Raquel VillaécijaParis Correspondent

Paris Correspondent

Updated Thursday, February 1, 2024-16:41

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The French Government announced this Thursday a second round of measures to alleviate the anger of French farmers, who have been protesting for two weeks to demand solutions to the crisis that, according to their claims, they are suffering. "They are long-awaited measures and they are the result of great work," said Prime Minister

Gabriel Attal

, in office for two weeks.

The measures, announced in an appearance in which the Ministers of Economy (

Bruno Le Maire

) and Agriculture (

Marc Fesneau

) participated, touch several areas and seek to "protect French agriculture", especially from "unfair competition". from other countries. Last Friday, when the producers began to raise the tone, he announced some measures, but

very lukewarm

.

The main unions have recognized that Attal, this Thursday, has been more forceful. "The movement does not end, it is transformed," responded the leader of the main agricultural union (FNSEA),

Arnaud Rosseau

, who, together with the other majority (Jeunes Agriculteurs) has welcomed "

the tangible progress

" by the Government and has called to lift the blockades. The other two minority unions, more rooted in the south of the country, have chosen to continue with the mobilizations.

The French Prime Minister has admitted that "there is a long-standing discomfort." "We have made mistakes," he acknowledged. He has announced measures that address some of the farmers' demands, such as

the abandonment of some phytosanitary requirements

that, according to the sector, left them in inferior conditions with respect to other markets.

France will put more pressure on the chains, so that producers are not left unprotected in trade negotiations, and

will carry out massive controls in the coming days on supermarkets to verify that they comply with the law

(Egalim Law), which, among other things, prohibits selling below the cost of production. There will be a "massive phase of controls", Bruno Le Maire said during his speech. In addition, some 10,000 controls will be carried out to verify the French origin of the product.

Part of the speech has been to highlight the work of the sector, he has said that he will inscribe the objective of "food sovereignty" in the law and an annual report on this topic will be published and a plan will be proposed for each sector. The profession will be considered

as a trade with a lack of manpower

("in tension").

Two of the main demands have to do with the unfair competition that, farmers say, they suffer from other countries, which have fewer controls and, therefore, produce cheaper. They criticize French overregulation, especially what has to do with pesticides.

In this sense, Marc Fesneau has announced that

the Ecophyto plan, which sought to reduce the use of pesticides, is suspended for the moment

. It was one of the main complaints of farmers, who argue that some of these products that are going to be banned can be used in other European countries.

Within the package there is financial aid, such as 150 million for ranchers, and tax advantages for the transfer of farms, so that they can be passed on to the next generations. Attal, who has met with the main organizations since day one, announced measures last Friday, and on Tuesday, during a speech in the Assembly, he also avoided, although in a very general way, this crisis.

The main unions consider that this time there is a compromise. Some

100,000 farmers

have been mobilizing for two weeks to demand measures from the Government. Since last Monday, they have blocked the main access roads to Paris.

The sector is also awaiting announcements from Emmanuel Macron, who is participating in the European Council in Brussels. One of France's main demands is that the negotiations of the free trade agreement with Mercosur be suspended, which they consider contrary to their interests.