Why are farmers protesting across the EU and what can the bloc do about it?

Food producers say increasing costs, tiny margins and climate policies leave livelihoods in perilDisaffected farmers hurl eggs at European parliamentHundreds of tractors choked Brussels city centre on Thursday and angry farmers pelted the European parliament with eggs. Although agriculture was not on the agenda for EU leaders meeting just up the road, politicians may find that they ignore these grievances at their peril.Here is a look at what lies behind the farmers' protests that have been sweeping Europe for months - in countries such as Greece, Germany, Portugal, Poland and France, where the government was taken by surprise this week by a motorway blockade of Paris. Continue reading...