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Local France
5 days ago
- Politics
- Local France
French farmers suspend protests as taxi drivers scale down airport action
Unions representing French farmers and taxi drivers have both separately announced that they will suspend or decrease protest action on Tuesday. However, it remains possible that new demonstrations could spring up again, as negotiations move forward with the government. Farmers Arnaud Rousseau, the head of the leading farming union, FNSEA, announced on the RMC radio station on Tuesday morning that the farmers' action "has been suspended following good news". "We're suspending the mobilisation (...) Tractors are returning to their farms, even though we had planned to still be there this Tuesday and Wednesday," he said. Rousseau was, confusingly, referring to the rejection of the Duplomb bill by MPs in France's Assemblée Nationale. The Duplomb bill is an agriculture bill making its way through parliament that intends to ''remove constraints placed on farmers", in part by allowing for easier access to pesticides. As a result, it has been contested by environmentalists and left-wing politicians. On Monday, a bloc made up of centrists, the right wing, and the far right deliberately rejected the bill to circumvent the 3,500 amendments that were tabled by the left. Advertisement This means the bill will go directly to a joint committee for debates, and it will do so in the Senate's version of the text, which farming unions have been supportive of. "It's good news, even if it's difficult to explain. The spectacle isn't encouraging, but what matters is seeing concrete results on our farms," Rousseau told RMC. Taxis France's national taxi union ( l'Union nationale des taxis ) on Tuesday also announced they would be decreasing their presence, but they did not say they would suspend protests entirely. The head of the national taxi union, Rachid Boudjema, told Franceinfo that "there will be no action around airports" in France on Tuesday. "The mobilisation is not weakening. We are still mobilised on the Boulevard Raspail in Paris, and we are waiting for developments," he told the French press. Unions representing taxi drivers were set to meet with representatives from the French government on Tuesday, with two meetings scheduled for the day. The first was set to be with the Ministry of Transport, and the second would be with the Ministry of Health. On Saturday, French PM François Bayrou announced that the government would review the health insurance agreement. Advertisement The new agreement intends to save the government €300 million, but it would revise fares for patient transportation in a manner that taxi drivers oppose. Will protests pick back up? The head of the farmers' union said that the FNSEA would remain "vigilant" as the farming bill makes its way through parliament. As such, it is possible more protest action could start up again. As for taxi drivers, continued protests at airports remained possible, depending on the outcome of meetings with the ministries of transport, health, and the actions of the prime minister. "We'll need a little more than promises," Boudjema told the French press. Emmanuelle Cordier, the head of another taxi union, the Fédération nationale du taxi (FDNT), told BFMTV on Monday that starting on Wednesday, there would be a "blockade if the meetings are not successful". You can keep up with updates at The Local's strike section.
Express Tribune
5 days ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
French farmers protest in Paris over bill easing farm rules
Tractors are parked in front of the French National Assembly during a farmers protest in Paris on May 26, 2025. PHOTO: ALJAZEERA Listen to article Farmers have staged protests across Paris, blocking highways and rallying outside the National Assembly on Monday, in opposition to proposed legislation that would ease environmental restrictions on agriculture. The demonstrations, organised by France's main farming union FNSEA, come in response to amendments filed by opposition lawmakers to a controversial bill that would loosen controls on pesticide and water use. Around ten tractors were parked near the National Assembly as over 150 farmers from regions including Île-de-France, Grand Est and Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur gathered to pressure MPs debating the bill. The proposed law, introduced by far-right MP Laurent Duplomb, seeks to simplify administrative procedures for breeding facilities, relax water use rules to encourage irrigation reservoirs, and reintroduce acetamiprid — a neonicotinoid pesticide banned in France since 2018 due to its environmental impact, particularly on bee populations. Supporters, including FNSEA, argue the pesticide is already authorised elsewhere in the EU and is less harmful than other alternatives. They claim the broader legislation is essential to maintaining France's agricultural competitiveness in the face of rising production costs and stringent EU regulations. 'This bill to lift the constraints on the farming profession is very important to us,' FNSEA Secretary-General Hervé Lapie told AFP. 'We've been fighting for this for 20 years. We don't have the patience to wait any longer.' However, environmental groups and unions representing small-scale and organic farmers warn the changes would favour industrial agriculture and undermine environmental protections. Critics on the political left have proposed amendments aimed at maintaining stricter standards, prompting concern among protesting farmers. 'We're asking the lawmakers, our lawmakers, to be serious and vote for it as it stands,' said Julien Thierry, a grain farmer from Yvelines, criticising MPs from the Greens and left-wing France Unbowed (LFI). Ecologists MP Delphine Batho called the bill 'Trump-inspired,' while LFI's Aurélie Trouvé described it in Le Monde as 'a political capitulation' and 'an ecological turning point.' FNSEA President Arnaud Rousseau said protests would continue through Wednesday, with farmers from Centre-Val de Loire and Hauts-de-France regions expected to join. Demonstrations are also planned in Brussels next week as farmers across Europe push back against EU green policies and environmental regulations. Farmers across the continent have secured concessions in recent years after protesting what they see as burdensome red tape and unfair competition from cheaper imports.
