Mainly Belgian, French and German farmers blocked streets in front of the headquarters of the EU Council, where an emergency summit of the Agriculture Council of the European Union, aimed at addressing the negative impact of Russia’s food embargo on the EU food market, will be carried out later in the day.
Latest edition of Monster Trucks of Brussels outside the office pic.twitter.com/BL5USYJjn3
— Lewis Crofts (@lewis_crofts) September 7, 2015
Farmers, hard-hit by the effects of the restrictive measures the European Union imposed against Russia, are calling for a lifting of the sanctions regime.
#Brussels #FarmAction now includes fireworks on Rue Belliard. pic.twitter.com/v8OA3qfrU2
— Guillermo Beltrà (@gbeltra) September 7, 2015
"Some French producers suffer from the EU sanctions against Russia," the French National Assembly lawmaker Nicolas Dhuicq told Sputnik.
Farmers Protest in Brussels — EU Council blocked by police and thousands of protester, more ppl coming @RUPTLY ly pic.twitter.com/e8IwYFcXD7
— denise reese (@denice_ruptly) September 7, 2015
"Europe is drowning in milk," read banners held by farmers representing the European Milk Board.
The protest takes place five days after French farmers drove over 1,500 tractors through the streets of Paris on Thursday demanding fair prices and more support from their government.
According to the Copa-Cogeca farm trade union, EU agricultural producers have claimed the damages of some $6.13 billion due to the food embargo.
In August 2014, Moscow imposed a one-year ban on the import of certain food products from the countries that had introduced sanctions against Russia. The food ban was later extended for another year.
