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The constitutional council gave its approval yesterday (December 10) for sugar beet farmers in France to use insecticides known as neonicotinoids for the next three years.

Neonicotinoids are known to be harmful to bees and have a negative impact on biodiversity, but in October French MPs passed a law allowing their use.

The law was then referred to the constitutional council by over 100 MPs and senators who opposed it. They hoped the council would rule against the law on the grounds that it contravened France鈥檚 environmental charter, in place since 2005.

But in a statement released yesterday, the council said they found that the law 鈥渃onforms to the constitution, bearing in mind the guarantees that are in place, in particular limits which will end the use [of the insecticide] on July 1, 2023鈥�.

The council also noted that the law specified that the pesticide has only been approved for use as a coating on sugar beet seeds, but cannot be sprayed directly onto plants.

Mixed reaction to council approval

The news has been greeted with relief by sugar beet farmers who have lost an estimated 鈧�280million worth of crops to jaundice, caused by aphids, while facing increasing competition from overseas producers. Sugar beet is grown commercially for sugar production.

Franck Sander, president of the sugar beet union told news source : 鈥淭his is really good news.鈥�

Agriculture Minister Julien Denormandie added: 鈥淭he decision we have been able to take on sugar beets is a question of sovereignty.鈥�

But ecologists are less happy about the council鈥檚 ruling. Delphine Batho, president of green party G茅n茅ration 脡cologie said: 鈥淸We are] disappointed with regards to the serious regression that the rehabilitation of this poison constitutes, and the monstrous consequences for pollinators, birds and many other species.鈥�

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