Farmers throw eggs and close streets with tractors at the start of EU summit

Farmers' protests reached the heart of the European Union on Thursday as the bloc's leaders held a crucial meeting in which they agreed on new funding for Ukraine.

Protesters arrived in Brussels, Belgium, on their tractors in the early hours of the morning before gathering in front of the European Parliament, where the summit was taking place, blowing horns, throwing eggs and setting fires.

Several tractors were parked near the EU Parliament all week, before convoys from across the country converged on Thursday morning.

Some of the protesters set objects on fire in front of the parliament building, while others held signs with slogans that included: “No farmers, no food.” Police said around 1,000 tractors were expected in the Belgian capital for the planned demonstration, warning of “traffic problems” in the area.

Although EU agricultural issues are not part of the summit's agenda, protesters intend to put pressure on the bloc to make their complaints heard.

Farmers have been calling for a loosening of the rules governing the bloc's shared agricultural policy, saying they are not paid enough, are being stifled by taxes and environmental restrictions and face unfair competition from abroad – including cheap agricultural imports from Ukraine. The EU waived quotas and duties on Ukrainian imports after Russia's invasion.

Renaud Foucart, senior lecturer in economics at Lancaster University in England, told CNN that there are two overarching issues that protesting farmers face.

“One of them, which is mainly aimed at Eastern European farmers, is the fear that wheat and many other agricultural products entering the market from Ukraine are unfair competition and they would like to get some protectionism for that.”

According to Foucart, for farmers in Western European countries the main issue is the environmental measures being introduced under the EU Green Deal, which they say will burden them with additional costs and regulations.

“These farmers would like to get some form of relief from this, some form of compensation.”

Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo called farmers' concerns “perfectly legitimate”.

“As you have seen, there is a huge protest by farmers in Brussels. We need to be able to discuss this topic in Council because the concerns they have are perfectly legitimate,” he said. “The climate transition is a fundamental priority for our societies. We need to make sure that our farmers can be partners in this process”, said De Croo upon arrival at the summit.

Protests have also taken place in recent days in Italy, Spain, Romania, Poland, Germany, Portugal and the Netherlands.

In Greece, tractors marched on Thursday toward the second-largest city of Thessaloniki, hoping to block main routes within the city.

In France, farmers continue their roadblocks outside Paris and near the cities of Lyon and Toulouse.

According to BFMTV, an affiliate of CNN , 91 people were detained on Wednesday (31) for obstructing traffic and causing damage near the Rungis market, south of Paris, an important food distribution center. According to the French government, more announcements are expected “in the coming days”.

On Thursday, newly appointed French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal announced new measures for the agricultural industry, including financial support, at a press conference.

Following the announcement, two of France's main agricultural unions encouraged protesters to end roadblocks.

“We believe that we need to change our mode of action and, therefore, we appeal to our networks through national channels to lift the blockades and enter into a new form of mobilization,” said Arnaud Gaillot, president of Jeunes Agriculteurs.

In an effort to address some of the agricultural industry's concerns, the European Commission has proposed a “temporary” exemption for farmers from an EU rule that would require them to keep 4% of their arable land fallow or unproductive for the purposes of biodiversity.

It also proposed “renewing the suspension of import duties and quotas on Ukrainian exports to the EU for another year, while strengthening the protection of sensitive EU agricultural products”.