Paris, Aug. 13 -- French President Emmanuel Macron has signed into law a modified bill banning the reintroduction of a bee-killing pesticide, following a petition signed by more than two million people, France 24 reported.

The legislation, which has sparked a major debate in France, was adopted in July in a divided lower house of parliament and has faced criticism for being rushed through without proper discussion, according to France 24.

The law was published in the government's official journal on Tuesday after the Constitutional Council, France's highest court, struck down a contested provision regarding the reintroduction of acetamiprid. The court ruled that neonicotinoid insecticides posed "risks to human health" and deemed the pro...