The French government promised this Monday to present new measures to benefit farmers within 48 hours and announced that it intends to discuss ending compulsory fallowing at the European Union (EU) summit scheduled for Thursday.
“In 48 hours we will have a series of measures that we can put on the negotiating table,” said Agriculture Minister Marc Fesneau this Monday in an interview with France 2 in response to the pressure of the protests.
Hours before the permanent closure of some major routes to Paris promised by major agricultural unions would take effect, Fesnault stressed that this would be in addition to measures already presented on Friday by Prime Minister Gabriel Attal.
The head of the Ministry of Agriculture said that he himself would go to Brussels to accompany Emmanuel Macron at an extraordinary European summit, at which the French President decided to put on the agenda the crisis in agriculture, and in particular viticulture, fallow lands, as well as imports from Ukraine.
Regarding the removal of the 4% land fallow requirement, which was due to be applied this year under current Common Agricultural Policy rules, he insisted that France wanted “a decision to be made this week” and noted that 22 of the 27 EU countries are in favor of.
Regarding the import of agricultural products from Ukraine as if they were from another EU country, which was provided to Kiev as support after the Russian invasion in February 2022, the French minister noted that this has caused “wrong consequences” and that Paris wants to it happened. be the “limit” of the “disorganization” that this measure generates.
With these restrictions, which have not been detailed, France expects to affect supplies of chicken, eggs and sugar, which are products in direct competition with the French.
Another point considered important in responding to farmers’ demands is to align environmental obligations in France, for example regarding the use of pesticides and herbicides, with those in other EU countries.
Asked what authorities would do if farmers blocking highways and roads began to control foreign trucks, as happened last week when some of them, especially those carrying Spanish produce, were looted, Fesno gave a cryptic answer.
On the one hand, he repeated that the Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin, had instructed the 15,000 police officers and gendarmes who were deployed this Monday to take part in the protests not to interfere “as long as property and people are respected.”
On the other hand, he pointed out that control is the task of customs and government services to verify the compliance of products coming from abroad with the rules.
In addition to some major highways leading into Paris, the Rural Coordination – one of the major agricultural unions – announced its intention to block access to the Rungis food market, located about 15 kilometers south of the capital.
To avoid this, a contingent of agents was stationed in two armored vehicles in case they had to collide with the tractors.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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