18 Industry News Ongoing European farm protests PRODUCERS CHOKED BY RED TAPE AND ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY Melanie Epp FARMERS ACROSS THE EUROPEAN UNION HAVE BEEN PROTESTING ISSUES driven, for the most part, by failed policy since early 2024. The reasons behind the protests differ from country to country, but most centre around escalating costs, tightening environmental regulations and the rise of cheap imports, particularly from Ukraine. Farmers have staged protests in their respective countries and Brussels, where EU policymakers regularly meet. Their complaints have been heard to some degree. In response, the European Commission extended subsidy allowances by six months until the end of 2024, and the European Council formally adopted a targeted review of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) with the goal to cut red tape and ensure simplification for farmers. FARMER PROTESTS ERUPT ACROSS EUROPE Although protests have been ongoing in some European countries for years, the main wave of protests that hit countries across the continent this year began in February. Demonstrations of discontent have been driven primarily by low commodity prices, increased trade with non-EU member states, and proposed environmental regulations, including pesticide bans, nitrogen emissions curbs, land and water use restrictions, and carbon taxes. In a February speech to the European Parliament, Thijs Rompelberg, a Dutch Farmers’ Union LTO board member, explained why Dutch farmers are unhappy with the current policy. He then urged policymakers to consider a new European agricultural and food strategy. This new strategy included five key points. In his first point, he suggested that Europe adopt a bottom-up approach to limit bureaucracy and over-regulation. “Farmers and growers want to run their farm,” Rompelberg said. “This should not be done by bureaucrats in an office in Brussels.” As an example, he pointed to a regulation that forced farmers to plant catch crops by specific fixed dates rather than when it best-suited operations. “Fixed dates to sow catch crops don’t work in practice,” he said. “The weather determines the sowing and harvesting of crops.” Rompelberg pointed out the diversity of agriculture in Europe, stating that blanket regulations don’t fit. Farmers need clear targets and tools to reach those targets. Thirdly, Rompelberg questioned increasing pressure from international trade. Limiting production across the EU means products will have to come from elsewhere, he said. “Our costs are higher than in most countries, so this needs to be part of international trade agreements and the World Trade Organization,” he said, adding that policymakers should integrate environmental demands into trade deals. In his speech, Rompelberg also called for the adoption of innovations that could help farmers stay competitive while increasing sustainable production. He called on the European Commission to register RENURE, which is nitrogen recovered from manure, to be used as an inorganic fertilizer replacer. Finally, Rompelberg expressed concern over the future of agriculture in Europe, a sector he said the Commission should view as a strategic asset that requires protection. He said his concern extended to the younger generation, which lacks prospects to enter the sector. “We need outcome-based measures, we don’t need rules-based measures,” he said. “We need lawmakers to work with farmers and growers to grow confidence and make the transition.” RISE OF CHEAP IMPORTS While eastern European farmers have also expressed frustration with tightening environmental regulations and increased red tape, the bulk of their complaints are focused on unfair competition, particularly “THE FARMERS MUST DO THIS, THE FARMERS MUST DO THAT. WHAT DO YOU THINK YOURSELF? WE’RE SICK AND TIRED OF IT.” (PHOTO : MELANIE EPP).
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