By Necva Tastan Sevinc
ISTANBUL (AA) – Farmers across France intensified their protests on Tuesday, with a convoy of tractors heading to Strasbourg to demonstrate in front of the European Parliament, while traffic gridlock and other disruptions to the free flow of traffic were reported in major cities.
A convoy of about 50 tractors, primarily from Franche-Comte, is on its way to Strasbourg, where farmers plan to meet with European lawmakers, France Bleu reported.
The mobilization, organized by various agricultural unions, including Coordination Rurale, one of France's leading farmers' unions, is opposed to the EU's free trade agreement with Mercosur countries, which farmers argue threatens local agriculture.
The Southern Common Market, also known as Mercosur in Spanish, was founded in 1991 and is made up of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay. Venezuela is a full member that has been suspended since Dec. 1, 2016.
Protesters also voiced frustration over regulatory "constraints" and stringent standards affecting their livelihoods.
The president of the Coordination Rurale of Bas-Rhin emphasized that the demonstration is not intended to inconvenience the public. As such, "not a go-slow operation, we are not here to bother our consumers," he said.
In several parts of the country, traffic congestion and slowdowns are disrupting normal lives, local media reported.
In Vienne, young farmers set up a blockade at the Folie roundabout in Poitiers, slowing traffic between Chasseneuil and Poitiers.
In Deux-Sevres, farmers plan to inspect trucks at a logistics site in La Creche.
Farmers also gathered in several Pyrenees-Orientales areas and towns, including Perpignan and Thuir, with a funeral-themed protest planned for Perpignan.
Demonstrators dressed in black and displayed banners reading "SOS No to Mercosur."
Protests also targeted logistics hubs, with farmers in Isere blocking a Lidl distribution center and inspecting trucks to verify the origin of goods.
Earlier, French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau acknowledged the farmers' grievances but stressed the importance of nonviolent protests, urging demonstrators to respect public order.
- EU-Mercosur trade deal
The EU-Mercosur negotiations on a free trade agreement started in 2000 and went through on and off phases.
The parties agreed on a comprehensive agreement covering issues such as tariffs, rules of origin, technical barriers to trade, and intellectual property, among others.
EU and Mercosur were planning to reduce high tariffs on agricultural products, and Mercosur countries would easily sell products such as meat, chicken, and sugar to the EU.
The agreement, however, was never signed nor ratified and never entered into force.
French farmers argue that the EU-Mercosur agreement is part of a broader trend threatening rural livelihoods in France.