France to push changes in EU law to deter farmers protest

As tractors blocked major highways out of Paris on Monday and nationwide farmer protests grew more intense, France announced that it would push to loosen European Union environmental regulations on fallow farmland this week. On Friday, the French government abandoned its intentions to progressively cut back on state subsidies for agricultural diesel and made promises to loosen environmental regulations and cut red tape. However, farmers’ organisations said this was insufficient and vowed to exert more pressure. About 30 kilometers (18 miles) out from the center of Paris, farmers would block all major highways, according to the head of the largest farming organisation in France. Anger-filled farmers also caused traffic disruptions on the ring road encircling the capital in Brussels. “What we have understood is that as long as the protest is far from Paris, the message is not getting through,” Arnaud Rousseau, head of the FNSEA union, said on RTL radio. Taxi drivers protesting were also protesting in several French cities over new tariffs for medical transport, which could add to traffic chaos in Paris. Rousseau said farmers would continue their action everywhere in France “with the aim to get emergency measures about the core of our business”. Rousseau said he was scheduled to meet French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal on Monday. Farming Minister Marc Fesneau said on Monday that, at a European Union leaders’ summit in Brussels this week, President Emmanuel Macron would make a push for more pro-farming policies to address grievances shares by many farmers in the bloc. Fesenau added he would himself travel to Brussels this week in his bid to soften EU regulations regarding agricultural land that has to remain fallow under new green rules. Asked when he wanted to reach an agreement with the European Commission on how to revisit the rules, Fesneau said “this week”. The EU’s 2023 nature restoration law requires countries to introduce environmental measures on a fifth of their land and sea by 2030. To reach this goal, a chunk of around 4% of farmland has to remain fallow. French farmers have complained this could hurt their businesses, and the government in Paris pledged to lobby on their behalf in Brussels. (with inputs from Agencies)