French Government Looks To Quell Farmer Protests With New Measures

Al Jazeera reports that French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal will implement controls on foreign food products in an attempt to quell ongoing farmer protests. On January 30, Attal told lawmakers in his general policy speech that, “the goal is clear: guaranteeing fair competition, especially so that regulations that are being applied to farmers are also respected by foreign products.” According to Attal, the new law is meant to ensure a fair share of revenue for farmers by fining food retailers who fail to comply. We need to listen to the farmers, who are working and are worried about their future and their livelihood, Gabriel Attal, French Prime Minister, via Al Jazeera. The French prime minister said that a coalition of 22 European Union countries had been gathered to agree on a waiver regarding fallow land. We are close to achieving a new extension of the exemption, Gabriel Attal, French Prime Minister, via Al Jazeera.

Al Jazeera reports that the farmer protests have taken place for days across France in the hopes of putting pressure on the government to take action. Earlier on January 30, farmers set hay bales on fire and used tractors to block access to Toulouse airport and highways leading to Paris, the capital. In response, the government has promised to ease environmental regulations and abandoned plans to reduce subsidies on agricultural diesel. Similar protests have now spread to Belgian, where farmers blocked roads to protest rising costs, cheap food imports and EU environmental regulations. Meanwhile, farmers in Spain have announced planned protests in February against strict European regulations and an overall lack of support for agriculture by the government.