Catalan government renames Climate Action Department to satisfy protesting farmers' demands

After a four-hour meeting, the Catalan government agreed to meet all of the farmers' demands following 48 hours of road blockades across Catalonia, which will now be lifted.

Farmers are protesting rising costs, excessive European Union regulations, the impact of cheap foreign imports, and water restrictions due to drought. 

But yesterday they added two new demands to the Catalan government: the sacking of Catalan Water Agency director Samuel Reyes and the renaming of the Climate Action Department. 

Climate Action Minister David Mascort agreed to add "Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries" to the name of his department and to reorganize the water supply division of the Catalan Water Agency (ACA), headed by Jordi Molist, Samuel Reyes' deputy.

Mascort also announced a new supplementary aid of €200 per hectare for cereal producers in areas where irrigation is prohibited. 

"Today is a great day for the country as the government, along with the entire primary sector, has laid the groundwork to address the significant issues facing agriculture and livestock," Mascort said.

The agreement follows 48 hours of road blockades by hundreds of farmers across Catalonia, mainly on the AP-7 in Girona, the AP-2 in Soses, the A-2 in Tàrrega and the C-58 in Coll d'Ares. 

The farmers on the AP-7 said they were ready to lift the blockade once an agreement was reached with the government. During the day, they planted a ten-meter pine tree in the middle of the highway.

On the N-230, the farmers temporarily lifted the blockade to allow trucks to pass in solidarity, as more than 300 trucks had been stranded there for 48 hours. 

Many truckers complained that the blockade only affected them, since these routes are mainly used by trucks and not other vehicles such as cars.

Why are farmers protesting?

Red tape is farmers' main concern across Europe. They argue that EU bureaucracy is overly complicated and time-consuming, leading to wasted resources on paperwork. 

Experts note that strict European regulations are affecting farmers' profit margins, with excessive controls on traceability, mandatory training, changing regulations, and challenges in processing subsidies.

While European farmers struggle with burdensome red tape and adhere to strict environmental and food safety laws, a significant portion of the food consumed in the EU is sourced from countries outside the bloc at significantly lower prices.

Catalonia is also experiencing its worst drought on record, and farmers have been facing water restrictions for nearly three years.

Recently, the Catalan government declared a drought emergency in the Ter-Llobregat system, which supplies water to 6 million people. In this area, farmers have had to reduce irrigation by 80% and livestock farmers by half.

To learn more about the farmers' protests, listen to the latest episode of our podcast, Filling the Sink.