The European Commission has “responded to France’s requests” concerning the easing of set-aside obligations and the limitation of Ukrainian agricultural imports, two points of contention for French farmers, said the Élysée Palace on Wednesday 31 January, the day before a meeting between Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and French President Emmanuel Macron to be held on the sidelines of the European Council meeting (see other news).
The issue regarding farmers’ demands is not on the agenda of this European Council, but the protests planned could lead the heads of state or government to raise it behind the scenes or in front of the press (see EUROPE 13339/2). “Some of the proposals are aimed at easing measures for farmers, but it is not up to the European Council to deal with them”, said a diplomatic source on Wednesday 31 January.
Several hundred tractors and half a thousand demonstrators are expected to attend, including delegations of French, Spanish and Portuguese farmers, as well as Belgian ones, according to the Fédération wallonne de l’agriculture (FWA). The protest rally is due to start at 10am. “Hundreds of tractors will occupy the Place du Luxembourg and the surrounding streets and make their anger heard by blowing their horns” to “denounce the impact of free trade agreements (concluded by the EU) on the living conditions of farmers”, says Via Campesina. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)