SHOTLIST:

PONTOS, SPAIN (JAN. 08, 2026) (ANADOLU - ACCESS ALL)

1. VARIOUS OF NIGHT SHOTS OF FARMERS GATHERING AROUND FIRE IN PONTOS OF CATALONIA

2. VARIOUS OF FARMERS MOVING WITH THEIR TRACTORS

3. VARIOUS OF FARMERS BLOCKING AP-7 MOTORWAY AND N-II WAY NEAR FRENCH BORDER

4. VARIOUS OF FARMERS LIGHTING FIRE NEAR ROAD

5. DRONE SHOT OF MAIN ROAD BEING BLOCKED BY PROTESTORS

5. SECURITY MEASURES BEING TAKEN PONTOS, SPAIN - JANUARY 08: In Spain, farmers in Catalonia resumed road blockades to protest the Mercosur agreement, as nearly 100 tractors blocked several main roads and disrupted access to the port of Tarragona, several local media outlets reported on Jan. 8.

Protesters warned they would continue demonstrations indefinitely until the Mercosur agreement is withdrawn, arguing that it would lead to unfair competition and pose risks to consumer and animal health due to differences in phytosanitary standards.

Authorities have deployed riot police and highway patrols to enforce road safety and prevent clashes, with the government offering dialogue on agricultural reforms but stressing roads must remain open.

The demonstrations come as divisions deepen among EU member states ahead of the expected vote on Friday.

Farmers staged protests across several European countries on Thursday, blocking major roads, ports and border crossings with tractors, as the EU prepares to vote on a free trade agreement with the South American Mercosur bloc.

The protests aim to draw attention to what farmers describe as mounting pressure on the agricultural sector, particularly from trade agreements they say expose them to unfair competition.

They are also demanding fewer administrative requirements and a relaxation of EU rules, which they say weaken their competitiveness.

The European Commission has recently proposed advancing €45 billion in EU funding to farmers under the bloc's next seven-year budget and cutting import duties on some fertilizers in an effort to ease opposition.

The EU-Mercosur agreement would grant preferential tariffs for imports of beef, poultry, dairy products, sugar and ethanol from Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and Bolivia, while European industrial goods would gain broader access to South American markets.

Originally expected to be signed in December, the deal was postponed to the new year due to resistance from several member states.