Farmers' protest: avoid driving in Brussels today

Police are advising people to avoid driving in Brussels on Thursday because a farmers’ protest is expected to draw thousands to the Brussels capital, disrupting road traffic.

With protestors travelling to Brussels from different directions in the morning, commuters are instead urged to take public transport.

“Mobility in Brussels and the surrounding area is likely to become particularly problematic,” the police said.

The route of the demonstration runs from Boulevard du Roi Albert II - near Brussels-North station - via Boulevard du Jardin Botanique, Boulevard des Arts and Rue de la Loi to Place du Luxembourg, outside the European parliament. The route will be closed all day.

Police also expect that the Arts-Loi intersection will be severely disrupted, and they are not ruling out unannounced roadblocks elsewhere in and around Brussels.

In addition to the farmers’ protest, a European summit will be held from Thursday which will also cause traffic disruption. The Reyers tunnel will be closed as a result until Friday inclusive.

The farmers’ demonstration is an initiative of the European farmers’ umbrella organisation Copa-Cogeca, which said it expected 10,000 demonstrators.

More than 40 European agricultural organisations from 26 countries are taking part, including the Flemish farmers’ union Boerenbond and Wallonia’s FWA.

The farmers are protesting against the European Union’s agricultural policy, in particular the free trade agreement with the South American trade bloc Mercosur (Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay), which is likely to be discussed during the European summit.

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen aims to sign the agreement in Brazil after the European summit, but it is not yet certain whether the member states will give the green light. In France, for example, there is still considerable opposition. Belgium will abstain from voting.

Farmers are also protesting against the planned multi-year budget and the European Union’s new common agricultural policy. The Farmers’ Union said the agricultural budget would be cut by more than a fifth.

“This loss threatens food security, quality, landscape maintenance and strategic autonomy,” the union said.

There is also opposition to European regulations that "block" the agricultural and horticultural sector, for example in the area of permits.