BRUSSELS (Sputnik) — Farmers from all over the European Union have set up a stylized animal farm near the European Council building in Brussels, where on Monday EU agriculture ministers are gathering for a working lunch, to draw attention to their financial woes caused by low prices and the Russian ban, a RIA Novosti correspondent reported.
The farmers brought cattle and bales of hay to the building. Later in the day, 50 tractors are expected to join the protest, however, according to police, this should not lead to traffic jams in the Belgian capital.
Farmers want use the rally to draw EU attention to the difficult financial situation they find themselves in due to the low prices their products command because of overproduction and the Russian food embargo.
16 February 2016, 13:14 GMT
The European Union and the United States imposed a series of sanctions against Russia beginning in 2014, accusing Moscow of interference in Ukraine's internal affairs.
Moscow has refuted the allegations, warning that the Western sanctions are counterproductive. In response to the Western restrictive measures, in August 2014, Russia announced a one-year food embargo on products originating in states that imposed sanctions against it. The ban has since been extended for another year.
