Farmers put pressure on the European summit, a thousand tractors block the streets of Brussels

2024-02-01 08:15:00

[Article publié le jeudi 1er février 2024 à 07H21 et mis à jour à 09H15]It is now towards Brussels that farmers from all over Europe are converging. A thousand tractors blocked several streets of the Belgian capital this Thursday on the outskirts of an extraordinary European Council, bringing together the leaders of the Twenty-Seven. “ There are a thousand tractors or agricultural machines », In fact, confirmed a police spokesperson, specifying that these farmers mainly came from Belgium.

« Between 100 and 300 tractors will converge on Brussels. They will head towards Place du Luxembourg » in front of the European Parliament on Thursday morning, initially indicated, a spokesperson for the Walloon Federation of Agriculture (FWA). Among these demonstrators were delegations of French, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese farmers, the FWA said. “ It will be completely international », insisted his spokesperson.

In France, it is towards the National Assembly that farmers are called to converge by Rural Coordination. Its president, Véronique Le Floch, in fact suggested, that same day on RMC, that: “ This afternoon, given that many farmers wish to go to Paris, we are sending them the message: if they wish to go to Paris, they should head towards the National Assembly, so that each of the deputies, each of the deputies and all the other senators can come and meet the farmers “. The president of the second representative agricultural union in France behind the FNSEA-Jeunes Agriculteurs alliance, however, clarified that it was not “ not a call for demonstration ».

Brussels makes concessions

Brussels, however, made concessions on Wednesday: the European executive proposed renewing for an additional year, between June 2024 and June 2025, the exemption from customs duties granted to Ukraine since spring 2022 to support the country at war. But by matching it with “ safeguard measures » reinforced limiting the impact of imports of Ukrainian agricultural products, which jumped by 11% in value over one year in January-September 2023.

On the fallow obligations imposed by the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) which came into force at the start of 2023, Brussels is proposing to the Twenty-Seven a “ partial exemption » allowing them to receive aid even without respecting the proportion of at least 4% of arable land fallow.

Anger of farmers: Brussels ready to release ballast on fallow land

French grain growers want to see customs duties reinstated for Ukraine

If, according to the Elysée, the European Commission has “ responded to requests from France “, this exemption occurs ” tardily » and remains “limited”, regretted Copa-Cogeca, the organization of the majority agricultural unions in the EU. French grain producers want to see customs duties reinstated beyond a quota of imports from Ukraine.

The boss of the FNSEA called his troops “ calm and reason ». « The wait is enormous ” facing ” accumulation of standards and rules », declared Arnaud Rousseau. But “ there are also many European issues which are not matters which can be resolved in three days ».

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Mercosur: Bruno Le Maire ready for a “ bras de fer » with the Commission

Another subject of friction remains unresolved in Brussels: in charge of the trade policy of the Twenty-Seven, the Commission is currently negotiating a free trade agreement with the Mercosur countries (Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay) which worries the sector agricultural and which Paris declares that it does not want. This treaty with important agricultural countries “ is not good for our breeders and cannot, must not be signed as is “, declared the French Minister of the Economy Bruno Le Maire on Wednesday, saying he was ready for a “ bras de fer » with the Commission.

The latter had declared, the day before, that“At present, the Commission’s analysis is that the conditions for concluding negotiations with Mercosur are not met ».

More “discussions continue and the European Union continues to pursue its objective of reaching an agreement which respects the EU’s objectives in terms of sustainability and which respects our sensitivities, particularly in the agricultural field”he nevertheless clarified.

Furthermore, the French Minister of Agriculture, Marc Fesneau, called on Wednesday in Brussels to “ simplify » quickly the procedures of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), the complexity of which the sector criticizes, promising proposals with other member states.

« We cannot have a CAP that is so complex and incomprehensible, sometimes both for our administrations and our farmers. We need to resolutely commit to the path of simplification “, he told the press. “ You have farmers today who don’t know why they receive the aid. It is not a question of waiting for the new post-2027 CAP “. Marc Fesneau evokes “ exemptions, forms to complete, certificates requested » even when satellite monitoring is planned – this “ which could make it possible to simplify the procedures ».

Another pitfall: the 2023-2027 CAP grants “ flexibilities » increased to States to adapt to local specificities – at the risk of having more or less complex and strict standards from one country to another, potential internal competition.