A hand extended to farmers? The European Commission proposed several measures to respond to the demands of producers mobilized throughout France on Wednesday January 31. Among them, maintaining the exemption on fallow land, which would allow farmers not to leave part of their land unexploited to let the soil recover. This obligation would be suspended for 2024, provided that farmers reach 7% of intermediate or nitrogen-fixing crops, specifies the European executive.
The Commission also mentions the establishment of defense mechanisms for imports from outside the European Union: recourse measures could be taken more quickly in the event of a harmful effect on Member States, and concerning sensitive products, if the Imports exceed 2022/2023 levels, surpluses will be subject to additional customs duties. Follow our live stream.
Fifteen people taken into custody for obstructing traffic near the Rungis market. Eighteen people were arrested but three of them have already been released, specifies the Créteil public prosecutor’s office. At the request of Gérald Darmanin, “Centaure” armored vehicles were sent to Loiret and Essonne in order to strengthen the workforce and resources on site, the Prime Minister’s entourage told France 3 Centre-Val de Loire. The instruction given is, again according to this same source, to prevent the procession of rural coordination 47 from reaching Rungis.
80 million euros in aid for wine growers. The Minister of Agriculture Marc Fesneau announced on Sud Radio Wednesday morning that the government was putting this sum on the table to support “all wine regions which are in crisis”. He added that Gabriel Attal would make new “proposals” to respond to the farmers’ protest movement “by the end of the week”.
Gérald Darmanin admits the existence of “double standards”. The Minister of the Interior explained Wednesday morning on France 2, in the program “Les 4 Vérités” that, according to him, there is “those who work, those who do not attack the police, who respect the public good.” “I refuse to send the CRS on people who are working”he added.
The tractors are getting closer to Lyon. Farmers continue their progress to surround France’s third city, after the blocking Tuesday evening of part of the motorway to the west, the A89. Portions of the highways in other directions (A46, A42 and A47) will also be “quickly” cut off at the start of the morning, the regional director of the FNSEA, Michel Joux, told AFP.
The Minister of Agriculture expected in Brussels in the afternoon. Marc Fesneau must go there “for a series of talks aimed at accelerating the treatment of European emergencies”his office announced Tuesday.