European Farmers Keep Up Protests During EU Meeting

2024-02-13 10:48:00来源：网络

欧洲农民在欧盟会议期间继续抗议

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　　By Bryan Lynn

　　01 February 2024

　　European farmers held protests Thursday to demand government help in dealing with rising costs and environmental rules.

　　One of the protests happened in Brussels, Belgium, where EU leaders gathered for a summit meeting on Thursday.

　　Some farmers drove tractors onto the grounds of the European Parliament building to bring attention to their demands. Protesters also lit off fireworks and threw eggs and bottles at police in the area, The Associated Press reported.

　　Smoke could also be seen around parts of Brussels as some farmers set pieces of hay on fire, the news agency said. Security forces put out the fires and moved in to protect EU buildings.

　　In Paris, French farmers continued to block traffic on major roadways around the city. Farmers in several European nations have been holding mostly peaceful protests in recent weeks.

　　The farmers say it is harder to make a good living because of high operating costs. Costs for fuel and fertilizer have risen sharply in Europe since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. They also say they have been hurt by increased competition and weather conditions.

　　France's government sent in armored vehicles to Paris' large Rungis food market, which was targeted by demonstrators. French police told Reuters news agency they arrested 79 people who entered a storage center at the market.

　　The market is an important supplier of fruits and vegetables to France and other nations. Rungis has repeatedly become a target for European farmers, many of whom traveled a long way to bring their tractors there.

　　One farmer who traveled to Brussels to protest was 26-year-old Luca Mouton. He told Reuters, "Time is up. (EU leaders must) think of the farmers. Talk to the farmers rather than about the farmers, discuss what is possible. We are open to dialogue."

　　Jean-Francois Ricker is a farmer from southern Belgium who spent the night in the cold near EU headquarters. He told the AP he hoped a lot of protesters would show up to demonstrate how important the issues are to farmers across Europe. "We are going to show that we do not agree...," said Ricker.

　　The purpose of Thursday's EU summit was mainly to approve a proposal to provide Ukraine with a new $54 billion aid deal. But Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo urged EU leaders to also hear the farmers' demands. Belgium currently holds the EU presidency.

　　De Croo said governments "need to make sure that (farmers) can get the right price for the high-quality products that they provide." He also urged an easing of some environmental rules that farmers have said can hurt their profits.

　　Farmers are an important voting group within the EU as well as in their own countries. This has led some leaders to offer some new proposals.

　　The European Commission announced plans Wednesday to offer protections to farmers facing increased competition from low-cost imports from Ukraine. The body also proposed easing restrictions on how much of a farmer's own land he can use while still receiving support from the EU.

　　Earlier in the week, France's government promised to provide farmers emergency aid and some new controls on imported food. On Thursday, French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal offered more measures. They included a move to permit farmers to use more pesticides if other nations do the same and an offer to increase financial aid and tax breaks.

　　I'm Bryan Lynn.

　　The Associated Press and Reuters reported on this story. Bryan Lynn adapted the reports for VOA Learning English.

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　　作者：Bryan Lynn

　　日期：2024年2月1日

　　周四，欧洲农民举行抗议活动，要求政府帮助应对成本上升和环保规定。

　　其中一场抗议活动发生在比利时布鲁塞尔，欧盟领导人在那里召开了周四的峰会。

　　一些农民驾驶拖拉机进入欧洲议会大楼的场地，以引起对他们要求的关注。据美联社报道，抗议者还放烟火，并向该地区的警察投掷鸡蛋和瓶子。

　　新闻社报道，布鲁塞尔部分地区也可以看到烟雾，因为一些农民点燃了干草。安全部队扑灭了火源，并介入保护欧盟建筑。

　　在巴黎，法国农民继续在城市周围的主要道路上阻塞交通。近几周，几个欧洲国家的农民一直在举行大多是和平的抗议活动。

　　农民们表示，由于运营成本高，要想过上好生活变得更难。自从俄罗斯入侵乌克兰以来，欧洲的燃料和肥料成本急剧上升。他们还表示，他们受到了竞争加剧和天气条件的影响。

　　法国政府向巴黎的大型Rungis食品市场派遣了装甲车，该市场是示威者的目标。法国警方告诉路透社，他们逮捕了79名进入市场仓储中心的人。