Thousands of farmers will protest in Brussels against the EU-Mercosur trade deal and subsidy reforms during a key EU summit.
BRUSSELS: Thousands of farmers are set to protest in Brussels on Thursday against EU trade and subsidy policies.
Demonstrators driving hundreds of tractors will converge on the European quarter around noon, coinciding with a high-stakes EU leaders’ summit.
The protests target plans for a trade deal with the South American Mercosur bloc and reforms to the EU’s agricultural subsidy system.
Farmers fear the Mercosur agreement will flood the market with cheaper goods from agricultural giants like Brazil.
They also oppose the European Commission’s proposal to overhaul the bloc’s huge farming subsidies.
The Walloon Agricultural Federation (FWA) called Brussels’ plans “totally unacceptable”.
FWA will be among more than 40 national farming groups represented at the demonstration.
Pan-European agriculture lobby group Copa-Cogeca expects about 10,000 people to attend.
The EU-Mercosur pact would create the world’s biggest free-trade area.
It would help the EU export more vehicles, machinery, wines and spirits to Latin America.
Farmers lament it would also facilitate European imports of South American beef, sugar, rice, honey and soybeans.
EU plans to seal the agreement this week were thrown into disarray on Wednesday.
Italy joined France in seeking a delay to the deal.
Paris and Rome are calling for more robust safeguard clauses and tighter import controls.
The commission has proposed some measures that go in that direction.
Hugues Falys of Belgian union Fugea said farmers had “little confidence” in those proposals.
“Anger in rural areas is reaching unprecedented levels,” added French agricultural union Confederation Paysanne. – AFP
