French Biodiversity Agency Halts Field Operations Over Government Criticism

The Office français de la biodiversité demands public apologies from the Prime Minister after being accused of mishandling inspections on farms.

The Office français de la biodiversité (OFB) announced a complete cessation of field operations, including environmental and agricultural inspections, following remarks by Prime Minister François Bayrou labeling their actions as 'humiliating' and a 'fault.'
The OFB's intersyndicale coalition has called for the suspension of all police and technical missions until the Prime Minister issues a public apology and acknowledges the necessity of their work.
Tensions between the OFB and agricultural groups have escalated over the past year and a half, with incidents including vandalism of OFB offices, threats to staff, and sabotage of vehicles.
The agency's president, Sylvie Gustave-dit-Duflo, criticized the government for failing to support the OFB amidst ongoing attacks and called Bayrou's comments a significant misstep.
The government has urged for calm, with the Minister of Ecological Transition emphasizing the importance of the OFB's work and condemning inflammatory rhetoric from all sides.