Al Jazeera
5 days ago
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
French farmers protest in Paris for law loosening environmental regulations
French farmers have disrupted highway traffic around Paris and rallied in front of parliament to protest against amendments filed by opposition lawmakers to a bill that would loosen environmental regulations on farming. Members of France's leading farming union, the FNSEA, parked about 10 tractors outside the National Assembly on Monday to put pressure on MPs, who began debating the legislation in the afternoon. The legislation, tabled by far-right MP Laurent Duplomb, proposes simplifying approvals for breeding facilities, loosening restrictions around water use to promote irrigation reservoirs and reauthorising a banned neonicotinoid pesticide used in sugar beet cultivation that environmentalists say is harmful to bees. The proposed law is part of a wider trend in numerous European Union states to unwind environmental legislation as farmers grapple with rising costs and households struggle with the cost-of-living crisis. More than 150 farmers from the Ile-de-France, Grand Est and Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur regions gathered peacefully in front of the National Assembly, drinking coffee and eating croissants, after blocking the main roads around the capital. 'This bill to lift the constraints on the farming profession is very important to us,' FNSEA Secretary-General Herve Lapie told the AFP news agency. 'What we are asking for is simply to be able to work in a European environment: a single market, a single set of rules. We've been fighting for this for 20 years. For once, there's a bill along these lines. … We don't have the patience to wait any longer.' The FNSEA and its allies say the neonicotinoid pesticide acetamiprid, which has been prohibited in France since 2018 due to environmental and health concerns, should be authorised in France like it is across the EU because it is less toxic to wildlife than other neonicotinoids and stops crops from being ravaged by pests. Environmental campaigners and some unions representing small-scale and organic farmers say the bill benefits the large-scale agriculture industry at the expense of independent operators. President Emmanuel Macron's opponents on the political left have proposed multiple amendments that the protesting farmers said threatened the bill. 'We're asking the lawmakers, our lawmakers, to be serious and vote for it as it stands,' Julien Thierry, a grain farmer from the Yvelines department outside Paris, told The Associated Press news agency, criticising politicians from the Greens and left-wing France Unbowed (LFI). Ecologists party MP Delphine Batho said the text of the bill is 'Trump-inspired' while LFI MP Aurelie Trouve wrote in an article for the French daily Le Monde that it signified 'a political capitulation, one that marks an ecological junction'. FNSEA chief Arnaud Rousseau said protests would continue until Wednesday with farmers from the Centre-Val de Loire and Hauts-de-France regions expected to join their colleagues. Protests are also expected in Brussels next week, targeting the EU's environmental regulations and green policies. Farmers across France and Europe won concessions last year after railing against cheap foreign competition and what they say are unnecessary regulations.
