Isabel Velloso Madrid
Madrid
Monday, February 26, 2024-08:56
Economy Who is leading the farmers' protest?
The clash between families makes it impossible to please everyone
Spain begins a third week of rural protests coinciding with a key meeting in Brussels, where the Council of Agriculture Ministers of the European Union will look for solutions to relieve producers.
A hundred tractors and thousands of protesters plan to occupy the center of Madrid, called by the agricultural organizations Asaja, COAG and UPA.
Today's mobilization, which
starts from Arganda del Rey until reaching the headquarters of the
European Parliament
around 3:00 p.m., culminates a calendar of more than 40 events that have dotted the Spanish geography in recent weeks.
The EU ministers are facing a key meeting to make decisions to address this wave of discontent that has spread, to a greater or lesser extent, to several European countries.
Update narration
08.54
At 11:00 a.m., at the Ministry of Agriculture;
at 3:00 p.m. to the EU headquarters
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08.50
Farmers and ranchers, to Madrid
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08.48
First images of the departure of the farmers from Arganda del Rey
CHEMA MOYA |
EFE
CHEMA MOYA |
EFE
CHEMA MOYA |
EFE
CHEMA MOYA |
EFE
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08.12
Movements in the EU
The Agriculture Ministers of the European Union are, therefore, facing a
key meeting to make decisions with which to address this wave of discontent
that has spread, to a greater or lesser extent, to several countries in the European Union, reports Efe.
Last Thursday the European Commission proposed a battery of short and medium-term measures to alleviate the administrative burden on farmers, with simplification of requirements and controls to receive aid.
The Community Executive will also launch an online survey from March to May to identify farmers' concerns, their burdens and the complexity derived from the rules of the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), which has been in force since January 1 2023.
The
first evaluation of the CAP will be known at the beginning of summer
and the final one in autumn.
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08.11
Will the protests end?
The demonstrations within the framework of the "Action Unit" of Asaja, COAG and UPA have been joined by those of the Unión de Uniones, which already managed to arrive with 500 tractors last Wednesday to the center of the capital, reports Efe.
The Unió de Pagesos, also the protagonist of a large rally in Barcelona, has already cleared up the first unknown: the protests will continue beyond what they decide this Monday in the Council of Ministers in Brussels.
In fact, he has called for
next Tuesday, the 27th, and Wednesday, the 28th, tractor marches at various points on the border with France, including the AP-7
, to reject European Union free trade agreements.
The mobilizations have been organized, in certain cases, together with the French union Confédération Paysanne and the Revolta Pagesa platform of Girona.
Farmers and ranchers are called to gather starting at 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday in four different areas.
The unrest of the French has become especially evident this weekend with the altercations that resulted in four arrests during the visit of their president to the Agriculture Hall.
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08.09
What are farmers asking for?
1- Flexibility of the Common Agricultural Policy by considering its bureaucracy and environmental costs unaffordable;
Less bureaucratic burdens
at the administrative level.
2- Negotiation of
mirror clauses in commercial exchanges
with third countries and creation of an observatory on imports of food products.
3- Paralysis of the agreements with Mercosur and New Zealand and the negotiations with Chile, Kenya, Mexico, India and Australia, as well as more
controls on imports from Morocco.
4-
Change in the operation of the Agri-Food Chain Law.
Modification and expansion of said rule to prohibit unfair practices, so that farmers' prices cover production costs.
5- An
agricultural insurance system
that responds to the needs of producers and adapted to the structural situation caused by droughts and adverse meteorological phenomena.
6-
Taxation in line
with the cost increases borne by the sector derived from situations such as the war in Ukraine.
7-
Urgent investments in irrigation.
8- Help to face setbacks such as
drought.
9- Measures to encourage the
incorporation of young people into the countryside.
10- Measures in the management of the "crisis" over
animal health
that, in addition, they believe is being the subject of "partisan fights."
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08.00
Entry to Madrid from Arganda del Rey
Spain begins a
third week of rural protests
on a Monday in which a key meeting will take place in Brussels - with the council of ministers of the sector that will look for solutions to relieve producers - and a hundred tractors and thousands of protesters who will occupy the center of Madrid, reports Efe.
They are convened by the agricultural organizations Asaja, COAG and UPA, which with this mobilization
culminate the calendar of more than 40 events
that have dotted the Spanish geography in recent weeks.
They will access the capital
from Arganda del Rey to the headquarters of the European Parliament
and, on the Paseo de la Infanta Isabel and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, the protesters will join on foot.
From then on, the march will continue along Paseo del Prado, Paseo de Recoletos and Paseo de Castellana, in the central lanes of the south-north direction, until number 46 Paseo de la Castellana, where the Office in Spain of the European Parliament.
A rally will take place there and the demonstration will end
at approximately 3:00 p.m.
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