Update: Protests continue on Monday, January 15, with roughly 4,500 trucks and tractors blocking entrances to major cities across Romania, according to Digi24. Meanwhile, after a meeting with the ministers involved in the negotiations with protesting transporters and farmers, prime minister Marcel Ciolacu asked the government officials to expedite the development of normative acts that would solve the protesters’ demands.

“We continue to negotiate in good faith with the protesters. We are fully open to dialogue, all the way to measures to reduce tax evasion. This is the red line that we cannot cross,” Ciolacu told the ministers present at the meeting.

Also on Monday, Police representatives said that 24 criminal cases had been registered nationwide following the farmers' protests for incitement to violence. They also claimed that messages inciting violence have been shared via WhatsApp groups. 

Initial story: Romanian farmers and truck drivers will remain on the streets after days of protests, as no agreement with the government was reached, according to one of the farmers' leaders, Dănuț Andruș, speaking after the meeting held on January 14 at the Ministry of Finance. The protests are not organised by associations.

Farmers complain about the low price of their products despite the rising cost of inputs, while the transporters protest against the high price of third-party liability insurance (RCA).

The Ministry of Finance reportedly proposed measures related to reinvested profit, subsidies, and the Prevention Law to the protesters, but refused requests regarding per diems, tax facilities, and exemption from excise duties.

However, more complex measures to help farmers are reportedly being drafted. The government plans to establish a credit scheme for farmers, with a budget of EUR 164.1 million, to support economic entities in the field of agriculture affected by the Ukraine crisis, Profit.ro reported. This will facilitate access to credit for small and medium-sized enterprises and large enterprises that are active in the field of agriculture and whose economic activity has been affected by the armed conflict in Ukraine.

The government is also preparing two new state aid schemes, with a cumulative funding of EUR 72.4 million, for animal breeders.

iulian@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Inquam Photos/Octav Ganea)