EU-AGRICULTURE/PROTEST UPDATE Farmers protest in Brussels to push for EU emergency measures

Record ID: 141705

  • Title: EU-AGRICULTURE/PROTEST UPDATE Farmers protest in Brussels to push for EU emergency measures
  • Date: 7th September 2015
  • Summary: BRUSSELS, BELGIUM (SEPTEMBER 7, 2015) (REUTERS) RIOT POLICE OFFICERS STANDING IN FRONT OF TRACTORS DRIVING ALONG ROAD PROTESTERS THROWING EGGS AT RIOT POLICE WATER CANON TRUCK ARRIVING IN FRONT OF EUROPEAN COMMISSION EGGS BEING THROWN AT RIOT POLICE SIGN READING (French): "Death is in the fields" TRACTORS DRIVING ALONG STREET IN FRONT OF RIOT POLICE WATER CANON TRUCK DRIVING TRUCKS REVERSING TOWARDS POLICE WATER CANONS BEING USED ON FARMERS TRACTORS LINED UP IN STREET (SOUNDBITE) (French) BELGIAN FARMER, MARC BELOT, SAYING: "The heart of the issue is the liberalisation of quotas, which brought about an overproduction, and this overproduction has lowered prices and the price is now lower than the cost of production and that's no longer viable for farming because we have milk with a production cost of around 35 (euro) cents (per litre), and we are currently getting 24, and we are not going to get anywhere with the two further cents that we have been promised." POLICE IN FRONT OF FARMERS BURNING HAY FIRE BURNING RIOT POLICE IN FRONT OF BARBED WIRE BARRICADES WITH BATONS RIOT POLICE STANDING IN FRONT OF TRACTORS FIRE BURNING FARMERS GATHERED WITH FLAGS BEHIND RIOT POLICE VARIOUS OF RIOT POLICE STANDING IN FRONT OF BURNING HAY AND FARMERS
  • Embargoed: 22nd September 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Belgium
  • Country: Belgium
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVAENIYQNAVUOUMFC8NMO8N5S5RM
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Police fired water cannons and blocked roads to stop nearly 5,000 farmers, with more than 1,000 tractors, advancing on European Union buildings in Brussels to demand support for a sector badly hit by a Russian ban on EU food imports on Monday (September 7).
    The protest, timed to coincide with an emergency meeting of EU agriculture ministers, caused gridlock in the centre of the Belgian capital amid the smell of burning rubber and smoke from tyres and hay set on fire.
    Police fired water cannon to prevent farmers breaking through barricades.
    Russia has banned imports of meat, dairy products and fruits and vegetables from the European Union, the United States, Norway, Canada and Australia since August 2014 in response to their sanctions imposed on Moscow over the Ukraine crisis.
    The ban closed access to the EU's main agricultural export market worth some 5.5 billion euros ($6.1 billion) per year.
    "The heart of the issue is the liberalisation of quotas, which brought about an overproduction, and this overproduction has lowered prices and the price is now lower than the cost of production and that's no longer viable for farming because we have milk with a production cost of around 35 (euro) cents (per litre), and we are currently getting 24, and we are not going to get anywhere with the two further cents that we have been promised," said Belgian farmer Marc Belot from Biche.
    Union Copa and related agri-cooperatives group Cogeca said they expected over 6,000 farmers and 2,000 tractors to bring Brussels to a standstill. Police put the figures at 4,800 and 1,455 respectively, with most from Belgium, France, the Netherlands and Germany.
    The European Commission said it would present a comprehensive package of proposed measures before ministers meeting on Monday afternoon.
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