Farmers in tractors protest against milk prices

Описание: (26 Nov 2012)
1. Wide of demonstrators spraying milk at European Parliament building with hose
2. Mid of fire burning in street
3. Pan across protesters spraying milk towards line of police officers
4. SOUNDBITE: (French) Jean-Francois Pierard, Belgian milk producer:
"The police are doing their job, but the welcome of the political officials is just a shame, they don't know how to welcome us when we come to see them. We do not know what to do, if today we are not heard then we will go even further."
5. Tracking shot of scuffles between demonstrators and police, milk being sprayed, anti-riot fences being moved
6. Tracking shot of tractors moving along street, blasting horns
7. Tracking shot of onlookers
8. Wide of tractors passing in front of European Council
9. Wide of tractors arriving in front of European Parliament
10. SOUNDBITE: (Italian) Roberto Cavaliere, member of the directing committee of the European Milk Board (EMB):
"We have a European Parliament that hasn't made a move in years. We want new laws that will give an insurance to our future and today we are here to demand the creation of an agency that will put in place dynamic interventions and will also be closer to the demands of milk producers."
11. Pan across tractor carrying cow statue painted in colours of Netherlands flag
12. SOUNDBITE: (French) Julien Husquet, Belgian milk producer:
"Politics are really killing us. It has to change very quickly at the European level. When Europe is without food we will see how we will survive, but with the way it is going we are in big trouble."
13. Pan across protesters with flags
14. Various of tractors
STORYLINE:
Thousands of dairy farmers on Monday protested low prices for their product, choking traffic in the Belgian capital with their tractors and spraying European Union headquarters and police with milk.
One group started a fire in the street, but despite some pushing and shoving with police, there was no major violence.
Police held their line behind a metal and barbed wire barrier, beating off those who attempted to get past.
One protester, Belgian milk producer Jean-Francois Pierard had no complaints about the police, but was scathing about European Union officials.
"They don't know how to welcome us when we come to see them. We do not know what to do, if today we are not heard then we will go even further," he said.
Farmers from several EU nations are demanding higher prices for milk, which currently is often being sold at below production costs, threatening the survival of their farms.
They are seeking a milk price increase of up to 25 percent, and want prices to be managed so the farmers become less dependent on an unpredictable market place.
The EU is currently preparing an overhaul of its Common Agricultural Policy which has often strictly set production and pricing conditions in the past.
It hopes to let the market become a bigger player in the future while assuring that farmers can still have a steady income.
EU farm ministers are due to meet on Wednesday to look at further reforms.
The protest started more peacefully earlier on Monday, with many farmers rolling into the Belgian capital on tractors.
Member of the directing committee of the European Milk Board (EMB) Roberto Cavaliere accused the European Parliament of failing to make a move "in years".
"We want new laws that will give an insurance to our future and today we are here to demand the creation of an agency that will put in place dynamic interventions and will also be closer to the demands of milk producers," he said.


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