EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - Thousands of raucous tobacco farmers from across Europe mounted a demonstration in the EU capital on Wednesday (19 November), setting alight a bonfire of tobacco leaves outside the European Council building in protest at changes to EU subsidies. Claiming a crowd of 10,000 tobacco growers and workers from processing factories, organisers had called the day of action in Brussels to coincide with a meeting of EU agriculture ministers on the Common Agricultural Policy "health check." Tobacco farmers marching in Brussels against subsidy cuts on Wednesday The farmers and workers say the proposed cut of half their subsidies from 2010 will result in massive job losses across the industry. The protesters demanded that existing subsidies, which link the money to production volumes, be extended to 2013 to give them more time to adjust to EU agricultural sector reforms and said they were hoping for a favourable decision from the agriculture ministers meeting today. A 2004 agreement by member states will from 2010 see half of the payments to tobacco farmers delivered to a restructuring fund to help the sector switch to other crops.
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - Thousands of raucous tobacco farmers from across Europe mounted a demonstration in the EU capital on Wednesday (19 November), setting alight a bonfire of tobacco leaves outside the European Council building in protest at changes to EU subsidies.
Claiming a crowd of 10,000 tobacco growers and workers from processing factories, organisers had called the day of action in Brussels to coincide with a meeting of EU agriculture ministers on the Common Agricultural Policy "health check."
Tobacco farmers marching in Brussels against subsidy cuts on Wednesday
The farmers and workers say the proposed cut of half their subsidies from 2010 will result in massive job losses across the industry.
The protesters demanded that existing subsidies, which link the money to production volumes, be extended to 2013 to give them more time to adjust to EU agricultural sector reforms and said they were hoping for a favourable decision from the agriculture ministers meeting today.
A 2004 agreement by member states will from 2010 see half of the payments to tobacco farmers delivered to a restructuring fund to help the sector switch to other crops.
Did they have allowance to build a bonfire of a dangerous substance? How big was it? You might charge some people...
