Polish farmers block key highway into Germany to protest EU regulations

Polish farmers block A2 highway near Slubice, causing traffic disruptions on main route into Germany

Polish farmers blocked the A2 highway near Slubice on Sunday, causing traffic disruptions on the main route into Germany. This marked a dramatic uptick in agricultural demonstrations throughout Europe.

As part of a larger wave of discontent among farmers in the EU, the demonstration brings to light mounting conflicts over environmental laws, pressure from competitors, and financial difficulties in the agriculture industry.

At 1:00 pm local time, farmers began the blockage, essentially stopping traffic on both sides of the road, to express their displeasure with what they see as excessively onerous EU environmental regulations, competition from lower-cost imports, and declining wages. The action is the most recent in a string of demonstrations meant to highlight the predicament of the European farming community, according to Ewa Murmylo, a spokesperson for the local police.

After talks with local government representatives, corporations, and transportation providers, the protest’s original 25-day timeframe was trimmed. Polish farmer leader Dariusz Wrobel hinted that the blockage would be removed on Monday, but there are still unknowns. “This will depend on things that we can’t predict,” Wrobel said, offering a hesitant step in the direction of closure.

The European Commission’s new ideas to lessen the regulatory burden on farmers are anticipated to be debated during the demonstrations, which are timed to coincide with a planned meeting of EU agricultural ministers in Brussels. One of the main concerns of Polish farmers is the EU Green Deal, which aims to significantly lower greenhouse gas emissions by improving energy, transportation, and tax rules. Farmers claim that the project has unfairly affected their ability to make a living by imposing more regulations and higher levies.

Polish farmers have also protested against the flood of cheaper agricultural goods from the non-EU member state by targeting border crossings with Ukraine, further complicating the already complicated issue. A similar event was the alleged dumping of 160 tons of Ukrainian grain on Kotomierz rail lines; some saw this as a protest against unfair competition.

Oleksandr Kubrakov, the deputy prime minister of Ukraine, called the event harsh and said it was just one more act of vandalism at Polish train stations. While stressing the need to keep close connections with Poland, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky issued a warning, stating that his country will take appropriate action to safeguard its businesses.

Source: AFP