The French government announces further aid to farmers. A trial against Greta Thunberg has begun in London

The French government is trying to appease the protesting farmers with further promises. Prime Minister Gabriel Attal promised farmers more sovereignty and recognition on Thursday.

In concrete terms, he announced 150 million euros for livestock farmers. France also wants to prevent the import of fruit and vegetables that have been treated with the pesticide thiacloprid. Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire promised more checks in major supermarket chains, also with a view to the declaration of origin of products.

Against the backdrop of increasing water shortages in parts of France due to climate change, the Minister of Ecological Transition, Christophe Béchu, also announced financial support for the construction of water retention basins and for irrigation. A new action plan to tackle the wolf will also be presented soon. Just like in Germany, French animal owners have to deal with wolf attacks.

French farmers have been demonstrating for days against falling incomes, environmental regulations from Brussels and, in their opinion, too many demands. They block countless highways with tractors. On Wednesday, some protesting farmers broke into the Rungis wholesale market near Paris. The government has already promised farmers extensive aid in recent days.

Meanwhile, the transport sector warned of the impact of highway blockades by farmers on logistics across the country. The transport and logistics union TLF said the blockages were unacceptable for the predominantly medium-sized transport companies and were endangering supply chains. (sda/awp/dpa)