“We Have Listened To Our Farmers“ Eu States Agree Policy Review As Tractors Throng Brussels

Belgian farmers jam the European Union district with about 250 tractors on March 26 ahead of a meeting of EU agriculture ministers. They hope to calm anger sparked in multiple EU countries about environmental standards seen as too strict, as well as foreign imports. The farmers demand more should be done to ensure fair prices and move away from export-oriented free trade agreements. In a statement, they say progress on fair pricing has been made but more is needed to protect and support farmers’ incomes in a way that “responds to current climate and environmental challenges“. France says on Tuesday that it and a group of other EU countries are pushing for greater curbs on imports of food products from Ukraine to prevent the destabilisation of EU agricultural markets. EU members are debating how to grant Ukraine a further year-long extension of tariff-free access to its markets while also placating farmers who have protested for months against EU environmental rules an