Farmers block roads across Catalonia in protest against red tape and rising prices 

Thousands of farmers are staging widespread protests across Catalonia on Tuesday against rising prices, imports from third countries, violations of the law on the food chain, and excessive bureaucracy. 

The protests will significantly disrupt the Catalan road network, with mobilizations potentially reaching the Barcelona metropolitan area. In total, around ten roadblocks and go-slow tractor protests have been organized on main roads. 

Farmers have already announced that on Wednesday, they will perform slow drive protests convening in Barcelona. 

In the early hours of Tuesday morning, the A-2 highway, which connects Madrid to Barcelona via Lleida, experienced the first incidents between Bell-lloc d'Urgell and Lleida.

The C-252 in Torroella de Fluvià, Girona, and the GI-634 in Verges are currently blocked, and disruptions were also reported on the C-55, which connects Baix Llobregat to Solsonès via Bages. 

Farmers have blocked the center of Girona with up to 500 tractors, according to the organizers of the protest.

The message of the manifesto read out outside the government delegation building in the north Catalan city detailed: "They haven't considered us for too long, but we feed the population and we are essential."

In the city center of Girona, tractors brought two of the main avenues, Jaume I and Pompeu Fabra, to a standstill for two hours.

More than 180 tractors gathered on Tuesday morning in Vic to demand changes in the administration.

"We are at the limit, but we believe that it is time to change it; I see that there is a desire, we are motivated and we believe that the demonstrations will be a turning point," said the Farmers' Union coordinator in the Osona and Lluçanès counties, Oriol Rovira, to the Catalan News Agency (ACN).

Catalan police have advised citizens to minimize road travel during the farmers' protests. If necessary, they advise that citizens inform themselves of traffic incidents and possible alternative routes.

Authorities have increased the resources available to deal with road closures, manage incidents, ensure safety, and make necessary diversions.

In addition to struggling with red tape and soaring prices, farmers are also facing two major challenges that could have a profound impact on the sector in the coming years: drought and a generational crisis. 

The protests will take place again on February 13, with a new wave of marches and highway blockades, followed by a tractor protest in Madrid on February 21.

EU backtracks on pesticides amid farmer protests

Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, announced on Tuesday the withdrawal of the proposal to halve the use of pesticides by 2030 after weeks of widespread protests by farmers across Europe.  

After announcing the move in the European Parliament, Von der Leyen expressed her gratitude and respect for farmers and stressed the need to listen to their voices. 

"Our farmers must be heard, and we must move beyond a polarized debate and build trust," she said.

Von der Leyen nevertheless defended the proposal, saying it needed a "more mature" approach and had become "a symbol of polarization".

The proposal, part of a comprehensive package introduced by the European Commission in June 2022, was intended to reduce the environmental impact of the agricultural sector. 

However, farmers have voiced concerns that such measures could lead to increased red tape and widen the price gap with imports from third countries.