The frequent, widespread use of pesticides in agriculture adversely affects biodiversity, human health, and water quality. In 2008, the French government adopted an environmental policy plan, "Ecophyto 2018", to halve pesticide use within 10 years. Trends in synthetic pesticide sales and use in France were described, through three different indicators: the number of unit doses (NUD), the quantity of active ingredient (QAI), and the treatment frequency index (TFI). Changes in pesticide use on seven of the principal arable crops in France since the implementation of this policy plan were analyzed, together with the impact of changes in pesticide use on water quality. No evidence was found for a decrease in pesticide sales at national level between 2008 and 2013. In terms of the TFI values for individual crops, the only decrease in pesticide use observed since 2001 was for soft wheat. This decrease was very slight, and pesticide use did not decline more rapidly after 2006 than before. Changes in pesticide use differed between French regions and crops. Water pollution did not decrease during the period studied. Possible explanations for the lack of effectiveness of the French environmental plan are considered in the context of European legislation. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.