Hundreds of people and dozens of tractors protest in the center of Madrid

Hundreds of people with dozens of tractors demonstrated this Sunday in the center of Madrid to express another protest against European agricultural policies and ask the Spanish government for “commitment” in the debate in Brussels.

According to the organization, about a thousand people and 150 to 200 tractors were present at the protest, while the Madrid government delegation (the body responsible for authorizing and organizing security measures during demonstrations) said that 450 people and 78 tractors were present at the protest.

The protest was the second in recent weeks organized on the streets of the center of the Spanish capital by the platform of the agricultural association União das Uniãos.

The platform has organized some of Spain’s largest demonstrations against European agricultural policies, but is not an interlocutor of the Spanish government.

During a previous protest in Madrid on February 21, the Union of Trade Unions mobilized 4,000 people and 500 tractors, according to authorities.

The platform’s coordinator, Luis Cortes, told reporters this Sunday that farmers are asking the executive to make a “commitment” to push forward in Brussels the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (PAC) from September, when the Union’s new legislature takes office. Union (EU) after the June elections.

Luis Cortés also asked the Spanish government to take action to provide agricultural production with “fair prices” and not just “band-aids.”

According to him, agricultural policy “confuses agriculture with the environment” and does not allow production at affordable prices for the population.

The Union of Trade Unions is therefore calling for agreement on a “new CAP regulation” as “interim reform is needed.”

“What they should do is create their own environmental regulation and not mix it with agriculture,” said the spokesman, who considered statements made in recent weeks by the European Commission to be insufficient in response to protests by farmers in several countries.

The Union of Unions also demands that so-called “mirror clauses” be applied in trade agreements between the EU and third countries, that is, that imported products be subject to the same production conditions as farmers within the EU.

“We don’t want privilege, we want equality,” said Luis Cortes.

Today’s demonstration left the territory of the Ministry of Ecological Transition (which oversees the environment) and headed towards the Ministry of Agriculture, following some of the central arteries of Madrid.

Ahead of the tractors were protesters on foot, people of all ages, including children, wearing yellow reflective vests and flags, banners and placards with phrases such as “We still have causes,” “Too much paper, too few solutions.” ” or “Today agriculture is our grave.”

Luis Cortes said today’s protest was meant to be “more festive and family-friendly” than other protests in recent weeks and called on Agriculture Minister Luis Planas to sit down and talk to the Union of Trade Unions.

Farmers will continue to protest on the streets of Spain, the spokesman said. Professionals, as in other countries, have been demonstrating for about six weeks, focusing on European agricultural policy.

In Spain, protests took place organized by the Union of Trade Unions, informal groups on social networks and three confederations that are representatives of the government (Asaha – Association of Agrarians Jovens Agricultores, UPA – União de Pequenos Agricultores and Gadeiros and Coordinator COAG). – Organizations of farmers and ranchers).

In mid-February, the Spanish executive presented a package of 18 measures in response to the sector’s demands, with Minister Luis Planas acknowledging that they are largely within the competence of the EU and therefore the obligation is to propose and defend them. in Brussels.

Among these proposals are several measures aimed at making CAP rules more flexible, simplifying procedures and reducing bureaucracy, and increasing requirements for products imported from outside the EU.

The European Commission, for its part, has made concessions such as delaying cuts in pesticide use and starting a survey of farmers and small supply chain suppliers to assess unfair trade practices.

EU agriculture ministers also recently approved the first package of emergency measures aimed at easing the bureaucratic burden required for direct payments and freeing up legume producers from having to fallow land.

Spain is the leading exporter of fruits and vegetables to the EU.