Farmers from Germany, Poland, Romania and France also joined Belgian farmers in their protests from Friday through the weekend, making similar demands to their European counterparts.
Farmers in Wallonia staged a protest this weekend as part of a protest movement. Trop is Te Vert A campaign led by the Walloon Federation of Agriculture (FWA) to denounce the “suffocating” situation in which we currently find ourselves.
French slogan “About Marche-sur-la-Tete“The phrase (‘We are walking on our heads’) was taken up by the Belgians, who also overturned signs at the entrances of certain towns.
Protests, including roadblocks, have so far been peaceful.
“People don’t have to pay [for this situation]”Our goal is to be constructive in order to change things,” said Wallonia’s main farmers’ union, adding that their main aim was to make the public and politicians aware of their situation. Ta.
Flemish farmers are expected to join in the coming days, while Wallonia needs to continue its action this week.
The protesters are expected to head to Brussels on Thursday, where an extraordinary summit of the European Council will be held. europe 1 It was reported on Sunday.
The anger expressed by Belgian farmers echoes that of farmers in Romania, Poland, Germany, the Netherlands and France ahead of June’s crucial European elections, which are expected to see a rise in the far-right.
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As in other parts of Europe, farmers in Belgium are faced with rising production costs and falling product prices and are looking for decent incomes. This situation is not economically viable and does not encourage young people to enter this profession.
The FWA said in a press release that they are seeking legislation that enables the sector to be “truly economically, environmentally and socially sustainable”.
Farmers also blame the administrative burden and complexity of Europe’s environmental policies.
The FWA says there is an “urgent need to achieve real administrative simplification” and calls for a “thorough” review of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and “the European Commission’s economic, environmental and social We are looking for a “Basic evaluation.” We will discuss all the laws and restrictions that have been imposed on this industry in recent years. ” Farmers argue that the CAP budget should compensate for any constraints and should be increased and indexed to inflation.
At the same time, farmers have been critical of agreements such as the EU-Mercosur agreement, accusing the EU of importing produce that does not meet the same standards that EU law requires respecting. They are calling for a ban on such imports and mandatory mirror clauses.
Access to land and farm transfer are also important issues being raised. In a press release, the FWA emphasizes the “importance of addressing generational change in agriculture,” which is an issue not only in Belgium but also in other member states such as France.
political response
The FWA announced on Sunday that Wallonia’s Agriculture Minister Willy Borssus (MR, Renew) announced the creation of a task force linking federal, regional and EU levels to tackle the problem of administrative overload. He welcomed the “first step forward.”
The minister said last Friday that the Strategic Dialogue on the Future of Agriculture, launched on January 25 by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, was an “opportunity” that should be “seized” to address farmers’ concerns. He said that.
Farmers also visited Brussels and met with Federal Agriculture Minister David Clarinval (MR). The FJA and FWA were also attended by the Flemish Algemene Borensingikat (ABS) and the Federation of Breeding Farmers’ Associations (FUGEA).
He said farmers’ concerns “need to be addressed at regional, federal and European level”, citing “the administrative burden of the new CAP, the insufficient budget to ensure decent incomes, the Green Deal Excessive environmental restrictions based on the above, and the absence of mirror clauses in international free trade agreements.
He also argued that agriculture should be seen as “an essential strategic activity rather than a moderating variable for other policies, especially environmental and budgetary policies.”
(Anne-Sophie Gayet | Euractiv.com)
