French Farmer Protests Cause Motorway Disruption

Protesting farmers on tractors have started to encircle Paris with barricades in plans to put the city “under siege” for a second day in a mass protest.

Farmers have been protesting around France as they ask the government to do more to protect the country’s agricultural sector from foreign competition, rising costs and low pay.

Similar protests are also taking place in Belgium and Germany with tractors blocking routes to Hamburg’s port area.

Last week saw farmers and drivers protesting around Europe, with major demonstrations in France, Germany, Poland and Romania.

While the issues vary, there is discontent with the Europe Union’s revamping of policies. Farmers are not happy with EU plans to make the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) more sustainable, as 70% of the current funds are used for farmers safety net payments.

Some of these protests may lead to disruptions in road networks and services, in which case our operations team will be sure to maintain contact with our clients to advise of any delays.

WBS are continuing to monitor the situation closely and will keep you informed of the latest developments.