The European Union’s executive body shelved a proposal to curb pesticides on Tuesday, another concession to farmers after weeks of protests across Europe, according to NPR.
The move was an indication that the European Commission, led by Ursula von der Leyen, was willing to sacrifice environmental priorities to keep the farming community on its side. However, protests carried on from the Netherlands to Spain, Italy and Bulgaria, despite the concessions.
Farmers need a worthwhile business case for nature-enhancing measures. Perhaps we have not made that case convincingly.
Farmers insist that the pesticide measures will force them out of work in the agricultural sector, widening the price gap between their products and cheap imports from foreign farmers. EU parliamentary elections are scheduled for June, and the dire situation of farmers has become the focus of the election campaign, overshadowing even climate issues.
As part of Europe’s Green Deal, the EU aims to reduce the overall use of pesticides and other hazardous substances by 50 per cent by 2030. However, such a move has encountered resistance both from environmentalists and farmers.
Last week, von der Leyen announced plans to shield farmers from cheaper produce from Ukraine and allow growers to use some of the land they had to keep fallow for environmental reasons.
Meanwhile, protests continued in many EU countries. Farmers across Spain have been protesting since Tuesday morning, blocking highways with tractors and demanding changes to EU policies and funds, as well as measures to combat rising production costs. The protests came after the Agriculture Ministry announced some 270 million euros ($290 million) to help 140,000 farmers address challenges posed by drought and the war in Ukraine.
Bulgarian farmers refused to accept the proposed state support, arguing that it was not enough to cover their losses caused by the war in Ukraine, higher production costs, climate conditions and Green Deal regulations.
On Monday night, farmers in the Netherlands blocked several roads and highways with their tractors and burned hay bales and tyres. Police in the rural province of Gelderland stated that they took action against the farmers blocking roads, but there were no immediate arrest reports.
In recent weeks, farmers have also protested in Poland, Greece, Ireland, Germany and Lithuania.
