Jump to full article: EUobserver.com, 2008-11-20
Author: LEIGH PHILLIPS 19.11.2008 @ 17:44 C
Intro: Thousands of raucous tobacco farmers from across Europe mounted a demonstration in the EU capital on Wednesday (19 November), setting alight a bonfire of tobacco leaves outside the European Council building in protest at changes to EU subsidies.
Claiming a crowd of 10,000 tobacco growers and workers from processing factories, organisers had called the day of action in Brussels to coincide with a meeting of EU agriculture ministers on the Common Agricultural Policy "health check."
The farmers and workers say the proposed cut of half their subsidies from 2010 will result in massive job losses across the industry.
The protesters demanded that existing subsidies, which link the money to production volumes, be extended to 2013 to give them more time to adjust to EU agricultural sector reforms and said they were hoping for a favourable decision from the agriculture ministers meeting today.
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