CRUX livestreaming European Parliament: protesters, fires, loud bangs heard

BRUSSELS — On February 7th, the Associated Press reports that the European Union’s executive arm shelved an anti-pesticide proposal Tuesday in a concession to farmers after weeks of protests that blocked many capitals and economic lifelines across Europe. Protests have occurred in Germany, France, Italy, Portugal and Ireland, among other nations.

Although the anti-pesticide proposal has languished in EU institutions for the past two years, the move by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was the latest indication that the bloc is willing to sacrifice environmental priorities to keep the farming community on its side, AP reports.

“Farmers have insisted that measures like the one on pesticides would increase bureaucratic burdens and keep them behind laptops instead of farming, adding to the price gap between their products and cheap imports produced by foreign farmers without similar burdens,” coverage notes.