Farmer protests spread across Europe and governments promise help

Farmers threw eggs and stones at the European Parliament in Brussels on Thursday, set fires near the building and set off fireworks as they demanded European Union leaders do more to help them with rising taxes and costs.

With anger over environmental regulations and cheap imports shared among farmers across Europe, protesters from Italy, Spain and other European countries took part in the rally in Brussels, which coincided with a nearby EU summit, as well as holding protests in their countries.

While local grievances also vary, the growing unrest, also seen in Portugal, Greece or Germany, exposes tensions over the EU's effort to combat climate change.

“We want to put an end to these crazy laws that come every day from the European Commission,” said José Maria Castilla, a farmer who represents the Spanish farmers union Asaja, in Brussels.

The protests across Europe come as the far right, for which farmers represent a growing electorate, is seen making gains in June's European Parliament elections. Leaders are trying to calm the unrest.

“Across Europe, the same question arises: how can we continue to produce more and better? How can we continue to tackle climate change? How can we avoid unfair competition from foreign countries?”, said French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, when announcing new measures in Paris.

Attal promised to make farmers' lives easier and better protect them at French and EU level, including by banning cheap imports of products that use a pesticide banned in Europe and ensuring that food labels clearly indicate whether the product is imported. More help for farmers is also on the way, he said.

Farmers have already secured several measures, including proposals from the bloc's Executive Commission to limit imports of agricultural products from Ukraine and loosen some environmental regulations on fallow land, which several EU leaders welcomed as they arrived at the summit.

But they say this is not enough and that they are stifled by taxes and environmental rules and face unfair competition from abroad.

“The European elections are coming up and politicians are very nervous, as is the European Commission. I think this is the best time for all European farmers to take to the streets together”, added Spanish farmer Castilla.

Although the farmers' crisis is not officially on the agenda of the EU summit, which has so far focused on aid to Ukraine, an EU diplomat said the farmers' plight would be discussed.

“It's happening all over Europe, so you should have hope,” said Kevin Bertens, a farmer from outside Brussels, at protests in the Belgian capital. “You need us. Help us!”

Small groups tried to tear down barriers erected in front of Parliament – ​​just a few blocks from where the summit was taking place – but police fired tear gas and sprayed farmers with water with hoses to drive them back.

Meanwhile, Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar echoed French President Emmanuel Macron's opposition to signing a trade deal with Mercosur in its current form – another key demand for farmers.

Source: CNN Brasil

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