The tear gas was used at lunchtime on Thursday near the European Parliament where scores of tractors had lined up to demonstrate their anger, reports the newspaper La Libre . Masked protesters set fire to car tires and smashed windows.
The dissatisfaction concerns both the essentially completed free trade agreement with the Mercosur countries Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay, as well as the EU Commission's proposal for the next long-term budget.
“It is clear that the Commission has failed to create predictability by reducing the earmarked budget for agriculture,” wrote MEP Emma Wiesner (C) in a comment.
Colleague Karin Karlsbro (L) was all the more critical, also of the Swedish participation in the demonstration.
"Unacceptable that the farmer protests are degenerating . . . The presence of the Swedish LRF legitimizes this terror-like riot," Karlsbro commented via text message.
At least one person is reported to have been injured and several arrested following the clashes.
In the Mercosur resistance, the farmers have the support of countries such as France, Italy, Hungary and Poland. On the other hand, Germany, Sweden and Spain are among the agreement supporters.
The EU and the Mercosur countries – Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay – have been negotiating a free trade agreement since 1999.
A preliminary agreement was reached in 2019 and has been supplemented with new commitments that, among other things, include the Paris Agreement in the agreement.
An interim agreement has now been submitted for approval by the EU Council of Ministers (where at least two-thirds of member states must say yes) and the EU Parliament (with the support of at least a majority of its members). For full entry into force, the agreement will then need to be ratified by all national parliaments in the EU.
Bolivia has also been part of Mercosur since last year, but needs to undertake additional negotiations with the EU if it wants to be covered by the agreement.
