EU in utter turmoil as farmers stage protests against Ukraine imports and European Green Deal
Thousands of farmers marched in Poland’s capital on Tuesday and Spanish farmers cut off traffic on highways near the French border in the latest demonstration against food imports from Ukraine and the EU’s European Green Deal.
Farmers and their supporters blew horns and burned smoke bombs in front of the Polish parliament before marching to the offices of Prime Minister Donald Tusk. It is estimated that around 10,000 people participated in the major protest.
Demonstrators have voiced concerns over the bloc’s Green Deal, a plan meant to fight climate change and help the environment through certain measures they say are too expensive. The series of protests across the 27-nation bloc has become a major challenge for leaders.
Understanding the raging farmers protests across EU
The protesters are also demanding a ban on the imports of Ukrainian grain and other produce, alleging that poorer quality Ukrainian products are harming Poland’s food supply and putting its agriculture sector in danger, reported the Republic World.
“We want to help Ukraine,” said Tusk, adding: “At the same time, we soberly assess the negative impact of the decision on free trade with Ukraine, which has a negative impact on our economies. And we will work together in Brussels to make corrections.”
The Polish Prime Minister also highlighted on Tuesday that the EU Green Deal has important climate objectives but that some of the provisions are a “burden hard to shoulder, especially for medium-size and small farm producers.”
He also noted that the bloc’s food producers cannot compete with those in Ukraine as “the standards that are required of European and Polish farm producers are very high. There are no procedural requirements, no standards required of Ukrainian foods.”
Is a diluted version of Nature Restoration Law effective?
The European Parliament gave on Tuesday the green light to a key part of the European Green Deal despite protests from farmers and opposition from conservative politicians. It received 329 votes in favour, 275 against and 24 abstentions, a margin larger than initially expected.
Still, the Nature Restoration Law approved yesterday has been heavily diluted during negotiations and lacks the ambition of the original proposal. It is now set to go to the Council, where member states are expected to hold the final vote.
The law seeks to rehabilitate at least 20% of the EU’s land and sea areas by 2030 and all degraded ecosystems by the middle of the century. It establishes obligations and targets in different fields of action to gradually reverse the associated environmental damage.
