BRUSSELS (AP) — Farmers parked their tractors Friday across a major road intersection on the Belgian-Dutch border. protest Oppose excessive red tape 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. They were installed after a chaotic day in Brussels on Thursday. burnt hay bales They threw eggs and firecrackers at police near the European Union (EU) summit.
A lockdown has begun on the Belgian-Dutch border, but it is gradually being eased. Paris in France and elsewhere after the French government on Thursday. Offering over 400 million euros ($436 million) in various measures. 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 complain that Russia’s war in Ukraine has caused energy and fertilizer costs to rise, and as more and cheaper agricultural products flow into Europe, it has become more difficult than ever to earn a decent living; Droughts, floods and fires due to climate change destroy their crops.
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.