Farmers Rally Against Proposed Changes to Environmental Laws in France (2025)
French agricultural producers have taken to the streets, causing significant disruption to traffic in Paris and staging demonstrations outside the National Assembly. They are opposing amendments put forth by opposition lawmakers aimed at revising legislation that would relax key environmental regulations impacting farming practices.
Members of the FNSEA, France’s largest farming union, strategically positioned around 10 tractors outside the National Assembly to make their voices heard as MPs deliberated on the contentious bill.
Proposed by far-right MP Laurent Duplomb, the legislation seeks to streamline approval processes for breeding facilities, relax water usage restrictions to encourage the creation of irrigation reservoirs, and reintroduce the controversial neonicotinoid pesticide, acetamiprid, which has faced bans since 2018 due to its detrimental effects on bee populations.
This proposed law is indicative of a broader movement across several European Union member states seeking to roll back environmental protections as farmers contend with rising operational costs while families face a growing cost-of-living crisis.
Over 150 farmers from regions like Ile-de-France, Grand Est, and Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur gathered peacefully near the National Assembly, enjoying coffee and croissants after effectively blocking access to major roadways in the capital.
“This bill to eliminate restrictions on farming is crucial for us,” stated FNSEA Secretary-General Herve Lapie to AFP. "We simply want to operate within a single European environment with consistent regulations. We’ve been advocating for this for 20 years. Finally, a bill aligns with our needs, and we can’t afford to wait any longer."
The FNSEA and its supporters argue that the reauthorization of acetamiprid, considered less harmful to wildlife than other neonicotinoids, is necessary for protecting crops from pests, especially given that similar permissions exist across the EU.
Conversely, environmental advocates and certain unions representing smaller and organic farmers argue that the proposed legislation favors large-scale agricultural enterprises at the expense of independent farmers.
Many lawmakers on the political left, opposing President Emmanuel Macron’s administration, have introduced several amendments that protesters claim could jeopardize the bill’s passage. Julien Thierry, a grain farmer from the Yvelines department near Paris, urged lawmakers to support the legislation as it currently stands, criticizing the Greens and the left-wing France Unbowed (LFI) party.
Ecologist party MP Delphine Batho condemned the bill as “Trump-inspired,” while LFI MP Aurélie Trouvé referred to it in the French daily Le Monde as a “political capitulation” marking a critical ecological turning point.
FNSEA leader Arnaud Rousseau announced that protests would persist through Wednesday, with additional farmers from the Centre-Val de Loire and Hauts-de-France regions expected to join the activism.
Further demonstrations are anticipated in Brussels next week, focusing on EU environmental policies and regulations. Farmers across France and the broader European landscape previously secured concessions in their campaign against foreign competition and what they identify as onerous regulations.