French farmers protest in Paris over bill easing farm rules
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Farmers have staged protests across Paris, blocking highways and rallying outside the National Assembly on Monday, in opposition to proposed legislation that would ease environmental restrictions on agriculture.
The demonstrations, organised by France's main farming union FNSEA, come in response to amendments filed by opposition lawmakers to a controversial bill that would loosen controls on pesticide and water use. Around ten tractors were parked near the National Assembly as over 150 farmers from regions including Île-de-France, Grand Est and Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur gathered to pressure MPs debating the bill.
The proposed law, introduced by far-right MP Laurent Duplomb, seeks to simplify administrative procedures for breeding facilities, relax water use rules to encourage irrigation reservoirs, and reintroduce acetamiprid — a neonicotinoid pesticide banned in France since 2018 due to its environmental impact, particularly on bee populations.
Supporters, including FNSEA, argue the pesticide is already authorised elsewhere in the EU and is less harmful than other alternatives. They claim the broader legislation is essential to maintaining France's agricultural competitiveness in the face of rising production costs and stringent EU regulations.
'This bill to lift the constraints on the farming profession is very important to us,' FNSEA Secretary-General Hervé Lapie told AFP. 'We've been fighting for this for 20 years. We don't have the patience to wait any longer.'
However, environmental groups and unions representing small-scale and organic farmers warn the changes would favour industrial agriculture and undermine environmental protections. Critics on the political left have proposed amendments aimed at maintaining stricter standards, prompting concern among protesting farmers.
'We're asking the lawmakers, our lawmakers, to be serious and vote for it as it stands,' said Julien Thierry, a grain farmer from Yvelines, criticising MPs from the Greens and left-wing France Unbowed (LFI).
Ecologists MP Delphine Batho called the bill 'Trump-inspired,' while LFI's Aurélie Trouvé described it in Le Monde as 'a political capitulation' and 'an ecological turning point.'
FNSEA President Arnaud Rousseau said protests would continue through Wednesday, with farmers from Centre-Val de Loire and Hauts-de-France regions expected to join. Demonstrations are also planned in Brussels next week as farmers across Europe push back against EU green policies and environmental regulations.
Farmers across the continent have secured concessions in recent years after protesting what they see as burdensome red tape and unfair competition from cheaper imports.
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