The NGOs France Nature Environnement and Générations futures are challenging this decision in court, denouncing a circumvention of European rules and the absence of an evaluation of alternatives to this controversial pesticide.
Spirtetramat reauthorized despite its ban: a legal battle begins
Spirap tetramat, a systemic insecticide in the tetramic acid family, once again crystallizes European controversy around pesticides. While this active substance had been permanently banned from the market in 2024 following the non-renewal of its European approval, French authorities have just granted an emergency temporary exemption to several plant protection products containing this molecule. This decision, adopted in April 2026 for a duration of 120 days, provokes the indignation of two non-governmental organizations that have taken the matter to court to contest this rehabilitation.
This exceptional reauthorization covers six commercial products: BATAVIA, MOVENTO, MOVENTO 100 SC, SPIROMAT, and VSM SPIROTETRAMAT, all dosed at 100 grams per liter of spirotetramat. The scope extends to about twenty distinct crops, ranging from leafy vegetables to fruit trees, not forgetting ornamental plants.
An emergency authorization challenged by environmental organizations
Based on Article 53 of European Regulation No. 1107/2009, this emergency authorization would theoretically apply only “in exceptional circumstances,” when “the threatened plant production cannot be protected from danger in any other reasonable way.” Yet, the NGOs France Nature Environnement and Générations futures argue that these stringent conditions are not at all met and have filed a litigation before the competent courts.
The applicant organizations specifically denounce the systemic nature of these emergency authorizations, which, in their view, act as Trojan horses allowing, methodically, to circumvent European prohibitions. They also condemn the lack of a rigorous assessment of available alternatives, a prerequisite mandated by the regulation.
An insecticide that affects the health (and survival) of pests
Spirotetramat belongs to the sophisticated class of inhibitors of lipid biosynthesis in insects. As explained on the Insecticide Resistance Action Committee (IRAC) website, its unique mode of action specifically targets the pests’ ability to synthesize lipids essential to their development. This feature irreparably disrupts the growth of nymphs and larvae, leading to progressive withering.
The molecule’s peculiarity lies in its dual systemic translocation: it moves upward within the plant (acropetal movement) and toward the roots (basipetal movement) simultaneously. This property gives it formidable effectiveness against hidden, sap-sucking insects, especially those that thrive on the underside of leaves or in areas inaccessible to conventional treatments.
Designed to combat a broad range of sap-sucking insects – aphids, whiteflies, scales, psyllids, thrips, and leafhoppers – spirotetramat appealed to farmers with its prolonged residual control, significantly reducing the frequency of required applications.
Spiro tetramat: a history of approvals and suspensions marked by upheaval
The regulatory journey of spirotetramat eloquently illustrates the evolution of European environmental and health standards. Initially lauded and widely used in intensive agriculture, this pesticide underwent a careful reevaluation by European authorities as part of the active substance renewal process.
The phase-out timetable, set out under Community procedures, unfolded over several months: withdrawal from the market and storage by authorization holders by April 30, 2024, end of sale and storage by third parties by October 30, 2024, and a total prohibition on use by October 30, 2025.
This staged plan aimed to allow farmers to liquidate existing stocks and gradually transition to alternatives. Nevertheless, the temporary reauthorization in 2026 breaks this orderly exit logic, creating a legally ambiguous situation.
A pesticide raising environmental and health concerns
Although spirotetramat was initially considered to have “low toxicity to beneficial insects” according to the manufacturer’s data, concerns have gradually crystallized around multiple environmental and health aspects. The evaluation by the Joint Meeting on Pesticide Residues (JMPR) established a permissible daily intake (PDI) between 0 and 0.05 mg/kg body weight, as well as an acute reference dose (ARfD) of 1.0 mg/kg body weight.
Residues of spirotetramat and its metabolites in foodstuffs pose a major issue. Field studies have revealed varying residue levels across crops, with particularly alarming concentrations in certain fruits and vegetables. By way of example, banana analyses showed total residues reaching up to 1.8 mg/kg expressed as spirotetramat.
The persistence of the molecule and its metabolites in the environment also raises legitimate questions. Decline studies have shown relatively slow degradation, with residues detectable several weeks after application. This characteristic, while undeniably contributing to the product’s efficacy, raises crucial questions about potential accumulation in ecosystems.
Toward stronger oversight of emergency authorizations?
This new case perfectly illustrates the growing tensions between immediate agricultural needs and long-term environmental objectives. Specialists studying agricultural soil pollution are closely watching the development of this dossier, which could set precedent in the field of emergency authorizations.
The plaintiff NGOs hope that their legal action will lead to a substantial tightening of the conditions for granting exceptional authorizations. They demand in particular a systematic and transparent assessment of available alternatives, as well as a rigorous justification of the truly “exceptional” nature of the circumstances cited.
This controversy sits within a broader context of revising European pesticide policy. Observers of the ecological transition in agriculture see it as a decisive test of the coherence between the European Green Deal’s ambitions and the reality of national regulatory practices.
The outcome of this legal battle could determine the future of emergency authorizations in Europe and shape the long-term strategy for phasing out the most problematic pesticides. For spirotetramat, this temporary reauthorization is akin to a stay of execution whose legitimacy will be settled by the courts in the coming months.
