French State and Pesticide Makers Appeal Landmark Biodiversity Protection Ruling

The French government and pesticide manufacturers have formally appealed a groundbreaking court ruling that mandated a comprehensive reassessment of hundreds of pesticides on the market due to their harmful environmental effects. The appeal escalates the "Justice pour le vivant" case, initially launched by environmental NGOs in September 2021, to France's highest administrative court, the Council of State.

On September 3, 2025, the Paris administrative appeal court ruled that French pesticide regulatory assessments failed to meet current scientific standards and contravened European regulations designed to prevent pesticides from causing unacceptable harm to human and animal health or the environment. The court instructed the State to reevaluate pesticide approvals within two years. However, quietly in October, the French government filed an appeal against this decision. Following suit, Phytéis, the union representing pesticide manufacturers, lodged its appeal in early November.

The case was initially spearheaded by five NGOs including Pollinis, Notre affaire à tous, and the National Association for the Protection of Waters and Rivers. They hailed the ruling as historic, as it acknowledged that French regulatory processes for pesticide risk insufficiently protected biodiversity, violating the 2009 European pesticide regulation. The Council of State will now deliver the final judicial verdict.

This legal battle underscores the challenge of balancing agricultural chemical usage with environmental sustainability and places France at the epicenter of pivotal discussions on pesticide governance and biodiversity conservation. The outcome could mandate sweeping reforms of pesticide approval procedures and set significant legal precedent for environmental accountability in France.

According to reports, the court's criticism focused on the inadequacy of the risk assessments and their failure to integrate the latest scientific knowledge. The NGOs' landmark suit continues to challenge the State on its responsibility to safeguard ecosystems from pesticide damage. As this high-profile appeal proceeds, it highlights the dynamic intersection of law, science, and environmental activism in shaping France's regulatory landscape.