Brussels (AP) — Farmers parked their tractors Friday across a major road intersection on the Belgium-Dutch border in the latest protest against excessive bureaucracy and competition from cheap imports.
The barricades, mainly carried out by Belgian farmers supported by some Dutch colleagues, blocked the highway, a key transport route for cargo from Europe’s main ports of Antwerp and Rotterdam. The facilities were set up after a day of chaos in Brussels on Thursday, when angry farmers set hay bales on fire and threw eggs and firecrackers at police near the European Union summit. Ta.
A lockdown has begun at the Belgian-Dutch border, but in Paris and other parts of France after the French government provided more than 400 million euros ($436 million) in various measures on Thursday. The lockdown is gradually being eased. But in Germany, lawmakers on Friday approved cuts to fuel subsidies for farmers, sparking angry protests on the ground.
The Prime Minister of Belgium’s Flanders region, Jan Jambon, has pledged to support the agricultural sector.
“We’re going to look at what we can reasonably do. But basically, I’m very empathetic to their frustration. We’re going to look at how we can flesh that out from now on.” “, he told Belgian broadcaster VTM.
EU leaders showered words of praise and sympathy on Thursday for farmers, but offered few concrete proposals to address their problems.
Farmers struggle to make a decent living as energy and fertilizer costs rise due to Russia’s war in Ukraine, more cheap produce flows into Europe, and droughts, floods and fires damage crops. They complain that things are becoming more difficult than ever.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Thursday quickly prepared a new plan to cut red tape so farmers can spend less time in the office and more time in the fields. I promised.
Many EU leaders have also said they will not approve trade deals with South American countries under consideration unless their imports meet the same regulatory standards faced by EU farmers – a key requirement in this sector. Ta.
