Some local authorities in France are taking measures to protect their inhabitants’ health against pesticides, by limiting their use near professional buildings and residential areas.

While their competences to do so is being challenged by the French government, these mayors are arguing that they are responding to the lack of suitable national policy and legislation to implement the precautionary principle and EU 2009 Regulation on pesticides.

The European Committee of the Regions – bringing together local authorities across Europe - already expressed its wish to have better policy and legislation to protect people and nature again endocrine disrupting chemicals including pesticides earlier this summer.