Belgium’s farmers are continuing their protests against new European climate regulations and the Flemish government’s nitrogen law ahead of Thursday’s EU summit. Farmers are blockading roads across Flanders as well as the Brussels orbital.
Police and the national crisis centre have asked the general public to avoid travelling to the capital by car today and tomorrow. The Schuman District will be cordoned off from 8AM tomorrow for the summit. The advice is to access Brussels by public transport.
In the Brussels area farmers are blockading the orbital ring road between Ittre and Halle. There is also disruption at Huizingen.
Farmers are also focusing their protests on the Aalter and Wetteren junctions on the E40 Ostend – Brussels motorway. Expect disruption if you are heading for the Belgian and Flemish capital. Hundreds of farmers on their tractors have gathered at Aalter in a protest expected to last till after lunchtime. E40 slip roads for traffic heading for Bruges and Ghent have been closed by the protests.
This video shows traffic diverted onto one lane at Aalter.
There is disruption in the port of Antwerp too with businesses asking workers to work from home. Slip roads on the approach to the port of Zeebrugge are also hit.
Distribution centres of supermarket chains Delhaize and Colruyt at Ninove and Ghislenghien are also subject of a blockade by farmers.
Flemish local transport company De Lijn says some services are disrupted in East and West Flanders.
Prime minister Alexander De Croo to raise farmers’ concerns with European commission president Ursula Von der Leyen.