Activities of Agnès LE BRUN related to 2013/2099(INI)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on plant breeding: what options to increase quality and yields? PDF (160 KB) DOC (83 KB)
Amendments (22)
Amendment 1 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 1 a (new)
Citation 1 a (new)
- having regard to the International Convention for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV Convention);
Amendment 2 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 1 b (new)
Citation 1 b (new)
- having regard to the FAO International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture;
Amendment 3 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 6 a (new)
Citation 6 a (new)
- having regard to Directives 2002/53/EC and 2002/55/EC;
Amendment 30 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Stresses that, as it takes at leaston average 10 years to develop a new variety, from the research stage to the finished seed, there is even now a need to substantially increase investment in order to meet future food needs and cope with climate change;
Amendment 38 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Stresses that, in order to meet these needs, it is of decisive importance that there should be opportunities to develop various plant-breeding techniques in keeping with the times; notes that it takes at leaston average 10 years to develop a new variety of wheat, rape or any other crop, and that it is therefore absolutely crucial to be open to the technologies available;
Amendment 42 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Stresses that an important element in the solution to the problem is protecting and preserving the European biological and genetic heritage; considers that it is vital to have good variation of genetic diversity; observes that, while the world population is expected to grow in future, the FAO estimates that the diversity of cultivated crops declined by 75% during the 20th century; notover the past century, about 75% of plant genetic resources that, of ten varieties of a species, only three may now survives been lost and a third of today's diversity could disappear by 2050;
Amendment 46 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Welcomes the development of public private partnerships to stimulate research in pre-breeding and breeding, as well as the characterisation and maintenance of genetic resources; stresses in particular the importance of transnational initiatives in this field such as the Nordic PPP and Plant-KBBE;
Amendment 50 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Notes that, in an attempt to halt the worrying trend towards reducedpreserve and maintain genetic variety in agriculture and plant-breeding, collections of seed and plant material are being gathered at various gene banks around the world; notes in particular that there is a gene bank on Svalbard with genetic material from all over the world and that this is a very important and ambitious project to safeguard future genetic diversity;
Amendment 54 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12a. Recognises the importance of guaranteeing access to genetic resources as the basis for plant breeding; upholds in particular the fundamental principle of the international system of plant breeders' rights enshrined in the UPOV Convention, that the use of a protected variety for further breeding and the exploitation of the newly bred variety cannot be prevented by the holder of the plant breeder's right; notes that this fundamental principle is also recognised in Article 13.2 (d) (ii) of the FAO International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture;
Amendment 59 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. DeplorNotes the fact that it is both too costly and too time-consuming to develop new varieties;
Amendment 61 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Expresses its concern that, as things stand, the global plant-breeding market is dominated by just a few large multinational undertakings; which invest only in a limited number of varietelcomes, however, that the EU plant-breeding market remains highly diversifiesd, with the aim of promoting the use of their own chemicalsSmall and Medium-Sized Enterprises representing a high share of the sector;
Amendment 69 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Considers that large global plant- breeding undertakings have gained an unreasonably preoccupying strong influence over global agriculture and agricultural policy, particularly as they only produce a few ‘major’ crops such as maize, soya and cereals;
Amendment 70 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15a. Considers that the EU seed marketing directives have provided a framework to maintain the competitiveness of SMEs, a level playing field for all operators and has stimulated plant breeding innovation;
Amendment 71 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
Amendment 73 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16a. Observes that, as plant breeding becomes an increasingly research intensive and high-tech sector, the cost and tools required to develop and finally market a new variety may constitute a barrier to smaller companies in the future;
Amendment 78 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Observes that small and medium-sized enterprises have no way ofmust find specific means to be able to competinge at this level;
Amendment 86 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
Amendment 93 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Considers that plant-breeding research requires long-term financial support in order to be able to continue and that it is untenable to grant financial support to a plant-breeding research project only for a relatively short period, as it takes at leaston average 10 years to develop a new variety;
Amendment 97 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 a (new)
Paragraph 25 a (new)
25a. Stresses that there will be a continuous need for highly skilled jobs to meet future demands in plant breeding research and that plant science and plant breeding should be further promoted in schools and universities and among the general public; points in particular to the success of the Fascination of Plants day on 18 May;
Amendment 100 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Observes that, with today’'s technique- based plant-breeding legislation, it is possible for new techniques which ought to be covered to fall outside its scope; notes that it has alsohas proven to be difficult, after the event, to define what technique has been used at the time of plant-breeding, which confirms the difficulties posed by technique-based laws;
Amendment 102 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Calls on the Commission, in view of the challenges and preconditions for the European and global plant-breeding industry which have been described, to examine and analyse the situation carefully and propose effective and practical measures to meet these enormous challenges facing Europe’s breeders and farmers;
Amendment 104 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 a (new)
Paragraph 28 a (new)
28a. Encourages the Commission to elaborate an overall strategy on agricultural inputs, especially in relation to plant breeding; urges the Commission to provide a policy framework that supports the agricultural input sector as one of the key areas for the development of agricultural productivity and sustainability;