French farmers’ protests reach rural Spain: Farmers call for nationwide mobilization
Protests in France have infected Spanish farmers and several agricultural organizations (ASSA, COAG and UPA) have announced Mobilization throughout Spain The crisis being faced in rural areas.
the sector is in demand Changes in EU policies, a shocking plan by the Spanish government and the actions of autonomous communities in the face of the crisis facing rural areas.
In the statement, the three majority Spanish agricultural organizations announced It was agreed to launch protests in view of Other EU producers, “are facing increasing frustration and unrest due to the difficult conditions created by regulations and stifling bureaucracy.”
first mobilization Will be done in “the next few weeks” And they will take place on a regional scale, although no date has been specified yet.
Changes at European, national and regional level
Sector highlights need for three-way change: At EU level, government policies and implementation by the Autonomous Communities.
Agriculture and livestock representatives will ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Luis Planas, for “urgent solutions” to address the problems arising from the drought, the war in Ukraine, the CAP and labor issues.
rejection of agreements
With regard to the EU, ASJA, COAG and UPA have highlighted Farmers’ struggle against “unfair competition” and “deregulated” markets which imports from third countries “at low prices” and with unequal regulations, leading to “contradiction and hypocrisy” and preventing the viability of thousands of farms”.
Therefore, they will claim it Ratification of agreements with Mercosur and New Zealand is stalled and negotiations with Chile, Kenya, Mexico, India and Australia, as well as increased import controls from Morocco.
Simplification of CAP Regulations
They will also protest against the current Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), whose 2024 campaign will begin precisely on February 1, and They will ask to make it “flexible” and “simplified”Because the sector finds its bureaucracy and environmental costs “unmanageable”.
At the national level, they will seek to amend and expand agri-food chain legislation to crack down on unfair practices, so that farmers’ prices cover production costs.
They will also demand an observatory on agricultural imports etc. The fight over demands for reciprocity intensifies in BrusselsIn all agricultural and livestock products entering the EU territory.
Farmers will also ask the Autonomous Communities for “immediate reforms regarding the simplification of bureaucratic procedures that stifle regional professionals.”
Within the livestock demands, ASJA, COAG and UPA have highlighted animal health crisisWhich has been the subject of “partisan conflicts”.
Another demand would be “a strengthened budget for agricultural insurance, so that it can be adapted to the structural situation caused by drought” and adverse weather events as well. Ways to promote inclusion of young people For profession.
Farmers protest across Europe
Thus the Spanish countryside joined in joint action Number of farmers in countries like France, Italy, Belgium, Germany, Poland and Romania,
The last long-term joint mobilization of the Spanish agricultural sector took place in 2020 and was interrupted by the pandemic.
The demonstration of millions of people in Madrid on 20 March 2022 was also a milestone. People are demanding solutions, On the other hand, the region protested against the CAP in Córdoba during the informal Council of EU Agriculture Ministers last September.