In the first nine days of 2026, a large-scale mobilisation by farmers has spread across much of western and Mediterranean Europe, causing prolonged road blockades and significant disruption to freight movements. The protests, coordinated at both national and transnational level, have focused on motorways, logistics hubs, port access routes and border crossings, affecting key TEN-T corridors. The trigger has been the imminent signing of the EU–Mercosur free trade agreement, scheduled for 12 January 2026, which farmers see as a threat to the primary sector, but with immediate knock-on effects for transport and logistics.
In France, the mobilisation has represented the most critical factor for the European logistics system. Between 7 and 9 January, with a peak on 8 January, the agricultural unions Fnsea, Coordination Rurale and Jeunes Agriculteurs extensively blocked the motorway network. The closure of the A13 between Saint-Cloud and the Périphérique compromised western access to Paris, while actions on the A2 and A27 disrupted flows towards Belgium. Even more significant for international road haulage was the closure of the A63 between northern and southern Bayonne, a key axis of the Atlantic Corridor and the main road link between France and Spain. Widespread blockades on the A9, A61 and A64 also affected the Mediterranean TEN-T Corridor. According to local authorities, queues reached up to 150 kilometres, with delivery delays of up to 24 hours. Heavy goods traffic was diverted onto secondary roads unsuitable for large volumes, triggering knock-on effects on journey times, operating costs and the reliability of road–rail intermodal connections. Access to urban terminals and logistics platforms in the Île-de-France area also slowed, with repercussions for flows destined for northern European ports.
In Germany, protests took place between 8 and 9 January and mainly affected the north-east of the country. Groups including Land Schafft Verbindung and Freie Bauern organised blockades and slow-moving convoys on the A10, A11 and A24 in Brandenburg, as well as on the A4 and A9 in Saxony. Authorities imposed a ban on complete motorway access closures, allowing a degree of traffic flow to be maintained. This limited the direct impact on long-distance freight transport, but still caused delays to regional flows and to connections with rail terminals in the Berlin and Dresden areas.
In Greece, the mobilisation took on the characteristics of a nationwide blockade. Between 8 and 9 January, farmers halted the country’s main arteries for 48 hours, starting with the Athens–Thessaloniki motorway, the backbone of the Orient–East Med TEN-T Corridor. Blockades at Nikaia, Malgara and Tempi effectively split the country in two, stopping heavy goods traffic along the north–south axis. The interruption of the Egnatia Odos at Siatista compromised east–west connections between Aegean and Adriatic ports, while blockades at the Promachonas and Evzoni border crossings temporarily suspended freight flows towards Bulgaria and North Macedonia. Diversions onto secondary roads increased transport times and costs, particularly affecting agri-food supply chains and the cold chain, which are already sensitive to delays.
In Spain, the epicentre of the protests was Catalonia, with actions concentrated on 8 January. The blockade of the AP-7 at Pontós disrupted cross-border traffic with France along the Mediterranean Corridor, one of the main TEN-T axes for road and intermodal transport. Closures on the N-II and the A-2 worsened the situation, while the blocking of access roads to the port of Tarragona had a direct impact on port operations and on container and bulk traffic. The halt in road links to the port slowed ship–truck and ship–rail interchange, with consequences for the industrial logistics chains of north-eastern Spain.
In Belgium, protests were concentrated between 8 and 9 January in coordination with the French actions. Blockades on the E42 and E19 at Tournai affected cross-border flows, while the closure of the A11 hindered access to the port of Zeebrugge, a key hub for ro-ro and container traffic in northern Europe. Access difficulties generated congestion in hinterland areas and delays in routing goods inland, with indirect effects also on rail and inland waterway connections.
In Italy, mobilisation was announced for 9 January, with a planned concentration in Milan and the participation of more than one hundred agricultural vehicles. At the time of writing, no actual blockades have been recorded, but any disruption to urban and peri-urban road networks could affect access to Lombardy’s freight villages and connections with Alpine crossings.
M.L.
