France, July 22 -- French MPs passed the legislation by 296 votes to 224 in the early hours of Tuesday morning, following a fractious sitting that exposed sharp differences between the government and some members of its own parliamentary camp.

The bill now requires a final confirmatory vote in the senate, expected later on Tuesday, before it can be definitively adopted by parliament. Approval in the upper house is considered highly likely, as one of the senate's main demands - the provision allowing limited pesticide derogations - survived negotiations between the two chambers.

Under the legislation, France's food, environmental and occupational health agency, ANSES, could exceptionally authorise the use of acetamiprid and flupyradifuro...