The leading farmers' unions in France have launched a new cycle of protests on Monday and call on those working in the agricultural sector to turn out en masse.
The actions come as Europe is poised to sign the EU-Mercosur deal, which will remove tariffs and other trade barriers. But farmers fear that the deal will open EU markets to products that are not subject to the same food safety requirements, with regulators here unable to enforce equally strict checks on products arriving from South America.
This particularly applies to beef products, in which antibiotics and growth hormones that are forbidden in the EU might be used in Mercosur countries and then imported to Europe.
Europe's farmers have been widely hostile to the agreement, with protests earlier this year already highlighting concerns within the sector. At the time, their worries were echoed by ministers who acknowledged problems with the deal. French President Emanuel Macron called it a "very bad deal" in March. But the agreement now seems to be going ahead.
Less than a year after a major rural protest that led to motorway blockades, agricultural unions are once again calling their members to demonstrate. However, the actions are less coordinated this time, ahead of their professional elections in January.
The demonstrations in France has led to protests over the weekend and on Monday, though the tactics are different to earlier actions. "85 protest points are being set up; we don’t want blockades like last year," said Pierrick Horel, President of the Young Farmers, on RMC on Monday morning, mentioning "filter barriers, fires of anger, and demonstrations in front of prefectures.
On Sunday, Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau warned farmers of "zero tolerance" for prolonged road blockades. On Sunday evening, farmers demonstrated near Villacoublay airbase, near Paris, against a proposed free trade agreement with Mercosur countries. They blocked two of three lanes on the N118, and some remained with their tractors on Monday morning after spending the night there.
"We want to express the agricultural distress and the need to set a new course across the country," emphasized Mr. Horel.
Manifestation des agriculteurs en colère en Ile-de-France Plusieurs cortèges de tracteurs en direction de Vélizy-Villacoublay protester contre la potentielle signature du Mercosur. pic.twitter.com/eVUGCjVMU6
— CLPRESS / Agence de presse (@CLPRESSFR) November 17, 2024
