HALLE, Belgium (AP) – Farmers blocked more traffic arteries in Belgium, France and Italy on Wednesday in an attempt to disrupt trade at major ports and other economic lifelines. They also approached Brussels on the eve of a major European Union summit to continue calling for higher prices for agricultural products and less bureaucracy at work.
The protests came as the EU Executive Committee announced plans to protect farmers from cheap exports from wartime Ukraine and allow farmers to use some land that had been left fallow for environmental reasons. It had an immediate impact Wednesday.
The plan still needs approval from member states and parliaments, but it amounted to a sudden symbolic concession.
“I would like to reassure them that we are doing everything we can to listen to their concerns. We are currently addressing two very important (concerns) of them. I think so,” said European Commission Vice-President Maroš Šefčović.
The rally was part of agricultural protests across 27 EU countries and showed how just a few hundred tractors can disrupt traffic in capitals from Berlin to Paris, Brussels and Rome. Millions of people across the bloc are facing disruption, struggling to get to work or seeing their doctor’s appointments canceled because protests have blocked their path.
“It obviously has a big economic impact, not only for us but also for many companies in Flanders and Belgium,” said Sven Peters of ECS, a shipping company in Belgium’s Zeebrugge North Sea port.
The climax is expected in Belgium on Thursday, when farmers plan to protest outside EU headquarters during a government summit. They will put their issues on the summit’s agenda and try to win some concessions on the financial burdens they face and increased competition from as far away as Chile and New Zealand.
Belgian Prime Minister Alexander de Croo said: “It is important to listen to their views.” “They face huge challenges,” he said, from adapting to climate change to combating environmental pollution.
Belgium currently holds the EU presidency, and Decroo said he would address the issue during the summit as a late addition to the agenda, which centered on providing aid to Ukraine after Russia’s invasion nearly two years ago.
French President Emmanuel Macron said he wanted to postpone a free trade agreement with the South American country due to fierce opposition from EU farmers and said he planned to discuss the issue at a summit.
Despite the widespread inconvenience, EU governments are treating the largely peaceful protests with great care.
Spanish farmers were also trying to step up their protests. Spain’s three main agricultural organizations have agreed to launch a protest in the coming weeks calling for changes to EU policies they say are overly restrictive.
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Sylvie Corbet contributed from Paris and Ciaran Giles from Madrid.
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