Farmers' organisations are once again protesting across Belgium against the free trade agreement between the European Union and the Mercosur countries (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay). One protest will take place at Brussels Central Station.
The General Farmers' Union will block several intersections in Flanders on Thursday, while its Walloon counterpart is planning similar actions on Thursday evening and Friday morning.
Austrian and German farmers will protest against the Mercosur agreement at Brussels Central Station on Thursday morning. The Brussels protest against the Mercosur agreement in December was turbulent; the police arrested 13 people.
The Farmers' Union is asking European representatives "to take responsibility and convince others to reject the agreement and send it back to the drawing board," said chair Lode Ceyssens. "We are in danger of being flooded with inferior, cheaper and even dangerous products."
Protests are planned across the country on Thursday. German and Austrian farmers are gathering at Brussels Central Station at 10 am to protest against the agreement.
The General Farmers' Union (ABS) will also set up filter blockades with tractors at busy traffic junctions in various provinces. From 11 am, the roundabout in Wommelgem (Autolei) – one of the busiest traffic junctions in the Antwerp region – will be blocked.
Actions are also planned in Ghent at the turbo roundabout at Euro-Silo. ABS has informed Bruzz that it has no plans for actions in Brussels for the time being.
"Threat to European agriculture"
The Confederation of Belgian Beet Growers (CBB) calls the agreement "a threat to European agriculture." In particular, the agreement in its current form is "unfair and harmful" to the sugar, beef and poultry sectors, it says.
The beet growers are putting pressure on MEPs and want to draw the attention of their representatives to what they call the "negative impact" of the agreement on agriculture and food security.
The Walloon agricultural organisations FJA and FUGEA are also opposed to the possible signing of the trade agreement. On Thursday evening and Friday, barricades with tractors could be set up, mainly in the south of the country.
After years of negotiations, the European Commission has concluded a free trade agreement with the Mercosur countries. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wanted to officially sign the agreement at the end of December, but did not have the necessary support from the Member States.
New date?
Meanwhile, 12 January is circulating as a new date for a possible signing, but that too is not yet certain. The Member States were due to vote on Friday, but even if the ambassadors of the Member States ratify the agreement and Von der Leyen travels to Paraguay on Monday for the signing, the European Parliament still has to give its approval. The agricultural organisations see room for lobbying there.
Code Red, a movement for civil disobedience actions, is calling for support for the blockades. The actions are part of "a wave of solidarity that breaks through all boundaries and aims to forge networks of anger and increase pressure on current policies in favour of the agro-industry."
Farmers, trade unions and activists must join forces for the future of agriculture, says Code Red.
