The fourth farmers' protest since the start of this year is taking place in Brussels' European Quarter on Monday afternoon. However, it is not expected to cause any major disruptions to residents or traffic.
The umbrella organisation of European dairy organisations, European Milk Boar, is calling for better remuneration for the European agricultural sector at the demonstration in Brussels on Monday. Unlike previous farmer protests, however, Brussels police do not anticipate any major disruptions.
"So far, we have counted around 50 demonstrators. Everything is taking place quietly and peacefully," a spokesperson for the Brussels-Capital/Ixelles police zone told The Brussels Times.
Initially, major traffic disruption was expected by Brussels police – as was the case with previous farmers' demonstrations. For now, however, this is not the case, and no large numbers of tractors have been spotted in the capital.
Neoliberal EU policy
The demonstration started at noon on Brussels' Place du Luxembourg and will move to the Council of the European Union building on Rue de la Loi, where a meeting of the Council of Agriculture and Fisheries is in progress.
The organiser European Milk Board also said it would generally be a quiet demonstration. At around 15:00, farmers will return towards Place du Luxembourg and the demonstration will come to an end.
The European Milk Board is denouncing the "neoliberal" European agricultural policy, said Danish EMB president Kjartan Poulsen. Just weeks before the European elections, it is demanding a structural reform of the EU's Common Agricultural Policy.
To give farmers, especially young ones, a perspective for the future again, there must be a structural reform of the agricultural policy, Poulsen said. "We no longer want farmers to depend on subsidies to survive, but need a system that can let us live off the market."
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European policymakers should commit to general price regulation of the agricultural sector and their products, she added. These should no longer be sold below production costs, preventing farmers from making a living.
Additionally, farmers' organisations should also be "heavily involved" in the design and implementation of the European Green Deal, farmers said.
