Résumé
Pollinating insects, which are essential to biodiversity, plant reproduction, and crop production, are in decline (1, 2). In Europe, pollinator populations have declined markedly over recent decades (1–3), a trend driven in large part by the use of pesticides (1, 2). To address pollinator loss, France prohibited the use of neonicotinoids in 2018 (4). However, in July 2025 (5) and again in January 2026 (6), French senator Laurent Duplomb proposed laws to reauthorize neonicotinoids. After more than 2 million citizens signed a petition against the first bill (7), the French Constitutional Council struck it down (8), but the second bill is still under discussion. This law, if approved, would violate the first article of France’s charter for the environment, which states that “everyone has the right to live in a balanced environment that is conducive to good health” (9). French lawmakers must reject this harmful bill.Pesticides negatively affect biodiversity, ecosystem functioning, and human health (1, 2, 10). By affecting nontarget organisms such as pollinators and parasitoids, they threaten ecosystem services such as pollination and pest control (1, 2, 10). Contamination of soils, water, and food poses risks to human health, including neurodegenerative diseases and cancers (1). Yet they remain extensively used in intensive agriculture, with toxicity levels increasing over time (11), even though effective agroecological alternatives are available (12). The 2026 Duplomb bill would exacerbate these negative effects by reinstating banned systemic insecticides such as acetamiprid and flupyradifurone.As scientists, pollination ecologists, and concerned citizens, we call on French and European lawmakers to replace this bill with policies that align with the scientific consensus. Legislation should prioritize and scale up sustainable practices and alternatives to pesticides (12), evaluate crop-specific solutions, and provide sustained support to farmers committed to agroecological transition. These approaches would support farmers without reintroducing harmful pesticides.