Pesticides in water: SEDIF files two appeals to enforce the 'polluter pays' principle on producers

SEDIF, the Île-de-France Water Authority, lodged two appeals on 18 June 2026, one with the French Prime Minister, and the second to the European Commission, calling for “manufacturers of plant protection products to contribute to the funding of water decontamination”, it announced on 26 June.

According to SEDIF, Europe’s largest public water service, this burden currently falls “exclusively on local authorities, water managers and farmers who use these products”. The union describes this as an “abnormal” situation, noting that it is investing “massively” in water purification, particularly to tackle PFAS.

Government departments estimate that the cost of treating water to make it drinkable, as a result of diffuse pollution, ranges “between €500m and €1bn per year”.

Going forward, SEDIF is calling for this cost to be borne “at least in part” by pesticide manufacturers, “the only category of polluters to be exempt from any financial contribution”.

In practical terms, the association has therefore lodged an initial “preliminary and informal” appeal with a view to amending the French…