For “less complexity in paperwork”, farmers still mobilized in Pas-de-Calais

Farmers from Pas-De-Calais mobilized on December 4 in Béthunois to protest against administrative burdens. With their tractors, they crisscrossed roads and roundabouts before stopping at the urban community of Béthune-Bruay and the sub-prefecture of Béthune.

The days go by without the mobilizations weakening for the farmers. On December 4, a protest action this time took shape near Béthune.

At the call of the FDSEA and Young Farmers, everyone came by tractor to denounce administrative standards that are too heavy. The rallying point was set at 10 a.m. at a Béthune roundabout. Nearly 50 agricultural machines responded to the call, before heading towards the administrative institutions of Béthunois. Their goal: to be heard.

On the roundabout, farmers are expressing their concerns, like Laurent Ledru, president of FDSEA Norrent-Fontes. “Symbolically, today, we are here with the children, because we would like to spend more time with them than on paper. For the future, it is also for them, because if they are the next generation, there must be less complexity in the paperwork.“

Gabriel Trolet, his fellow president of the FDSEA Béthune completes, “there are multiple constraints, both at local and national level, with regulations that specifically affect the agricultural profession. Town planning documents which are being reviewed which could impact the development of farms, and everything relating to European regulations in relation to the specific constraints which weigh on livestock farming.“

At 11 a.m., around ten tractors from the convoy then took off again towards the urban community of Béthune-Bruay. A delegation was received by Olivier Gacquerre, mayor of Béthune and president of the urban community.

On the square in front of the latter, the councilor was attentive, chatting for long minutes with farmers present on site. Concerned, he promised to tackle the issues head-on, going so far as to recover the farmers' telephone numbers.

“We feel supported yes, afterwards we will have to see the actions. We know very well that the mayor does not have all the powers. He said that he was also concerned at his level by the administrative overload, I think he understands our problems“, expressed Laurent Ledru after his meeting with Olivier Gacquerre. “We have 400,000 standards in France, 5,000 decrees, 11,500 laws, we are all lost. We have the impression that every time we take an action, we are at potential risk of being punished.“, confirms the mayor.

All these laws must stop and we must be heard.

But the convoy of tractors did not stop there and continued on its way, under the deafening noise of horns, to the sub-prefecture of Béthune. “Too many laws, too much administrative work, too much administrative work, all these laws must stop and we must be heard“, denounces a farmer on site.

A delegation made up of a few unionized farmers was received there by Sébastien Boutilet, sub-prefect, out of sight of journalists. Outside, the other mobilized farmers lit a fire in front of the building.

At the end of these two meetings with local politicians, farmers were able to satisfy their need for exchange with state authorities.

Given the political instability that threatens the government, a few hours before the vote on the motion of censure, farmers no longer hide their weariness. They are aware that this whole fight could start from scratch.