Italian and European farmers are to
return to Brussels to protest on February 26 and "as often as
necessary" until the European Union provides exhaustive answers
to their demands, Italian farmers' association Coldiretti
President Ettore Prandini said after a meeting with European
Parliament President Roberta Metsola on Tuesday.
Prandini said farmers are also expecting answers on the "issue
of reciprocity" of production standards in trade agreements with
third countries.
"There is still no clear proposal on how this is to be regulated
in real terms," he said.
On February 1 angry farmers from across the EU gathered outside
the European Parliament in Brussels to protest against
agricultural and climate policies and general hardship in the
sector.
Prandini also distanced himself from the Italian tractor
movement, many of whose demands he said are "confused".
"Beyond the headlines, many of the demands of the tractors are
confused: we prefer to turn protests into proposals," he told La
Repubblica newspaper in an interview published ahead of his
meeting with Metsola.
"It is in Europe that we must make our voice heard even more,"
he added.
Coldiretti, said Prandini, "is the largest farmers' organisation
in Europe: we must take responsibility and work for concrete
answers".
"That is why we will be in Brussels on February 26, on the
occasion of the EU Council of Agriculture Ministers," he added.
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