Farmers in several European countries have protested against the EU’s agricultural policy. At some border crossings there were even meetings with colleagues from neighboring countries. The EU Commission meanwhile announced further concessions.
Farmers from several EU member states have joined forces to give more force to their protests against European agricultural policy. Czech farmers drove tractors and other vehicles to several border crossings to meet their colleagues from Germany, Poland and Slovakia. The organizers announced that farmers from a total of ten EU countries in Central Europe and from the Baltics to the Balkans took part. There were also protests in France and Spain.
In Slovakia there were the country’s largest farmers’ demonstrations to date: farmers drove hundreds of tractors to the headquarters of the EU representation in Bratislava and to the parliament building to draw attention to their existential situation. Farmers in 37 other places across the country supported the demonstration in the capital by slowing down road traffic, the TASR news agency reported. Andrej Gajdos from the Slovak Chamber of Agriculture and Food made it clear: “We are not protesting against the EU, we are protesting against the wrong decisions of the European Commission.”
Anger is also directed against competition
Farmers’ anger is directed against EU agricultural and environmental policy, low prices for their products and competition from non-EU countries, such as Latin America and Ukraine.
Polish farmers blocked transport hubs across the country on Tuesday and dumped grain from Ukrainian freight wagons at a border crossing with Ukraine. Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk said his government was taking farmers’ concerns seriously and was trying to find a compromise that would satisfy farmers.
Poland wants to better protect border crossings with Ukraine
To ensure that humanitarian and medical aid reaches Ukraine despite the protests and blockades, the Polish government announced that it would provide greater protection at the border crossings with Ukraine. The crossings as well as certain road and railway sections should be included in the list of critical infrastructure, said Tusk. This is intended to ensure that traffic at the border can flow without delays or hindrances.
EU Commission proposes concessions
Meanwhile, the EU Commission proposed new concessions for agriculture. Inspection visits to companies are to be almost halved and digital monitoring systems are to be expanded in order to reduce bureaucratic effort. In addition, under certain circumstances, farmers would no longer have to face penalties if they do not meet the requirements from Brussels.
In the future, companies should be allowed to convert more meadow areas into arable land – although the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy actually stipulates that meadow areas must be preserved. The exception would particularly benefit livestock farming companies that have to reduce their stocks due to poor business. Brussels is also examining further exceptions to the requirements for the cultivation of plants that do not produce any yield but only cover the ground between cultivation phases. The agriculture ministers of the EU countries are due to discuss the proposals on Monday.