On Wednesday 23 July 2025, Luxembourgish nature conservation NGO natur&ëmwelt issued a statement concerning France's controversial "Duplomb law" and the continued authorisation of the pesticide acetamiprid in Luxembourg.
Natur&ëmwelt warned of the dangers posed by acetamiprid - a neonicotinoid insecticide known for its toxic effects on pollinators, ecosystems and human health. The NGO noted the "widespread outrage" sparked by France's recent decision to reintroduce the pesticide under the Duplomb law. For natur&ëmwelt, this development is also concerning in Luxembourg, where acetamiprid remains legal despite its risks and scientific warnings.
Acetamiprid belongs to the neonicotinoid family, the use of which is already heavily restricted across Europe due to its impact on the environment, especially on pollinators. However, this product remains authorised in Luxembourg, particularly for controlling rapeseed beetles and aphids in potato and fruit tree crops. The NGO estimated that between 50 and 60 kg are used annually in agriculture (corresponding to an area of 500 to 1,000 ha). It added that this modest figure underestimates the persistence of this substance in the soil and its potential for dispersion in the environment.
Natur&ëmwelt highlighted that acetamiprid is one of the ten most frequently found pesticide residues in the environment in Europe, as shown by the results of the INSIGNIA programme. In Luxembourg, the BeeFirst programme similarly regularly detects its presence in environmental samples.
The NGO criticised Luxembourg's pesticide reduction action plan (PAN), launched in 2017, arguing that its implementation remains incomplete and its update is pending. Natur&ëmwelt further highlighted that the latest assessment by the Luxembourg Veterinary and Food Administration (ALVA) found pesticide residues present in more than half of food samples analysed, with particularly high concentrations in fruit and vegetables from conventional farming. In comparison, products from organic farming showed significantly lower levels of contamination.
The stressed that the reintroduction of acetamiprid in France directly impacts Luxembourg, as substances authorised in neighbouring countries can affect the entire European market and risk weakening environmental standards.
Natur&ëmwelt has thus called on the Luxembourg authorities to ban the use of neonicotinoids such as acetamiprid, arguing that their use is "neither justified nor essential". It also called for Luxembourg to strengthen its pesticide reduction policy, revise its action plan and provide more decisive support for organic farming and agroecological approaches.
Natur&ëmwelt urged Luxembourg not to "remain on the sidelines" of the mobilisation currently underway in France, where a petition against the Duplomb law has gathered over 1.8 million signatures - far surpassing the 500,000-signature threshold needed for a possible parliamentary debate.
"The current mobilisation in France sends a strong signal," the NGO stated. "It shows that civil society refuses to allow health, nature and future generations to be used as adjustment variables in agricultural policy. Luxembourg cannot remain on the sidelines of this debate."
