The majority agricultural unions in France called this Thursday, February 1, 2024, to suspend the blockades, after a series of announcements from Prime Minister Gabriel Attal in favor of the sector in crisis.
4 mins
“ In view of everything that had been announced […]we need to change our modes of action and therefore we call our networks […] to suspend the blockades and enter into a new form of mobilization “, declared the president of the Young Farmers Arnaud Gaillot, alongside the boss of the powerful agricultural union FNSEA Arnaud Rousseau, who greeted him “ tangible progress “.
The unions set several conditions for not resuming the movement: “ first results » between now and the Agricultural Show (February 24 – March 3) then the adoption of an agricultural orientation and future law as well as European measures by June. “ If these markers are not met by June, we will not hesitate to re-enter a general mobilization movement. », declared Arnaud Gaillot. The two officials called for a summary document putting in writing all the government’s announcements.
Before the Agricultural Show, “ we have fifteen days to see if all of this is serious, it’s credible, it holds water », declared Arnaud Rousseau. The boss of the FNSEA generally welcomed “ listening » from the Prime Minister « to try to understand what our issues are, receive us, exchange, discuss and finally announce emergency measures in several bursts “.
New aid and an Ecophyto plan put “ on break »
For his third salvo, Prime Minister Gabriel Attal presented around fifteen measures revealed during a very dense press conference. Among them, there is 150 million euros in aid for breeders. A response to those who demand better income. One of the big announcements of this press conference is also the “ pause » of the Ecophyto plan, a plan which aims to reduce the use of pesticides in crops. Here too, this was one of the main demands of farmers.
The government also wants a mirror clause on Thiacloprid, a pesticide banned in Europe. One measure among others to protect French producers from unfair competition according to Gabriel Attal who intends to negotiate at European level on the issue of importing Ukrainian cereals.
Finally, the Egalim law was discussed at length, this text which protects farmers’ income. Bruno Le Maire warned: all the largest retail chains will be controlled in the coming days without exception.
The EU still targeted by the FNSEA
“ At the same time, we question the deafness of Europe », added Arnaud Rousseau, referring to “ the growing incomprehension between a technostructure walled in its offices in Brussels and the realities of what we experience on our farms “.
Just after these statements, the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen announced on Thursday February 1, 2024 a proposal for “ reduce administrative burden » weighing on farmers, to respond to the anger of this sector. “ We will work with the Belgian presidency [du Conseil de l’UE] on a proposal that we are going to present […] to reduce administrative burden » of the Common Agricultural Policy, declared the German official following a European summit.
Dismay among environmental NGOs
Dismay dominates among environmental NGOs after the government’s announcement of a “ break » of the Ecophyto plan to reduce the use of pesticides, demanded by an angry part of the agricultural world. “ Générations Futures denounces these totally retrograde measures taking us back more than 15 years “, declared its spokesperson François Veillerette in a press release. “ This is a major political error, because if the question of agricultural income is a real question for a certain number of farmers, it is not by sacrificing the environment and natural resources that we will resolve this problem. , quite the contrary “, he added.
“ This announcement is therefore also a refusal to comply with a court decision », criticized the NGO Pollinis. “ It all doesn’t make sense », deplores Sandrine Bélier, director of the NGO Humanity and Biodiversity, contacted by AFP. “ Of course, it is better to suspend than to have a discount strategy, but Ecophyto is the main plan that supports farmers in their economic transition », via the financing of research and experiments.
(With AFP)