The French government will prepare by the summer a new law to better safeguard farmers‘ income and strengthen their position in negotiations with retailers and consumer goods companies, Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said on Wednesday, according to Reuters.
Attal made the announcement on updating the so-called Egalim law in his latest speech aimed at easing tensions with angry farmers, ahead of the annual Salon de l’Agriculture farming trade fair that starts this weekend.
While some local grievances vary, farmers’ protests, also seen in other European countries including Belgium, Greece and Germany, have exposed tensions over the impact on farming of the EU’s drive to tackle climate change, as well of opening the door to cheap Ukrainian imports to help Kyiv’s war effort.
In France, farmers had largely suspended their protests, following weeks of actions that included blocking highways, after Attal on February 1 promised new measures.
But the farmers, who say they are not being paid enough and are choked by taxes, green rules and face unfair competition from abroad, have been pressing the government to show the first results of the emergency measures before the trade fair.
President Emmanuel Macron and his government are also wary of farmers’ growing support for the far right ahead of the European Parliament elections in June.