French PM Lecornu urges rapid adoption of emergency agriculture law amid tense context
French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu on Thursday urged swift adoption of the emergency agriculture bill, warning against obstruction as the text heads to the National Assembly floor on May 19. The bill, passed in committee on May 6, includes measures on water storage and livestock farming. Lecornu said the issue of phytopharmaceutical products could be addressed in a separate bill to avoid delaying the urgent package.
French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu on Thursday urged swift adoption of the emergency agriculture bill, warning against obstruction as the text heads to the National Assembly floor on May 19. The bill, passed in committee on May 6, includes measures on water storage and livestock farming. Lecornu said the issue of phytopharmaceutical products could be addressed in a separate bill to avoid delaying the urgent package.
In an open letter to farmers published on X on Thursday, May 7, Lecornu expressed concern that "certains fassent le choix de l'obstruction" (some choose obstruction). "C'est un texte d'urgence. Il doit donc pouvoir être adopté rapidement," the prime minister wrote. He specified that "la question des produits phytopharmaceutiques, par exemple, pourra être examinée dans un texte spécifique : des initiatives parlementaires existent en ce sens. Elles permettront un débat, sans pour autant bloquer et prendre en otage l'ensemble des mesures urgentes présentes dans le projet de loi du gouvernement."
Lecornu noted that the context has "evolved and even become tense" since his January letter to farmers, citing the Middle East war and its impact on non-road diesel prices. The government is developing a "plan de souveraineté pour les engrais" (sovereignty plan for fertilizers), Lecornu said, adding that existing support measures "seront adaptées en fonction de l'évolution de la situation."