and industry stakeholders push competing arguments over agricultural protection and ecological risk.
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