Numerous pesticides banned in France continue to be produced in the country and sold abroad, particularly in Africa, where they are still permitted, such as Atrazine, a herbicide banned in the EU in 2004. UIPP had lobbied the French government, which tried to pass an amendment waiving the ban - to no avail.

In its appeal, the union argued that the law was an “excessive breach of the freedom of enterprise” protected by 1789 declaration of the rights of man. A national ban would have “zero health impact” as it would be restricted to France, meaning companies could continue producing the banned chemicals in other countries. It said a ban would “distort competition” and could cost up to 3,000 jobs in France.

The council remained unconvinced, paving the way for France to align with the United Nations, whose special rapporteur on the right to food in 2017 declared: “To subject individuals of other nations to toxins known to cause major health damage or fatality is a clear human rights violation.”

According to Le Monde, the decision constitutes a legal precedent as in 2015, the council had upheld a similar appeal against a law that suspended the use of food recipients containing bisphenol A on the grounds it breached freedom of enterprise.

Jérôme Graefe, legal expert with the NGO France Nature Environment, said that “through this extremely important decision, the constitutional council is sending a very clear message to industrial players and opens the door to other rulings in favour of the environment.” UIPP is considering an appeal.