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European Union scraps pesticide proposal in concession to protesting farmers The
European Union shelved an anti-pesticide proposal Tuesday in another concession
to farmers after weeks of protests that blocked many capitals and economic
lifelines across the 27-nation bloc.


EUROPE


EUROPEAN UNION SCRAPS PESTICIDE PROPOSAL IN ANOTHER CONCESSION TO PROTESTING
FARMERS

February 7, 20241:48 AM ET

By 

The Associated Press

Enlarge this image

Farmers make barricades after blocking a highway during a protest near
Mollerussa, northeast Spain, Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024. Emilio Morenatti/AP hide
caption

toggle caption
Emilio Morenatti/AP


Farmers make barricades after blocking a highway during a protest near
Mollerussa, northeast Spain, Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024.

Emilio Morenatti/AP

BRUSSELS — The European Union's executive arm shelved an anti-pesticide proposal
Tuesday in yet another concession to farmers after weeks of protests that
blocked many capitals and economic lifelines across the 27-nation bloc.

Although the proposal had languished in EU institutions for the past two years,
the move by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was the latest
indication that the bloc is willing to sacrifice environmental priorities to
keep the farming community on its side. Despite concessions, protests continued
from the Netherlands to Spain and Bulgaria.

Farmers have insisted that measures like the one on pesticides would increase
bureaucratic burdens and keep them behind laptops instead of farming, adding to
the price gap between their products and cheap imports produced by foreign
farmers without similar burdens.

Enlarge this image

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivers her speech at
European Parliament in Strasbourg, eastern France, Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024.
Jean-Francois Badias/AP hide caption

toggle caption
Jean-Francois Badias/AP


European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivers her speech at
European Parliament in Strasbourg, eastern France, Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024.

Jean-Francois Badias/AP

The pesticide "proposal has become a symbol of polarization," von der Leyen told
the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France. "To move forward, more dialogue
and a different approach is needed."

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She acknowledged that the proposals had been made over the heads of farmers.

"Farmers need a worthwhile business case for nature-enhancing measures. Perhaps
we have not made that case convincingly," von der Leyen said.

It is unclear when new proposals will be drafted. EU parliamentary elections are
set for June, and the plight of farmers has become a focal point of campaigning,
even pushing climate issues aside over the past weeks.

Under its much-hyped European Green Deal, the EU has targeted a 50% cut in the
overall use of pesticides and other hazardous substances by 2030. The proposal
was criticized both by environmentalists who claimed it would be insufficient to
reach sustainability targets, and by agriculture groups who insisted it would be
unworkable and drive farmers out of business.

Enlarge this image

Farmers gather outside the European Parliament for a protest, in Strasbourg,
eastern France, Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024. Jean-Francois Badias/AP hide caption

toggle caption
Jean-Francois Badias/AP


Farmers gather outside the European Parliament for a protest, in Strasbourg,
eastern France, Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024.

Jean-Francois Badias/AP

The decision to shelve the proposal on pesticides was the EU's latest act of
political self-retribution in reaction to protests that have affected the daily
lives of tens of millions of EU citizens and cost businesses tens of millions of
euros due to transportation delays.

Many politicians, especially on the right and its fringes, applauded the impact
of the protests.

"Long live the farmers, whose tractors are forcing Europe to take back the
nonsense imposed by multinationals and the left,'' said Italy's right-wing
transport minister, Matteo Salvini.



Last week, von der Leyen announced plans to shield farmers from cheaper products
from wartime Ukraine and to allow farmers to use some land they had been
required to keep fallow for environmental reasons.


WORLD


PROTESTS BY FARMERS BLOCK HIGHWAYS TO PARIS AND ELSEWHERE IN FRANCE

In France, where the protests gained critical mass, the government promised more
than 400 million euros ($436 million) in additional financial support.

Meanwhile, protests continued in many EU nations.

Since early Tuesday, farmers across Spain staged tractor protests, blocking
highways and causing traffic jams to demand changes in EU policies and funds and
measures to combat production cost increases. The protests came as the
Agriculture Ministry announced some 270 million euros ($290 million) in aid to
140,000 farmers to address drought conditions and problems caused by Russia's
war against Ukraine.

Enlarge this image

Farmers sit together having lunch after blocking a highway during a protest near
Mollerussa, northeast Spain, Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024. Emilio Morenatti/AP hide
caption

toggle caption
Emilio Morenatti/AP


Farmers sit together having lunch after blocking a highway during a protest near
Mollerussa, northeast Spain, Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024.

Emilio Morenatti/AP

Bulgarian farmers added fuel to their protests by moving their heavy farming
vehicles from the fields to the main motorways and border crossings, paralyzing
traffic and adding to the economic woes of the country. The move came after
farmers refused to accept proposed government support, arguing that it was not
sufficient to compensate them for losses due to the war in Ukraine, higher
production costs, climate conditions, and Green Deal requirements.

On Monday night, farmers in the Netherlands blocked several roads and highways
with their tractors and burned hay bales and tires.

Police in the rural province of Gelderland said they took action against farmers
blocking roads, but there were no immediate reports of arrests.

In recent weeks, farmers have protested in Poland, Greece, Ireland, Germany and
Lithuania.

 * European farmers protests
 * European Union

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