France is facing another wave of farmers’ protests, causing widespread disruption to road and rail traffic. Blocked motorways, roundabouts and access roads to key logistics hubs mean that Wednesday and Thursday are expected to be particularly challenging for transport companies operating in France or transiting through the country.
The mobilisation is nationwide and, according to farmers’ unions, will not end today. Protests are concentrated mainly in the south-west, but actions are also planned in many major cities and regions, creating a real risk of further blockades and delivery delays.
Farmers are protesting against the government’s health policy on bovine dermatophilosis. Under current rules, the detection of a single case requires the culling of the entire herd, a measure that farmers say leads to disproportionate economic losses.
Agricultural unions describe the authorities’ approach as excessively restrictive and destabilising for the sector. In recent days, protests have included road blockades, demonstrations outside prefectures and symbolic actions such as building straw barricades or threatening to cover speed cameras.
Wave of demonstrations across France
Wednesday’s mobilisation is expected to be one of the largest since the protests began, with demonstrations and blockades planned across multiple regions.
In Troyes, in the Aube department, farmers have announced a gathering in front of the prefecture at 2 pm. In the Isère region, protests are taking place around Grenoble and in Voreppe, where a filtering blockade is in place on the road between Grenoble and Bourgoin-Jallieu from 9.30 am.
In western France, in La Meilleraye-de-Bretagne (Loire-Atlantique), farmers have announced a blockade of a departmental road between 11 am and 2 pm, using tractors positioned in front of the town hall.
Southern France remains particularly tense, especially in the Aude department. In Castelnaudary and Bram, protests began at 8 am at roundabouts leading to the A61 motorway, referred to by farmers as the “roundabouts of anger”.
Demonstrations have also been announced in Limoges, where farmers plan to build a “wall of straw and hay” in front of the Haute-Vienne prefecture; in Laon, where protesters intend to move slowly between roundabouts; and in Strasbourg, where a demonstration in front of the European Parliament is taking place until 10 am.
At the same time, several earlier blockades remain in place, including:
- the A61 motorway, closed in the Carcassonne–Toulouse direction
- the A9 motorway, blocked around the Roquemaure and Remoulins junctions
- the A54 motorway, with entrances and exits blocked in the Garons area
- the A63 motorway, with major blockages in both directions, particularly around Cestas south of Bordeaux
- the RD135 departmental road on the Chemin des Canaux section, closed towards Nîmes
French authorities warn that blockades could move to other strategic locations, further complicating route planning and increasing the risk of delays. The current road situation in France can be checked on the government’s traffic information website, Bison Futé.
Border at Irun and truck restrictions
The situation at the French–Spanish border is also critical for hauliers. The Basque Traffic Directorate has confirmed that, as of 7 am on Wednesday 17 December, truck restrictions in the Basque Country have been lifted. However, if protests on the French side continue, the Irun border crossing will remain only conditionally open, with traffic limited to 200 trucks per hour heading towards France.
Further protests planned for Thursday
Additional demonstrations are scheduled for Thursday, coinciding with the start of the European Council meeting. Farmers say one of the key issues will be the EU–Mercosur trade agreement, which they view as a further threat to European agriculture.
Protests are planned in cities including Lyon, Rennes, Saint-Lô, Mont-Saint-Michel and Châlons-en-Champagne. Farmers’ unions have also confirmed their readiness to continue mobilising in the coming days, including Friday 19 December, when farmers from the Rhône and Loire regions plan to travel with tractors and tipper trucks to the sub-prefecture in Roanne.
Read more: EU realises Euro 7 truck rules went too far
Implications for the transport and logistics sector
The situation in France presents a high risk of operational disruption, delivery delays and additional costs for transport companies. Due to the scale and geographical spread of the protests, even local actions could have wider consequences for regional and international supply chains.
Hauliers and freight forwarders operating through France are advised to closely monitor traffic updates, prepare alternative routes and factor in potential downtime when planning operations. All indications suggest that the coming days could be among the most challenging periods this winter for road transport in Western Europe.
