Brussels fell into the trap of the Belgian farmers.
Farmers from Flanders brought thousands of tractors to Brussels to protest once morest the regional government’s new plan to limit nitrogen oxide emissions, Archyde.com reports.
According to the calculations of the law enforcement authorities, the streets of Brussels are blocked by regarding 2,700 tractors. On many of them there are posters with angry inscriptions once morest the decision.
“Proud to be a farmer,” read one.
Farming organizations said the nitrous oxide agreement as it stands “will cause socio-economic logging”. They asked that the agreement better reflect the future prospects for the agricultural sector.
“We are all convinced that something needs to change regarding nitrous oxide, but the agricultural sector should not be treated differently from the industrial sector,” insisted one protester.
The large number of livestock and the intensive use of fertilisers, as well as traffic and construction, have led to levels of nitrogen oxide emissions in air and water in both Belgium and the Netherlands that are higher than EU regulations and endanger the environment.
The planned move to limit emissions in Flanders has sparked a crisis in the Flemish regional government that failed to find a solution during 16 hours of talks earlier this week. Belgian media reported that Flemish Prime Minister Jan Jambon wants to make a final decision by this weekend.
