Brussels: Police use water cannons against farmers

Police fired water cannons and blocked roads to stop more than 5,000 farmers who arrived with over 1,000 tractors in the center of Brussels protesting the EU's export ban to Russia, which has caused damage to this sector, reports the BH News Agency Patria.

Tires and hay were burned in the center of the Belgian capital, and thick smoke covered the sky.

Russia banned the import of meat, dairy products, fruits, and vegetables from the European Union, the USA, Norway, Canada, and Australia starting in August 2014, in response to their sanctions imposed on Moscow during the crisis in Ukraine.

For example, the value of exports from the EU to Russia on an annual level amounted to 5.5 billion euros.

Albert Jan Maat, president of the European Association Copa, said that farmers are paying the price of international politics.

At the same time, an emergency meeting of EU agriculture ministers is being held.