EU young farmers to join major December 18 Brussels protest
The group representing young farmer and rural youth organisations in Europe has confirmed it will join a major demonstration of farm groups in Brussels on December 18.
A "pan-European" day of farmer protests is being organised for December 18, ahead of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's planned trip to Brazil.
The protest also coincides with a meeting of EU heads of state and governments in the European Council.
10,000 farmers are expected to descend on Brussels on the day.
The purpose of the protest is to "denounce the EU's growing 'smoke and mirrors' approach to agriculture", organising groups said.
The protesters are set to put three demands to EU law-makers, namely: a strong, common and well-funded Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) post-2027; fair and transparent trade rules that protect EU standards and the most sensitive sectors; and real simplification, better regulation and legal certainty.
Now, EU young farmer group CEJA has confirmed that it will join the protests.
"As heads of states will gather to discuss their first orientations on the post-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework [the EU's long-term budget] with critical choices to be made for the union’s common future, young farmers want to make their voices heard," CEJA said.
"The current political uncertainty fuelled by the discussions surrounding the future of CAP adds to a series of structural challenges which farmers cannot be expected to face alone," the group added.
"Young farmers remain squeezed between a growing market volatility characterised with increasing costs and lowering prices, a lack of tools to sustain their sustainability transition and a growing geopolitical and trade unrest."
The group said that the upcoming European Council meeting is critical for young farmers.
"Member states can either keep opposing policies and funding programmes to one another in a cold manner, for the sake of simplification and budget cuts, or they can consider what there is to lose...if the EU was to renounce its agricultural policy.
"Historically, the CAP has been one of these policies which has united Europe in diversity. In young farmers’ views, pretending it is now a priority from the past is a dangerous path, not only for objectives in terms of food security, competitiveness and sustainability, but also for the EU’s capacity to attract new generations to the sector," the group said.
Peter Meedendorp, the president of CEJA, said: "We are not demonstrating to blame the European Commission on its [CAP] proposals of July; we have already expressed ourselves at length on that.
"We are demonstrating to tell member states that if they do not give enough ambition to the CAP after 2028, they are not only taking away the tools for farmers to continue their important work, they are penalising the next generation in farming.
"It is not only about tomorrow, it is about after 2034, 2060 even, when farmers like me will still be in activity and wonder 'what have we done?' Meedendorp said.
