France grants Amoéba emergency approval for grapevine mildew treatment

France has granted Amoéba a new emergency authorization for its AXPERA biocontrol product, allowing the company’s solution to be used against downy mildew in grapevines for 120 days, a move that gives French winegrowers another tool as they head into the 2026 growing season.

The authorization, announced Tuesday by the Chassieu-based company, was issued by the French Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty after a request from the wine industry. It follows a similar emergency approval granted in spring 2025 and comes while France’s food safety agency, ANSES, is in the final stage of reviewing AXPERA for permanent approval. Amoéba said it expects that decision in the coming weeks.

The temporary authorization covers the period from May through August 2026, when anti-mildew treatments are typically used in vineyards. It allows growers to include AXPERA immediately in their protection programs rather than waiting for the full regulatory process to end.

Downy mildew remains one of the main threats to French vineyards, especially in years with wet and warm weather that favor disease pressure. The problem has become more difficult to manage because of tighter limits on copper use, which has long been a standard treatment in organic and conventional viticulture. Growers also face rising resistance to some conventional fungicides, reducing the effectiveness of existing products and forcing more rotation among modes of action.

In Bordeaux, one of France’s most important wine regions, the disease affected up to 90% of vines in 2023, according to figures cited by Amoéba. The company said AXPERA can be used alongside low doses of copper and may help growers stay within regulatory limits while broadening their disease-control options.

Jean-Marc Petat, managing director of Green for Agro, Amoéba’s biosolutions subsidiary, said the emergency authorization marked an important step before permanent approval. He said winegrowers were looking for faster access to tools that could help them respond to health and climate pressures in vineyards.

Amoéba has been working with its commercial partner Koppert on the rollout of AXPERA. The company said it is continuing to pursue approvals in France and other European markets after already securing registration in the United States in 2025. The active substance behind AXPERA received a positive final opinion from EFSA in Europe, but product-level authorization is still pending.

The decision adds to a broader debate in European viticulture over how to balance disease control, environmental rules and production costs as growers face more volatile weather and fewer chemical options. For French vineyards, the temporary approval offers immediate relief while regulators decide whether AXPERA will receive a longer-term place in the market.