Since Tuesday morning in Belgium, a group of farmers has been blocking all access roads to Zeebrugge, the port area of the city of Bruges, with tractors, to protest against the so-called European Green Deal, a series of measures to make more sustainable and less energy production and the lifestyle of European citizens are harmful to the environment. Protesters are blocking entry only to trucks, while continuing to allow cars and motorcycles to pass. In an interview given to Reuters they announced that the blockade could last for 36 hours. Some local supermarket chains, such as Colruyt and Aldi, they said of fear of running out of supplies due to the blockade.
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Belgian farmers blocked the road to the port of Zeebrugge.#Belgium #FarmersProtest pic.twitter.com/VhJ5kbl0Xu— FactFactoryX (@FactFactor2023) January 30, 2024
The Green Deal binds European Union countries to reduce net emissions by 55 percent by 2030 and to eliminate them by 2050, but to do so requires various measures at European and national level which have a significant impact on the lives of European farmers: for example, they will have to convert a quarter of their cultivated land to organic farming by 2030 and a measure to drastically reduce the use of pesticides is under discussion. In recent weeks, similar protests have taken place across Europe, including Italy.
– Read also: Farmers’ protests are also starting to be seen in Italy