With blaring horns rumbling engines, farmers in tractors block Brussels to protest EU policies

BRUSSELS (AP) — Dozens of tractors have sealed off streets close to European Union headquarters where the 27 EU agriculture ministers are planning to the crisis in the sector that has led to months of protests. The farmers are protesting anything from what they see as excessive red tape to increased environmental measures, cheap imports and unfair trading practices. Authorities in Brussels asked commuters to stay out of the city on Tuesday and work from home as much as possible. With protests taking place from Finland to Greece, Poland, and Ireland, the farmers have already won a slew of concessions from EU and national authorities, from a loosening of controls on farms to a weakening of pesticide and environmental rules.