**Hundreds of farmers have driven tractors into Brussels to put pressure on European Union agriculture ministers due to meet to discuss low milk prices.**The talks come after weeks of protests across Europe, with farmers dumping milk stocks and withholding supplies at what they see as uneconomic prices.
The problem in the European milk market is that supply exceeds demand, so prices have fallen sharply.
France and Germany want more export subsidies to help lift prices.
However, the UK and other countries are said to oppose the idea.
‘Discussing possibilities’
Swedish Agriculture Minister Eskil Erlandsson, who will later be chairing the meeting, said it would “talk about the medium and long-term possibilities for the European milk and dairy sector”.
However, he said any decisions would take at least two more weeks to be fully approved.
Farmers from across Germany, France and other nations are protesting outside the main EU Council building ahead of the meeting.
They argue that current production costs are more than twice the price they get for their milk.
Mr Erlandsson said a key problem was that while farmers have seen the prices they receive for their milk decline by 40%, prices in the shops have only fallen between 1% and 2%.
Across its 27 member nations, the EU pays the agriculture sector 55bn euros ($80bn; £50bn) annually for support payments, storage aid, rural development, and other projects.