Under the banner 'give local food production a future,' around 1,000 tractors are expected at the Belgian government buildings on Friday. There is still no agreement on both issues within Flemish and Belgian politics.
The protesting farmers are driving their tractors from various Flemish provinces. They head towards Brussels via secondary roads; highways are prohibited for agricultural vehicles.
The Flemish agricultural and horticultural sector is protesting against the nitrogen agreement as it is currently being prepared. According to them, it is causing a "socioeconomic bloodbath" in the agricultural sector. They demand a thorough revision of the nitrogen agreement.
The farmers also demand that the Flemish Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) be immediately approved. As long as there is no clarity about the new rules, they cannot start their fieldwork and plantings.
The Flemish agricultural plan was already submitted to the EU last March (and approved), but at the last moment (December 22), it was tightened further at the insistence of the Flemish Environmental Inspection.
This last adjustment has not yet been approved by the Flemish coalition, although the new rules have already come into effect on January 1. The European Commission has since sent a 'warning letter' because Flemish farmers risk losing EU subsidies.
Within Flemish politics, the two dossiers 'nitrogen' and 'CAP-NSP' are linked, which does not promote negotiations between coalition parties. Moreover, several environmental organizations have already initiated legal proceedings.