France’s Environment Minister Stays After Resignation Over Bee-Harming Pesticide Bill

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Paris: France’s Environment Minister Monique Barbut will remain in office after President Emmanuel Macron rejected her resignation over a new law allowing the conditional return of two pesticides criticised for harming bees.

Barbut had offered to resign after Parliament approved the measure, calling it ‘one environmental setback too many’. She said scientific studies continued to raise concerns about the effects of acetamiprid and flupyradifurone on human health and the environment.

The pesticides have been banned in France since 2018 and 2019 but are allowed in the European Union. Supporters say farmers need them to remain competitive, while opponents warn of risks to bees and human health.

Barbut’s office said she would stay because of the ‘urgency’ of tackling the worsening effects of climate change on France.

Pic Credit: AFP