On September 3, 2025, the Administrative Court of Appeal of Paris issued a historical sentence, ordering the French state to review its procedures for the authorization of pesticides. This decision represents a really important victory for environmental associations and citizens who have been fighting against the poisoning of the land linked to the widespread use of pesticides in the agricultural sector.
The appeal, known as “Justice Pour Le Vivant”, was promoted by five associations: Notre affaire à tous, pollinis, biodiversity sous nos pads, anper-tos and aspas, which have accused the state of not having adequately evaluated the environmental risks of pesticides, in particular as regards the non-target species like bees.
And the Parisian Court has now fully gave him right, recognizing that the ANSES (National Agency for Health, Food, Environmental and Labor Security) did not take into account the latest scientific developments in the evaluation of pesticides, violating the precautionary principle.
A direct causal link between the deficiencies in the risk assessment and the decline of biodiversity has been recognized. According to the Court, the updating of the procedures based on the most recent scientific knowledge would have allowed to reduce the environmental impact of the pesticides.
On the basis of the conclusions of the public speaker, the Court ordered the state to update the protocols for the evaluation and authorization of the pesticides, deemed insufficient to protect the living bodies, and to review within 24 months the authorizations for the marketing (AIC) currently in force, updating the procedures according to the precautionary principle. This principle requires Member States to carry out “A complete evaluation based on the most reliable scientific data available and on the most recent results of international research“.
The Court also established that within six months the state will have to define a calendar for the revision of the AIC interested.
The precedent on Acetamiprid
The recent sentence on the revision of pesticides authorizations in France comes after a significant episode that had already turned on public opinion: the story of acetamiprid. This pesticide, prohibited since 2018 for its devastating effects on bees and pollinating insects, had been at the center of the so -called duplicomb law, approved in July 2025. The legislation provided, even if in limited cases, the possibility of reintroducing acetamiprid, which immediately aroused protests of citizens, scientists, beekeepers and environmental associations.
The mobilization from below was exceptional: a petition, promoted by young students and supported by numerous organizations and citizens, has collected over two million signatures, becoming one of the largest ever recorded in France. Public pressure and scientific evidence brought the French Constitutional Council, in August 2025, to censor the key article of the Duplicomb law which allowed the use of acetamiprid. The decision has sanctioned that generic exceptions to the prohibition of use of neonicotinoids violated the fundamental right to live in a balanced environment, sanctioned by the environment paper.
This episode constituted an important precedent, demonstrating how civic mobilization, combined with scientific data, can influence political decisions and protect biodiversity. The victory against acetamiprid was a clear signal of the ability of citizens and associations to enforce the precautionary principle, thus anticipating the impact of the sentence of September 3 on the revision of the authorizations of all pesticides in France.
The reactions of environmental associations
The associations involved in the event obviously welcomed the new sentence of 3 September with great enthusiasm, calling it a legal and scientific revolution. Among these, Pollinis who underlined how the decision of the Court constitutes a clear signal: after years of civic and scientific mobilization against pesticides, justice reaffirms the principle of precaution and the right to a healthy environment.
It is a real legal and scientific revolution! In a context of continuous attacks on the environment, and while Parliament has just voted for the fatal Duplicomb law, justice reaffirms its role of contrasting force, ending the disastrous policy of our decision -making policy in this area. This is a decision that will change everything: in agricultural practices, in public policies and in the way the state finally considers health and the environment. It is the result of a long -term fight, led by scientists, associations and citizens mobilized throughout France: a real collective victory that is part of a large movement of activists. The government must now do everything possible to respect this judicial decision. It is a question of safeguarding biodiversity, public health, but also the very principle of the rule of law.
The implications of the sentence
The decision of the Paris Administrative Court of Appeal has significant implications for French environmental policy. The state will now have to review all the authorizations of pesticides issued in recent years, a process that must be completed within 24 months. In addition, the Court underlined the need to update the risk assessment procedures to align them with the latest scientific developments and European regulations.
This ruling does not only concern France but could also become a model for other Union countries, strengthening the application of the precautionary principle and laying new foundations for the protection of biodiversity at European level. It is a strong signal that demonstrates how the pressure of citizens, combined with science and justice, can really change the rules of the game.
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Sources: Legifrance / Pollinis
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