Straits Times
5 days ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
French farmers bring tractors to Paris to press for looser rules
Tractors are parked in front of the French parliament, the Assemblee Nationale, as French farmers gather for a protest to call on lawmakers to adopt a bill that would loosen restrictions on pesticide and water use in farming, in Paris, France May 26, 2025. REUTERS/Abdul Saboor Arnaud Rousseau, president of Federation Nationale des Syndicats d'Exploitants Agricoles (FNSEA), speaks to the media in front of the French parliament, the Assemblee Nationale, as French farmers gather for a protest to call on lawmakers to adopt a bill that would loosen restrictions on pesticide and water use in farming, in Paris, France May 26, 2025. REUTERS/Abdul Saboor French farmers protest to call on lawmakers to adopt a bill that would loosen restrictions on pesticide and water use in farming, in Paris, France May 26, 2025. REUTERS/Abdul Saboor Tractors are parked in front of the French parliament, the Assemblee Nationale, as French farmers gather for a protest to call on lawmakers to adopt a bill that would loosen restrictions on pesticide and water use in farming, in Paris, France May 26, 2025. REUTERS/Abdul Saboor PARIS - French farmers disrupted highway traffic around Paris and rallied in front of parliament with their tractors on Monday, protesting against amendments filed by opposition lawmakers to a bill that would loosen environmental regulations on farming. The draft legislation proposes simplifying approvals for breeding facilities and irrigation reservoirs and re-authorising a banned neonicotinoid pesticide used in sugar beet cultivation that environmentalists say is harmful to bees. It is part of a trend in numerous European Union states to unwind environmental legislation as farmers grapple with rising input costs and households struggle with the cost of living. Environmental campaigners and some unions representing small-scale and organic farmers say the bill benefits the large-scale agro industry at the expense of independent operators. President Emmanuel Macron's opponents on the political left have tabled multiple amendments that the protesting farmers said threatened the bill. "We're asking the lawmakers, our lawmakers, to be serious and vote for it as it stands," said Julien Thierry, a grain farmer from the Yvelines department outside Paris, criticising lawmakers from the Greens and left-wing France Unbowed (LFI). Farmers across France and Europe won concessions last year after railing against cheap foreign competition and what they say are unnecessary regulations. On Monday, farmers drove their tractors along at least half a dozen highways leading into Paris, slowing the morning rush-hour traffic. Dozens gathered in front of the National Assembly on the banks of the river Seine as lawmakers debated the bill. The FNSEA farmers union said regulations needed to be simplified for French farming to be more competitive. The union and its allies also say the neonicotinoid pesticide acetamiprid is authorised in the rest of the EU and should be in France, as it is less toxic to wildlife than other neonicotinoids and stops crops being ravaged by pests. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
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First Post
5 days ago
- Politics
- First Post
Tractors parked outside French National Assembly as farmer protests return to Paris
The demonstrations aim to pressure lawmakers into passing legislation that would ease administrative procedures for building livestock facilities and temporarily lift a ban on the insecticide acetamiprid, according to a report read more Tractors are parked outside the National Assembly as farmers protest regulations imposed on them, on Monday, in Paris. AP French farmers on Monday launched a new wave of protests, parking tractors outside the National Assembly and setting up roadblocks across the country in a show of force ahead of a parliamentary debate over a controversial agricultural bill. According to a Politico report, the demonstrations, organised by powerful farming unions FNSEA and Jeunes Agriculteurs, aim to pressure lawmakers into passing legislation that would ease administrative procedures for building livestock facilities and temporarily lift a ban on the insecticide acetamiprid. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The chemical has been prohibited in France since 2018 due to environmental concerns. These measures reflect long-standing demands from agricultural workers, who staged major nationwide protests last year calling for reduced bureaucracy and more support from the government, added the report. The bill, which has already cleared the Senate, is backed by Agriculture Minister Annie Genevard. However, it faces strong resistance from green and left-wing lawmakers. Critics of the proposed law submitted hundreds of amendments in an apparent attempt to delay or derail Monday's debate in the National Assembly. While most of the agricultural sector appears to support the legislation, at least one left-wing farmers' union has publicly opposed it, citing environmental risks and concerns over pesticide use. FNSEA chief Arnaud Rousseau on Monday said protests will continue until Wednesday but acknowledged that they will be mostly symbolic. 'The aim is not to annoy the French, but to bring the message we put across a year and a half ago, which is that French agriculture is in danger,' Politico quoted Rousseau as saying in an interview with FranceInfo. However, France's left-wing opposition parties — notably France Unbowed and the Greens — have voiced concern that both the French government and the European Union are rolling back too many environmental protections, particularly regarding pesticide regulations, in response to last year's large-scale farmer protests. Meanwhile, EU agriculture ministers are meeting in Brussels on Monday to discuss the bloc's Common Agricultural Policy, as well as trade relations with Ukraine and the United States. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD More radical farmers' groups are expected to stage protests in Brussels next week, targeting the EU's environmental regulations and green policies. With inputs from agencies
