Large numbers of farmers in tractors will descend on Brussels for the second time in two months, as the Walloon farmers' federation FUGEA is planning a new protest in the capital city on 26 February, at the same time as a meeting of European agriculture ministers.
The Walloon farmers will not be the only ones protesting, as they are expected to be joined by colleagues from other European countries, the organisation announced in a press release on Wednesday. Whether other French-speaking unions will also take part in the protest is not yet clear.
"Europe does not seem to understand what is at stake and is coming up with proposals designed to appease the strongest," FUGEA said. The interest group particularly denounces the European Commission's proposals to "abolish measures to protect the environment and biodiversity."
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FUGEA will keep up the pressure until "real progress" is made, they stressed. Among other things, the organisation is asking the EU to withdraw from free trade agreements, to halt negotiations on the EU-Mercosur agreement, and to guarantee a strong Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) to support agro-ecological practices.
In recent weeks, farmers in Belgium and the rest of Europe have taken to the streets against agricultural policy. Over 1,200 tractors paralysed the Belgian capital on 1 February and many of them have been blocking several supermarket distribution centres across the country over the past weeks.
