French farmers drive tractors into Paris to demand more relaxed regulations
French farmers disrupted highway traffic around Paris and gathered in front of the National Assembly on Monday, bringing their tractors in protest against amendments introduced by opposition lawmakers to a bill aimed at easing environmental regulations in agriculture.
The proposed legislation seeks to streamline approval processes for livestock farms and irrigation projects, and to re-authorize a neonicotinoid pesticide previously banned due to its harmful impact on bees used in sugar beet farming. This move reflects a broader trend across several EU countries, where governments are scaling back environmental rules as farmers face rising input costs and consumers grapple with a growing cost of living crisis.
However, environmental groups and unions representing small-scale and organic farmers argue that the bill disproportionately benefits industrial agriculture at the expense of independent farmers.
Opposition parties on the left, including the Greens and France Unbowed (LFI), have submitted several amendments that the protesting farmers fear could undermine the bill’s intended relief.
"We're urging our lawmakers to act responsibly and pass the bill as it is," said Julien Thierry, a grain farmer from Yvelines near Paris, voicing frustration at left wing legislators.
Last year, French and European farmers secured concessions after widespread demonstrations against low-cost imports and what they described as excessive regulations.
On Monday morning, farmers used their tractors to slow traffic on at least six major highways into Paris. Meanwhile, dozens rallied outside parliament as legislators debated the bill inside.
The FNSEA, France’s largest farmers union, emphasized the need for simplified regulations to help the country’s agriculture sector remain competitive. The union also defended the use of acetamiprid, arguing that this pesticide is permitted elsewhere in the EU, poses less risk to wildlife than other neonicotinoids, and helps protect crops from pests.
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