European agriculture ministers have announced a 500-million-euro aid package to support farmers badly hit by a Russian ban on EU food imports.

欧盟农业部长宣布一项5亿欧元的援助方案，援助那些因俄罗斯禁止进口欧盟食品受到严重影响的农民。

The ministers have been holding an emergency meeting in Brussels. 

The meeting has seen nearly 5 thousand farmers surround the building with more than a thousand tractors, creating gridlock in the center of the Belgian capital. 

Russia has banned imports of meat, dairy products and fruits and vegetables from the EU, the United States, Norway, Canada and Australia since August 2014 in response to their sanctions¹ imposed² on Moscow over the situation in Ukraine. 

The ban has closed access to the EU's main agricultural export market worth some 5.5 billion euros. 

European Agricultural Department spokesperson Daniel Rosario says the new package being offered up by the EU will bring relief for farmers. 

"It will address the cash flow difficulties farmers are facing, it will help stabilizing³ markets and it will address the functioning of the supply chain. It will look to the immediate⁴ needs of farmers, but will also include the longer term review to improve future conditions notably⁵ with regard to the supply chain."