Agricultural producers across Europe are mobilising for a return to Brussels streets on 16 July, mounting a demonstration against potential reductions to the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) budget and European Commission proposals to merge agricultural and cohesion funding streams into nationally managed “partnerships”, according to Euractiv.
The protest coincides with the Commission’s presentation of its initial package for the EU’s forthcoming Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF).
The Czech Chamber of Agriculture confirmed that the demonstration, organised by major European farming bodies, will take place in the European quarter. This marks the first significant farmers’ protest in the EU capital since last year’s gatherings aimed at influencing the European elections, though a smaller demonstration against the EU-Mercosur trade agreement occurred in November.
Organisers including the Walloon farmers’ trade union (Fédération Wallonne de l’Agriculture) and the EU-level organisation Copa-Cogeca described the planned march from the European Parliament to the Berlaymont building as “symbolic”.
It follows the launch of a petition titled “No security without CAP”, underscoring farmers’ concerns over food production stability.
Although the Commission’s budget integration plans have been known for months, agricultural ministers and national farming organisations have only recently intensified their opposition. Organisers explicitly told Euractiv they seek “a renewed commitment” from EU institutions.
Their core demands comprise maintaining a dedicated, inflation-adjusted CAP budget and preserving the policy’s existing two-pillar structure, which separates direct income support from rural development funding.
