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.
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