Farmers' protests against the Mercosur agreement. In Belgium, disruptions at the airport in Ostend
2026-01-12 18:15
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2026-01-12 18:15
Belgian farmers have been protesting at the Ostend airport since Monday morning against the EU's trade agreement with the Mercosur bloc. About 60 tractors are parked in front of the port building. Farmers are blocking the entry and exit of trucks to the airport from which cargo is transported – reported the Belga agency.
Airport authorities said that passengers can still travel to the airport by car, but there may be traffic disruptions in the area. The facility's managers ask you to take into account possible delays and plan your journey in advance.
As Mark Wulfrancke from the General Farmers' Union (ABS) emphasized, food from Mercosur countries enters the country through airports without appropriate controls.
– The products receive a Belgian marking, so consumers do not know where they come from – he said, quoted by Belga.
The organizers assure that the purpose of the protest is not to impede passenger travel. The campaign is expected to last at least until the end of the day, and it is possible that it will be extended even until January 20.
European Union countries agreed on Friday to conclude a trade agreement with the Mercosur bloc of South American countries. Poland, France, Ireland, Hungary and Austria voted against the agreement, and Belgium abstained. The vote took place at a meeting of ambassadors of EU countries in Brussels. The consent of the capitals means that the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, can go to Paraguay to sign the agreement.
The trade agreement with the Mercosur countries – Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay – will introduce customs preferences for certain agricultural products. In return, the markets of these countries will open to EU industrial goods. Earlier, the ambassadors adopted a strengthened version of the protection clause in the agreement with Mercosur; it is intended to protect domestic producers against market disruptions.
From Brussels Łukasz Osiński (PAP)
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