ploughing ahead. farmers�* protests spread across europe — despite concessions from the eu and member states. and chocolate lovers be warned — cocoa prices hit a record high as dry weather hurts crops. welcome to world business report. we start with europe's farmers — as protests that began in france and then germany have been spreading across the continent. demonstrations are taking place in poland, hungary and italy today. the farmers are venting their anger over low prices for their produce, soaring fuel and fertilizer costs and increasingly restrictive eu regulations. italy's government has promised tax breaks to ease hardship for farmers — after hundreds began gathering with their tractors this week, as you can see here going past some of rome's most famous landmarks.

and in cyprus, farmers blocked the entrance to the european union's offices in nicosia, on thursday. there were also demonstrations in bulgaria. and more tractor protests across spain, for the third day in a row — with farmers disrupting traffic in barcelona, and in smaller cities all over the country. jos ubels is a cattle farmer in the netherlands and vice president of the farmers defence force. he told us why he's unhappy with the eu's agricultural rules. well, first of all, of course, it's the administration, bureaucracy. many people don't know, but the european union tells us what to sow, what to harvest on our fields and when to sow it and when to harvest it and they are checking this with live satellite imagery every three days all over europe.

so we're being watched by european union from the satellites every three days. they invent legislation to prevent climate change or whatever, but they don't invent rules that change things for the better. we, as practicing farmers, see that the rules that the european union is imposing on us is not helping the environment in any way, how good it was meant to be, but it doesn't. joining me now is ben mcwilliams — energy and climate policy affiliate at the european think tank bruegal. how bad are things for european farmers right now?— farmers right now? there is not really one _ farmers right now? there is not

really one thing _ farmers right now? there is not really one thing going _ farmers right now? there is not really one thing going on - farmers right now? there is not really one thing going on which | farmers right now? there is not i really one thing going on which is causing farmers to protest but it is a range of different factors which have culminated in the europe wide protests and we have green complaints, about some things which have been pushed by the european commission, we have rising fuel prices, since the russian invasion of ukraine natural gas has increased and that is how you produce fertiliser, so that has increased, and finally we have trade tensions and finally we have trade tensions and another consequence of the invasion has been that the eu allowed ukrainian farmers free access to european markets so some of the protest in eastern european countries are about the sense of injustice that farmers in the eu need to subscribe by certain regulations but they face unfair competition from ukraine. you regulations but they face unfair competition from ukraine. you are an ener: and competition from ukraine. you are an energy and climate _ competition from ukraine. you are an energy and climate policy _ competition from ukraine. you are an energy and climate policy analyst, - competition from ukraine. you are an energy and climate policy analyst, i i energy and climate policy analyst, i should say. i wonder how ambitious you would say the eu environmental

regulations are and should they have come with more sweeteners for the farmers they will affect? what come with more sweeteners for the farmers they will affect?— farmers they will affect? what we have seen so _ farmers they will affect? what we have seen so far, _ farmers they will affect? what we have seen so far, there _ farmers they will affect? what we have seen so far, there is - farmers they will affect? what we have seen so far, there is the - have seen so far, there is the european green deal, and it hasn't really pushed into agriculture yet which is a bit concerning, and from a greenhouse gas perspective most of the reductions the commission are pushing for our coming from elsewhere in the economy, and they released their target and there's not much contribution coming from agriculture, and a lot of the compounds are —— complaints are about specific things like pesticides, and the european commission have rolled back on some of them, maybe because they got that wrong, trying to push it without some sweeteners on the site. high rices for some sweeteners on the site. high prices for fuel— some sweeteners on the site. high prices for fuel and _ some sweeteners on the site. high prices for fuel and fertiliser but

low prices for their produce, that's what the farmers are saying. some would say agriculture in the eu is already over subsidised. that would say agriculture in the eu is already over subsidised.- already over subsidised. that is art of already over subsidised. that is part of the _ already over subsidised. that is part of the irony. _ already over subsidised. that is part of the irony. agriculture i already over subsidised. that is part of the irony. agriculture is| part of the irony. agriculture is very protected in the eu and the agricultural sector is about i% of the economy and 4% ofjobs and from the economy and 4% ofjobs and from the european budget it accounts for about a third of total subsidies and thatis about a third of total subsidies and that is because the decision has been taken that we want to protect farmers from international competition and make sure we have food production here so there are big subsidies already and one question is on the distribution of the subsidies and how they filter down throughout the value chains, some risk they remain in the hands of landowners and those at the top which is not great, and a second concern for farmers is whether they are the ones who have to make cuts while supermarkets keep prices low, so there are things for the european commission to investigate but farmers are already protected in the

eu. �* . ., , farmers are already protected in the eu. �* ~ ., , ., farmers are already protected in the eu. ~ ., , ., ., farmers are already protected in the eu. ben williams, thanks for “oining us. staying with food now and one that may have chocaholics worried. as the price of cocoa — the raw ingredient in chocolate — has hit a record all—time high in trading in new york. global prices of the cocoa bean have almost doubled in the last year as dry weather hits crops in its biggest growing area in west africa. this has prompted warnings from some of the world's biggest chocolate manufacturers on prices and future earnings. for more on thisjoining me now is anthony myers — editor of confectionary news. he's joining us from the cocoa and chocolate week in amsterdam. lucky you! let's talk about the reasons for the surge in cocoa prices. how bad is the situation

