Brussels, the capital of Belgium and at the same time the decision-making centre of the European Union, has present become 1 of the biggest protests of European farmers in fresh years. Thousands of farmers from over 40 organisations came to the city to argue the current EU agricultural policy and the planned trade agreements, which they believe endanger the future of the European countryside.
The main reason for the demonstration was the planned trade agreement with Mercosur countries. Farmers are informing that this agreement poses a serious threat to European agriculture and food security. They stress that the agricultural sector, built by generations, is the foundation of the economy and of agrarian life. Despite lengthy protests and clear informing signals, the voice of farmers, as the organizers say, remains ignored by the EU elites, which put political and corporate interests ahead of food producers.
According to the protesters, the Mercosur agreement will open the EU marketplace to mass imports of inexpensive food from South America, produced without comparable environmental and animal welfare standards. This situation is intended to lead to unequal competition, peculiarly severe for Polish farms. Imported products will not be subject to restrictions imposed on farmers in the EU, which, according to farmers, may consequence in bankruptcy, the elimination of household farms, a decline in food quality and a weakening of food security.
Protesters point out that the biggest beneficiary of the contract could be Germany, which will gain the anticipation of duty-free exports of cars to South America. Italy is simply a sign of hope, where, according to media reports, the government in Rome advocates postponement of the vote on the agreement. The attitude of the Polish government, which, according to any agricultural groups, is limited to passive reflection of the actions of the European Commission and the largest EU countries, is critical.
According to available information, around 8,000 farmers took part in the demonstration, any of whom came to Brussels with tractors. The protest was part of a broader debate on the future of European agriculture and food security. In fresh months, many EU countries have been experiencing protests, roadblocks and mobilization actions that have shown opposition to expanding production costs, restrictive environmental regulation and insufficient financial support.
Although today's demonstration has attracted the attention of the media and politicians, agricultural organisations are announcing that this is not the end of action. They item the request for real dialog with EU decision-makers and request concrete changes. Negotiations on the future Common Agricultural Policy and the mechanisms for protecting the agricultural marketplace are inactive ongoing and farmers declare ready for further protests if their demands are not taken into account.
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