France, April 18 -- The figures are based on export notifications filed by companies and compiled by the Swiss NGO Public Eye, offering one of the clearest pictures of the trade.

They show that exports have continued to rise in recent years, even though the European Commission pledged in 2020 to end the practice.

The issue exposes a contradiction at the heart of EU rules.

"When a product is banned, only its use is banned on European soil. But manufacturers can continue to produce these products," Public Eye investigator Laurent Gaberell told RFI.

France halts imports of food with traces of banned pesticides

Part of the increase is linked to the EU banning more pesticides over time. While those substances can no longer be used on Euro...