with cocoa crops? iam here i am here at koko week and the focus has been on sustainability —— cocoa. the news spread through the conference like wildfire, that the price, the futures price, 5800, and might touch 6000 by the end of the day, which is unprecedented, and it is because there has been a deficit, they will be a deficit this year from the main crop, a 400,000 tonnes, the third successive global deficit, and problems focus on the biggest producing countries like ghana, where most of the cocoa beans

comes from, and that is where most of the problems have been regarding the weather and inflationary costs. what are the industry players saying there about it? are they planning to absorb the extra costs themselves or will they pass them onto chocolate lovers at the end of the food chain? that pass them onto chocolate lovers at the end of the food chain?- pass them onto chocolate lovers at the end of the food chain? that is a aood the end of the food chain? that is a good question- _ the end of the food chain? that is a good question. some _ the end of the food chain? that is a good question. some are _ the end of the food chain? that is a good question. some are saying - the end of the food chain? that is a i good question. some are saying they should absorb the costs but a lot will pass them on. you have the big suppliers, who supplied the big companies, and their costs have gone up companies, and their costs have gone up and they have passed them onto the big chocolate companies and they will pass them to the consumer. which? magazine has done is report which says consumers can expect a

50% increase in confectionery cost which will affect the price of a chocolate bar in the supermarket and on the shelves in the shops, for certain. it can be absorbed but who pays for it is the big question. we shau pays for it is the big question. we shall see. some chocolate lovers will go no ends to get their fix, of course. thanks forjoining us. to artificial intelligence now and the struggle for governments around the world to understand how best to regulate it. the european union is the first to try to set rules with its artificial intelligence act. the european commission vice president, margrethe vestager, has been telling the bbc about what the costs may be for businesses to comply. we sort of have an asymmetrical approach. if you're the big guy —

if you have market power, if you can have systemic implications — you also have big responsibility. if you're the small player just trying to make it in the marketplace, we will enable you, we will make sure that the marketplace is open for you. we make sure that you don't have to do the same heavy...due diligence as the big guy who might have systemic implication. and i think that is really important because there are so many small players in this field, and one should not sort of underestimate the innovative power that comes from smaller players. and you can get much more on the race to regulate ai on talking business with aaron heslehurst this weekend right here on bbc news. the us aviation safety regulator is exploring whether an independent third party should oversee quality inspections at boeing. the planemaker has been battling to recover its reputation after multiple failings with its 737 max aircraft.

the latest version of the max was grounded injanuary after part of the cabin exterior blew out, leaving a hole in the wall of an alaska airlines flight in january. it's since emerged that the aircraft left boeing's factory without the necessary bolts to keep that part of the fuselage in place. erin delmore is in new york for us. thanks forjoining us. boeing has already had some of its airline customers, including ryanair, to come and inspect its processes. but isn't this the job of the regulator? the federal aviation administration? why are they considering a third party? it is theirjob to certify every aircraft that comes off the production line before it goes over to the airlines but in practice over the years it has ceded some responsibility to boeing and what that means is that the manufacturer

boeing has a relationship with the people who are certifying the aircraft and this is under the microscope at the moment. the idea is not borne out of convenience but cost, and the federal aviation administration suffered cuts to its workforce and has not recovered, they wanted to fund an additional 10,000 positions at a total cost of $1.8 billion annually but i do not happen, and this is after the boeing crashes in 2018 and 2019 which killed 346 people, so the idea of certification has been on the table, even more under the spotlight after the report this week, and the third party id is under consideration. thanks forjoining us.— party id is under consideration. thanks forjoining us. thanks for “oining us. third party idea. that's world business report. goodbye.

this is hadrian small country, welcoming walkers is what they do here —— hadrian's wall. but this pub has been shut recently, meaning no hot food for visitors in the evening, and as a result, claire hawkins has adapted her bed and breakfast to meet the demand for food. a short—term fix but no long—term solution for the area. tourism is the main employerfor long—term solution for the area. tourism is the main employer for the village and 40,000 visit every year so everyone needs somewhere to be fed and watered and we need to keep it as a viable location, it is one of the major stops on hadrian's wall. of the ma'or stops on hadrian's wall. ., ., , , ., wall. out of adversity came a home-grown _ wall. out of adversity came a home-grown solution - wall. out of adversity came a home-grown solution and . wall. out of adversity came a| home-grown solution and the home—grown solution and the community would buy the pub. to do that they are selling shares in the sampson and the rest of the £295,000 they need will it is hoped come from

they need will it is hoped come from the government's levelling up fund. the signs are hopeful.— the signs are hopeful. amazing, fantastic. we _ the signs are hopeful. amazing, fantastic. we began _ the signs are hopeful. amazing, fantastic. we began on - the signs are hopeful. amazing, fantastic. we began on the - the signs are hopeful. amazing, fantastic. we began on the 17th | the signs are hopeful. amazing, i fantastic. we began on the 17th of december and within a few days we had £30,000 and now we have 132500 and even more still coming in.

hello. hello from the bbc sport centre. christian horner�*s internal hearing into a complaint of inappropriate behaviour is under way. the 50—year—old, who's led red bull's formula 1 team since 2005, is being questioned by an independent lawyer. his future in the sport has been the subject of intense speculation since the allegations — which he denies — emerged. 0ur sport news correspondent laura scott is at red bull racing's hq in milton keynes. these are recent allegations made against christian horner by a female colleague. we know that they are taking it incredibly seriously and they have launched an independent investigation. they are saying nothing more about what those claims relate to. we at the bbc understand that the claims relate to allegedly inappropriate and controlling behaviour towards a female colleague. christian horner denies

those allegations.