French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said on Sunday, January 28, that he is considering "additional" measures at the national and European levels to protect farmers from unfair competition from other countries that are not subject to the same regulatory restrictions. This was reported by BFMTV, according to UNN.
I want us to clarify the situation and see what additional measures we can take in connection with these stories of unfair competition. It's not normal that you are banned from using certain products, but neighboring countries are using them, and that they (the products) then end up here,
Details
It is noted that during a heated discussion with several farmers, Gabriel Attal did not provide more detailed information on measures that could be taken. These environmental regulatory restrictions mainly concern phytosanitary products that French farmers can no longer use.
The Prime Minister listened to farmers and trade union representatives who explained their complaints, ranging from income problems to administrative restrictions and environmental standards.
"I understand perfectly well what you are saying about contradictory regulations and the feeling that we no longer know where we are going," he told them, repeating his promises made on Friday to administratively simplify or stop raising the tax on diesel fuel for non-road use.
Faced with farmers' rejection of free trade agreements between the EU and other economic zones, he confirmed that France would continue to oppose such agreements with Latin American countries.
Developing our agriculture means producing and reclaiming our food sovereignty. We must stop importing food that we could produce at home,
Addendum
The head of the French farmers' union Jeunes agriculteurs, Maxime Büzar, said that on the night of Monday, January 29, he plans to blockade Paris and its suburbs because the government is not fulfilling the protesters' demands.
Recall
In Germany, a six-day strike by railroad workers began , the fourth such action since November 2023, over a long-running dispute over wages and working hours. The strike could put additional pressure on already strained supply chains.