Farmers are furious. They drove tractors into the center of Brussels. They are ramming the blockades [WIDEO]

The demonstration was initiated by the European organization Via Campesina, representing small and medium-sized agricultural farms. Tractors that entered Brussels on Monday caused traffic disruptions in much of the city. The road leading from the European district to the city center was also blocked. Police cordoned off the area around the EU Council buildings.

Farmers protest in Brussels. Tractors ram police roadblocks

Farmers in protest include, among others: they ram through police roadblocks and burn tires, which the services then try to extinguish. Already last week, the police and the local public transport operator warned of traffic disruptions. Some roads were closed during the protest.

Demonstration participants emphasize that they are not against climate policy. – However, we know that in order to achieve transformation, product prices must be higher, because ecological production is more expensive – said one of the participants of the protest in Brussels in an interview with . She explained that she expected the European Union to introduce minimum support prices and abandon free trade agreements that enable the import of cheaper products from abroad.

Agriculture ministers meet in Brussels. Farmers’ protests in the background

Agriculture ministers gathered in Brussels on Monday are to discuss, among other things, the impact of imports of agricultural raw materials from Ukraine on EU markets. This topic is to be discussed during the current topics session.

Before leaving for the capital of Belgium, Polish Minister of Agriculture Czesław Siekierski announced that he would present to his counterparts from other countries arguments for limiting the import of products from the East. The European Commission has initially proposed to extend liberalization until June 2025, limiting only the supplies of sugar, poultry and eggs.

– We cannot agree to further trade liberalizations. There must be guarantees and safety brakes against violations of the common market and the proposed liberalization. We would like to quickly start negotiations with Ukraine to remind Ukraine of the requirements that Ukraine has to face in this area, announced the head of the Polish ministry.

The minister reminded that farmers protesting in Poland are demanding far-reaching changes and simplifications in the EU’s pro-environmental policy, the so-called Green Ład. – I will demand restrictions on this policy, discussion of many problems in this area has already begun. Here we expect greater openness from the EC. After Mrs. von der Leyen’s visit to our country, we hope that it will open up a new approach to these matters for her, added Minister Siekierski.

The first protest in Brussels was organized on February 1. More than a thousand tractors paralyzed the capital of Belgium during the EU summit taking place there. Farmers also announced demonstrations in Warsaw, which are to take place on Tuesday, February 27 and Wednesday, March 6. Minister Siekierski collected demands from protesting groups, meeting with trade unionists, among others. during the weekend visiting groups from the Lublin Voivodeship.