The war in Ukraine is causing a headache for Europe, and guess who’s feeling the pinch the most? Yep, the farmers. They’re not taking it lying down, though. Farmers, truckers, and transporters are teaming up to say, “Hold on, why are we sending aid to Ukraine when it’s messing up our own turf?” Looks like the fields aren’t the only things getting stirred up these days. What’s the deal with this clash between aid and agriculture? Let’s break it down.
Let’s go back to last year when farmers in the Netherlands took to the streets and rocked the nation. Some 40000 farmers surged into the central Netherlands region holding placards and flags to protest against the government’s newly stipulated plan to slash emissions of damaging pollutants.
The country’s government wanted to cut emissions of pollutants, predominantly nitrogen oxide and ammonia, by 50% nationwide by 2030. Ministers call the proposal an “unavoidable transition” that aims to improve air, land, and water quality.
This proposal was forcing farmers to cut down their livestock herds and stop working altogether. The Netherlands has one of Europe’s largest livestock industries, with more than 100 million cattle, chickens, and pigs. It is also the EU’s biggest meat exporter.
Farming groups steered their tractors to national highways blocking roads. The truckers in Poland joined the protest, amplifying the disruption.
In November, only about 282,000 tons of Ukrainian exports made it across the Polish border. It was not just a general slowdown. At some border checkpoints, the ministry noticed that exports have almost completely stopped. In others, they’ve been reduced by half. This means that at certain places, very little is getting through.
Polish truckers have blocked road crossings with Ukraine since November 6th. Their actions were more than just a protest; there was a strong expression of frustration from the Polish blue-collar workers. They felt that Ukraine, with the European Union’s backing, is taking away their jobs by offering cheaper transport services. This was a significant issue for them, impacting their livelihoods.
Furthermore, Ukraine Aid is also sparking farmer’s fury in Germany.
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Recently German farmers started to hit the streets in protest, rallying against Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s recent austerity measures. They’re fuming about slashed diesel subsidies and tax breaks for agricultural vehicles, claiming it’ll cripple their farms.
German farmers are braving the brisk January temperatures to send a clear message to the government: they won’t shoulder the burden of the budget deficits crafted by authorities themselves.
Across Germany, farmers are uniting in a week-long protest against government austerity measures, fearing the imminent collapse of the agricultural sector due to lack of support. The uproar stems from the recent cuts to diesel subsidies and tax breaks for agricultural vehicles introduced by Chancellor Olaf Scholz in a broader plan aimed at tackling a multibillion-euro budget shortfall. This move has spurred thousands to converge on Berlin and other key cities, intending to disrupt motorways with blockades and mobilize slow-moving convoys.
Read More: Protesting farmers in Netherlands wave German flags—It is the endgame for the EU
The prevailing mood among German farmers loudly rejects additional Ukraine aid, and in a surprising twist, French farmers have joined the dissent.
Recent news indicates that the director of the French farming union FNSEA supports the ongoing protests by farmers in Germany, emphasizing that while the fundamental causes of the protests align, the specific grievances vary between the two countries.
The large-scale protests by German farmers, which have been raging across the country since Monday (8 January) and have caused serious traffic disruption, are an echo of a movement that took place in France in November, FNSEA director Arnaud Rousseau said on Wednesday.
“These movements all have the same root cause: the growing gap between the reality of farmers’ practices on the ground and the administrative decisions centralised in Brussels, which are creating a revolt,” said Rousseau.
In the “On marche sur la tête” (“We are walking on our heads”) movement that took place in November, around 10,000 signs were turned around so that cars entering towns and cities would see the signs facing down.
Furthermore, in order to address the spike in imports from Ukraine, French farmers are also requesting that the EU Commission establish a cap system.
According to reports, the EU’s Agriculture Commissioner has been requested by five organizations representing EU food producers to implement a cap mechanism for goods that are sensitive and that the group has liberalized imports from Ukraine.
The associations stated that steps must be taken to protect EU farmers from market disruptions brought on by trade concessions made to Ukraine.
The representatives of farmers, the sugar and poultry industries, and the producers of maize and eggs—the sectors most impacted by market disruptions—met with Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski on Wednesday, January 10, and reaffirmed their support for Ukraine. However, they cautioned that aid efforts are “currently inequitably shared, with the agricultural sector bearing a disproportionate and unsustainable burden,” as stated in a joint statement.
Food producers “do not want to be the reason for discord,” the text continued, and support for Ukraine “will be at stake” if existing measures are not abandoned.
Following Russia’s military operation in Ukraine in June 2022, the EU temporarily removed import restrictions.
However, the flood of Ukrainian products and food into the EU market drove down prices in frontline nations like Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Bulgaria, and Romania.
In addition, Romanian farmers and shippers are obstructing traffic due to costly civil liability insurance.
Transporters and farmers from all across the nation blocked ring highways in Bucharest and other cities on Wednesday in protest of mandatory civil liability plans, among other things, and demanded that the costs of these policies be regulated.
Their primary grievance is with the extremely high price of auto liability insurance. The Federation of Romanian Transport Operators (FORT) President, Augustin Hagiu, emphasized the importance of setting a price restriction for these measures.
“Non-discriminatory fiscal treatment of employees in the private sector regarding the accommodation allowance” constitutes another demand.
Transporters are also advocating for the use of RO-Etransport only for items that pose a significant financial risk, in accordance with the guidelines of European Directive 2006/112. Additionally, they are advocating for the quick passage of anti-dumping legislation to combat unfair competition in all economic sectors.
Talks were slated for Thursday morning. The demonstrators warned that if talks with the government failed, they would bring their trucks into the city as they were spending the night camped out on the Bucharest belt.
Read More: Ukraine Aid Sparks Farmer Fury in Germany
Florin Barbu, the minister of agriculture, stated that no official claims had been received by his ministry. Although they acknowledged that some farmers from their organizations had participated, the representatives of various agricultural organizations declared that they had nothing to do with the unplanned demonstration that farmers from various parts of the nation had announced online.
In a nutshell, the prevailing sentiment in Europe is clear—farmers, transporters, and truckers are fervently opposed to the ongoing aid to Ukraine, leading to a widespread uprising across the continent.
The war in Ukraine is triggering a slew of challenges for Europe, with farmers emerging as the most significantly affected group. This adversity has spurred a united front of farmers, truckers, and transporters, vehemently questioning the rationale behind providing aid to Ukraine when it is wreaking havoc on their own livelihoods. The unrest began with Dutch farmers protesting emission reduction plans, followed by Polish truckers expressing frustration at the perceived job losses to Ukraine. German farmers have recently joined the fray, rallying against austerity measures, while French farmers have surprisingly joined the dissent. The common thread across these protests is a resounding rejection of additional aid to Ukraine, creating a widespread upheaval throughout Europe.
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