Around 300 tractors gathered on Sunday morning at around 10:00 at the Atomium on the Heysel Plateau in Brussels to protest against the EU-Mercosur trade agreement.
Farmers from the organisations General Farmers’ Syndicate (ABS) and United Young Farmers (VJL) argue that the agreement could undermine food safety in Europe and encourage unfair competition.
The protest, which began at 10:00, is expected to continue until 18:00. Tractors have been parked around the Atomium and near the nearby American Theatre. Music is being played through speakers, farmers have lit fires under the Atomium’s spheres, and chips are being served to attendees.
The demonstration is expected to remain peaceful. In a joint statement, ABS and VJL have urged participants to refrain from bringing fireworks or causing disturbances. Aside from a few small firecrackers, most farmers appear to be enjoying the winter sunshine and good weather.
Brecht De Cock, a farmer specialising in milk, cattle, and arable farming, expressed concerns about the agreement, which was signed on Saturday in Paraguay and awaits approval by the European Parliament. “This deal will hurt our sales in Europe, which are already under pressure,” he said. While consumer prices may not rise immediately, he warned that both the agricultural and food processing sectors would be threatened, along with food quality.
De Cock criticised the European Commission and EU member states for backing the deal, claiming it shows “they are clearly prioritising money,” although he hopes European Parliament members will demonstrate support for the people.
Bruno Vincent of the General Farmers’ Syndicate explained that farmers are not opposed to free trade agreements in principle, but they strongly object to the agricultural provisions of this particular deal.
