Despite the concessions of Brussels, where European leaders are meeting todaythe anger of farmers in the European Union is not abating, particularly in France where road blockades are set to continue for a fourth consecutive day.

Although the anger of the farming world is not on the official menu of discussions at the Brussels summit, hundreds of tractors are expected to arrive today near the meeting site, in front of the European Parliament, according to the organizers.

Yesterday, Wednesday, on the eve of the European summit, French and Belgian farmers jointly blocked a border crossing between the two countries, denouncing “the distortion of competition” sanctioned by free trade agreements and asking for “very strong announcements” today.

At France, farmers keep the pressure on the highways around Paris. The tension rose yesterday, Wednesday night, with the first arrests of farmers who wanted to block the Ranji market, the food hub of the Paris region.

A total of 91 people were arrested late in the afternoon after a raid on the premises of this wholesale market, where “damage” was caused, according to a statement from a police source to AFP.

Concessions from Brussels

The aid announced yesterday by the French government and the European Commission’s concessions regarding fallow and imports from Ukraine do not seem to satisfy the farmers, who are also mobilizing in Italythe Spain and the GermanyAgence France-Presse points out.

In Italy, thousands of farmers, from Sardinia to Piedmont (Piedmont), demonstrated again yesterday, Wednesday.

The main Italian farmers’ confederation, Coldiretti, plans to travel to Brussels today with around 1,000 farmers from Italy to denounce “the madness that threatens agriculture”.

The Spanish Minister of Agriculture announced that he will receive tomorrow, Friday, the three main agricultural unions, who have promised “mobilisations” within the “next weeks”.

Portuguese farmers have also called for a mobilization this morning on the country’s roads with tractors and agricultural machinery.

In the face of protests, the European Commission yesterday made concessions on two main issues: it is proposing to grant for 2024 a “partial” exemption from the CAP-imposed set-aside obligation and it is considering a mechanism to limit imports from Ukraine, particularly of poultry.

“Delayed” effort

Although Paris welcomed the fact that Brussels “responded to France’s demands”, this exemption comes “belatedly” and remains “limited”, lamented Copa-Cogeca, the EU farmers’ union organization .

Overcomplicated European politics, too low incomes, inflation, competition from abroad, piles of regulations, skyrocketing fuel prices: the same claims are made in most European countries.

Anger crystallizes around the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) of the Twenty Seven, which is judged by some to be out of touch with reality.

Mercosur

Another issue of friction remains pending in Brussels: in charge of the trade policy of the Twenty-Seven, the Commission is currently negotiating a free trade agreement with the countries of Mercosur (Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay), which worries the agricultural sector and which Paris says it does not want.

This treaty with important agricultural countries “is not good for our livestock farmers and cannot, must not be signed as it is”, said yesterday, Wednesday, the French Minister of Economy Bruno Le Maire, declaring that he is ready for a “bra de fer” with the Commission.

French President Emmanuel Macron is due to hold talks with Commission President Ursula von der Leyen today on the sidelines of the European summit.

The head of the powerful French agricultural union FNSEA, however, appealed to his members “for calm and reason”. “The expectations are huge,” in the face of “the accumulation of specifications and rules,” Arnaud Rousseau said. But “there are also many European issues that are not issues that are settled in three days.”

The new CAP, which strengthens from 2023 the environmental obligations and provisions of the European Green Deal (or “Green Deal”) – even if they are not yet in force – crystallizes the anger. France is the country that receives the most European agricultural subsidies, with more than 9 billion euros per year.