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By the last day of the EU agriculture ministers meeting, the protesters had announced a demonstration with around 400 tractors to Koblenz. They arrived at the conference site on the Rhine on Tuesday morning.
The so-called rally had been registered by the “Land Provides Connection” association. According to him, the participants wanted to demonstrate against agricultural policy in the European Union. During the morning, according to police, there were repeated traffic jams in the city center. However, the dreaded major traffic chaos did not materialize. In some cases, police officers have prohibited farmers from driving their tractors or asked them to return, police said.
Peaceful protests: almost no traffic obstruction
This ensured that traffic would continue to flow and that there was no major chaos on the B9 or B49. However, some farmers also told SWR that they had not been admitted to the Rhein-Mosel-Halle with their tractors or that they had been prevented from walking to the hall. Police did not confirm this when asked by SWR.
Various demonstrations against the EU agricultural policy
Since the informal EU meeting began on Sunday, there have been a number of demonstrations against European agricultural policy. The result was traffic jams throughout Koblenz.
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Farmer President distances himself from radical protest groups
Meanwhile, Peasant President Joachim Rukwied distanced himself from radical peasant protest groups. In Koblenz, protesters held, in addition to seemingly conventional banners, a huge banner with the inscription “The executioners of agriculture” with images of, among others, Chancellor Angela Merkel and Julia Klöckner (both CDU) and Rukwied. In addition, numerous radical black flags with white plows and red swords were seen in the ranks of the protesters.
Animal welfare and corona effects are discussed
EU agriculture ministers discussed the controversial reform of multi-million dollar financial aid for European farmers. The Federal Minister of Agriculture, Julia Klöckner, had invited during the German presidency of the Council of the EU. Another topic was the consequences of the corona pandemic for food policy and Klöckner’s planned animal welfare label. In addition, there were stricter rules at EU level for transporting animals to third countries.
EU agriculture ministers visited the vineyard in Winningen
On Monday, the daughter of the Rhineland-Palatinate winemaker, Klöckner, showed her colleagues viticulture on the steep slope of the Moselle near Winningen.
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Farmer President calls for perspectives for young farmers
The president of the Rhineland-Nassau Farmers and Vintners Association, Michael Horper, urged the EU Agriculture Ministers in advance to analyze the future prospects of young farmers. Future EU laws and regulations should guarantee them more security in planning and freedom of operational action.
Many companies today have their backs to the wall, Horper says. Numerous requirements, bureaucracy, and dumped prices made it difficult for farmers to work without worry. Horper also called for rewards for environmental and animal welfare measures. It couldn’t be that farmers had to go bankrupt due to higher animal welfare requirements, while cheap imports flooded the market at the same time, the farmers’ president said.
