A win-win partnership? This is not what Belgian and European farmers think of the probable future agreement. Which could be signed next week, on the sidelines of the G20 summit being held in Brasília, the capital of Brazil. A few days ago, the federation of young farmers (FJA) carried out a symbolic action on the roads of Wallonia. And this Wednesday, the entire agricultural world will mobilize. “The death of our farms or the end of Mercosur? Europe is preparing to choose”, denounces Fugea, which has few illusions about what will happen to Walloon farms in the event of Mercosur being ratified.
La Fugea deplores that the European Commission wants to push for the conclusion of an agreement “which aims to increase imports of agricultural products from Mercosur countries, in particular beef, which we already produce at home and better! These imports are a real unfair competition for our breeders; the standards are much lower, the meat arrives at low cost and drives down market prices. They encourage the production of industrial meat in Brazil and thus lead to massive deforestation.
Mercosur: Wallonia will not agree as it stands, reaffirms Adrien Dolimont
According to Fugea, Europe must “get out of its schizophrenic inconsistencies (Editor’s note: Green Deal versus Mercosur) and give us the means to save our farms and their transition! To avoid a conflagration of the countryside, we expect strong actions from the European authorities The first is clear: stop the negotiations of the EU-Mercosur agreement.”
Currently, France, pushed from behind by its farmers, is trying to form a blocking minority in the European Council, where the 27 Ministers of Agriculture sit. She has already received support from Ireland and the Netherlands. And, just last week, the Minister-President of the Walloon Region, Adrien Dolimont (MR) reaffirmed that “the Walloon government” would undertake “not to agree on Mercosur “as it stands” .
Farmers raise their voices against the EU-Mercosur free trade agreement
On Wednesday, however, several dozen farmers will demonstrate at the Schuman roundabout, this Wednesday from 11 a.m., to express their opposition to Mercosur. But traffic conditions are likely to be significantly impacted from the morning.
Police expect significant traffic disruptions from early morning around 5 a.m. until the afternoon. Rue de la Loi between Schuman and the small belt will be closed from 6 a.m. The Reyers tunnel towards the center from the E40 will also be closed, as well as the Cinquantenaire tunnel towards rue de la Loi.
Jordan Bardella in dedication at the House of Hungary
The other demonstration which could complicate traffic conditions for motorists on Wednesday concerns the arrival of Jordan Bardella in Brussels. The president of the National Rally, a French far-right party, must go to the House of Hungary to promote his latest work, “What I’m looking for”, which has been at the top of sales for two weeks on Amazon France.
Following this announcement, left-wing and antifa activist organizations called for demonstrations. Problem: the Maison de Hungary is located at 9 Rue de La Loi, in the direct vicinity of 16. However, the place is a neutral zone where demonstrations are prohibited. “We examine all planned actions of which we are aware and always take appropriate measures,” said Ilse Van de Keerse, spokesperson for the Brussels-Capital/Ixelles police zone, to our colleagues at Bruzz. It is not allowed to demonstrate in the neutral zone, we will ensure that, but as police, we always try to enter into dialogue with the activists, for example, to see if they can continue their action a little further.
