Farmers are protesting again in Brussels today (Monday, February 26) as European agriculture ministers gather to discuss proposals to reduce the “administrative burden” on the sector.
Hundreds of tractors carrying signs and flags have parked up in the streets of the Belgian capital.
Farmers have been protesting across Europea in recent weeks over the prices they are paid, EU regulations, fuel prices and cheap food imports.
They are also calling for calling for an end to the EU-Mercosur deal and other free trade agreements (FTAs).
Police, some carrying riot gear, are patrolling barricades which have been set up around the entrances to the EU Council building.
Piles of tyres have been dumped on the streets and set on fire by the frustrated farmers.
Earlier this month, over 1,000 tractors blocked streets in Brussels as an emergency summit was being held in the EU Parliament.
During that protest police deployed water canons as the protestors threw eggs, stones and lit fires at the entrance to the European Parliament.
On Friday (February 22), the European Commission proposed reducing on-farm inspections by national administrations by up to 50%.
It was part of a wider set of proposals made by the commission to the Belgian presidency as part of the first possible actions directly requested from member states.
The document, which will be discussed with members of the Agriculture and Fisheries Council (AGRIFISH) today, lists a range of short and mid-term actions that can be taken to achieve simplification for farmers.
CAP
Speaking on his way into the meeting in Brussels, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue said that EU policies and regulations for farmers need to be simplified.
“Obviously we have to consider and listen very carefully to the views of farmers across Europe and particularly in relation to the need to place an increased emphasis on the massive work they are doing in relation to food production.”
The minister said that food production must be “an anchor consideration” of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). He also called for the next CAP budget to be “increased and strengthened”.
“The farmers have been expected to do more and take on more regulation for the same level of funding or indeed diminishing funding in instances as well and that is something we have to address and reverse,” he said.
Brussels
Ahead of today’s AGRIFISH meeting, farming organisation European Coordination Via Campesina (ECVC) demanded “real progress” from policy makers around the demands of small- and medium-scale farmers.
This includes ensuring a sufficient budget and an equitable distribution of CAP aid to facilitate a fair transition towards sustainable practices.
“It is essential that policy makers recognise what is at stake and stop ignoring the alternative solutions that are being put forward by small-scale farmers.
“ECVC and its member organisations will continue to take to the streets to ensure policymakers listen to the structural, concrete and coherent solutions we have to offer to reduce the glaring injustices of the current economic system,” the group said.
In an open letter to EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, EU farming organisation Copa Cogeca said that its members support peaceful demonstrations.
“This cannot be emphasised enough. We will not encourage any action which runs counter to the rules set up by our democratic society,” it said.
Copa Cogeca said that farmers need “stability, visibility and predictability to be able to look to the future with confidence”.
It stressed the need for “a competitive cooperative model aimed at improving the bargaining power of farmers in the food supply chain”.
Along with assessing the impact of the EU Green Deal on the agricultural sector, Copa Cogeca outlined the following priorities for the next EU Commission ahead of the upcoming elections:
- The next EU budget must reflect the many challenges facing farmers;
- The trade policy agenda must be consistent with the ambition set within the internal market while guarantying robust reciprocity measures and ensuring attention to sensitive EU productions;
- Any new agri-related proposals must be backed up by a feasibility study, discussed with stakeholders.
- A Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Areas with a key role as Vice-President of the European Commission is needed.