News

Last week, on 01/02/2024, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen met with farmers who were present at the agricultural protests in Brussels. Belgian Prime Minister Alexander de Croo and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte also attended the meeting. Farmers' representatives asked for exemptions from CAP environmental regulations, for adjustments to the CAP subsidy programme, for a stricter system to prevent an excessive influx of food commodities imported from Ukraine, and for fair trade rules to ensure the same environmental and safety standards of production between EU farmers and their competitors in partner countries. Ursula von der Leyen said during the meeting that the legitimate interests of farmers must be defended, particularly during trade negotiations, while ensuring a level playing field in terms of production standards. She also supported the reduction of administrative burdens in the CAP but stressed the commitment to achieve climate neutrality by 2050.
More information is available here.

European farmers continue to protest against the impact of low prices and high costs, national and European measures and the impact of trade liberalisation with Ukraine. Farmers in France have continued to protest over the past week against inadequate wages, excessive environmental regulations and free trade agreements with Mercosur, New Zealand and the USA. Following the protests, the French government announced the cancellation of the increase in diesel taxes for farmers, set out steps to cut red tape and offered additional support to farmers. In the wake of the French protests, Spain asked for guarantees of free transit of Spanish products in France and rejected allegations of unfair competition for Spanish products, which had led to attacks on Spanish trucks in France. Demonstrations were also held in Belgium on 01/02/2024, where farmers expressed their support for, among other things, an end to free trade agreement negotiations with Mercosur countries, a reduction in expenditure and a simplification of administrative burdens. The riots in Brussels included bonfires, burning of tyres and clashes with the police. Irish farmers have also joined the protests over the past week in solidarity with other member states and in protest against environmental regulations and low incomes. Large-scale protests also continue to take place in Poland, Germany, the Netherlands and Romania.

On 01/02/2024, EU leaders approved a package of financial support for Ukraine totalling €50 billion, to be released in several instalments until 2027, in the form of grants and highly concessional loans. The funds should help Ukraine to maintain its administration, pay salaries and pensions and provide basic public services. The agreement also includes funding for migration management, support for partners in the Western Balkans and the Southern Neighbourhood, and to increase the EU's capacity to respond to humanitarian crises and natural disasters in the EU and worldwide.
More information is available here.

French President Emmanuel Macron has called on the European Commission to end negotiations on a free trade agreement with Mercosur countries following ongoing French protests. Macron said that the free trade agreement should not be signed until Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay are subjected to the same environmental rules as farmers in EU member states. In response to France's demands, a representative of the European Commission's Directorate General for Trade said that negotiations on a trade agreement with Mercosur would not be suspended.
More information is available here.

The EP Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (COMAGRI) adopted its opinion on environmental (green) claims on 24/01/2024. The opinion was adopted by 30 votes to 7, with 7 abstentions. The Committee recognised the efforts at farm level, advocated the potential of carbon farming and proposed steps to facilitate its implementation. COMAGRI has no exclusive competence on the Commission's proposal on green claims, which falls to the EP Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (COMENVI) and the EP Committee on the Internal Market (IMCO). These committees will vote on their opinion on 14/02/2024, but do not have to take COMAGRI's position into account.