Activities of Fernando RUAS related to 2018/2003(INI)
Shadow opinions (1)
OPINION on transparent and accountable management of natural resources in developing countries: the case of forests
Amendments (12)
Amendment 2 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the progress made in FLEGT VPAs; calls on the Commission, especially in terms of cohesion between civil society, industry and governments to reach common policy decisions; calls on the Commission to bring the ongoing negotiations to a successful outcome, to strengthen their implementation and to addressof the existing ones and to promote new agreements, while addressing the remaining challenges such as corruption, conflict timberillegal deforestation, forest degradation, transparency and the security of tenure for communities, paying particular attention to conflict timber, as a key principle of land governance;
Amendment 6 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Underlines the importance of combating illegal trade in tropical timber; suggests to the Commission that future negotiations of FLEGT Export Licenses to verified legal timber products exported to the EU, take into consideration the Indonesian system experience, effective since November 2016; requests to the Commission an autonomous impact assessment study on the implementation of the Indonesian timber legality assurance system, which should be presented within an adequate period of time;
Amendment 10 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
1b. Notes that the implementation of VPA's will have more chances of succeeding if it foresees more targeted support for vulnerable groups, involved in managing timber resources (smallholders, micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), independent operators in the "informal" sector); stresses the importance of ensuring that the certification processes respect the interests of the more vulnerable groups involved in forest management.
Amendment 14 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 c (new)
Paragraph 1 c (new)
1c. Notes that the checking of imports of timber and timber products should be strengthened at the EU borders, to ensure that the imported products indeed comply with the criteria necessary to enter the EU.
Amendment 15 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 d (new)
Paragraph 1 d (new)
1d. Recalls that forests are home to 300 million habitants and that close to 1.6 billion people rely on forest resources for their livelihoods to generate food, fuel for cooking and heating, medicines, shelter, clothing, employment and income generation; notes that forest resources also function as safety nets in crises or emergencies - for example, when crops fail owing to prolonged drought; Considers that the EU should continuously work with its counterparts to ensure that the added value derived from forests is sustainable and according with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Amendment 17 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Notes with concern that commercial export-oriented, in certain third countries, agriculture remains the largest driver of global deforestation and that around half of all tropical deforestation since 2000 has been due to the illegal conversion of forests to commercial agriculture; Emphasises the need for a robust EU Common Agricultural Policy, in order to reduce our dependence on imports in certain sectors.
Amendment 42 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Urges the EU to always include enforceable provisions in its TSD chapters to halt illegal logging and forest degradation, including through the possible use of sanctions; calls on the Commission to add such provisions to already concluded FTAs through the revision clausewhich should be subject to a specific, mutually recognized, dispute settlement mechanism; calls on the Commission to add such provisions in future FTAs negotiations;
Amendment 47 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Calls on the Commission to use the GSP to improve the protection of forests in partner countries, including by setting up a complaint mechanism allowing interested parties to submit complaintsassure that forest relevant conventions covered by the GSP + Scheme are properly monitored so as to ensure the protection of forests in partner countries, including by making sure that complaint made by interested parties are duly considered;
Amendment 50 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. UrgNotes the Commission to include illegal loggingat corruption linked to illegal logging should be addressed within the scope of the anti- corruption chapters in FTAs;
Amendment 55 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Calls for the EU to work towards a n adequate, transparent, functioning and mandatory, efficient and enforceable ‘social and environmental traceability’ labelling system for the production chain of timber and forest-risk agricultural commodities, in compliance with WTO provisions, and to promote similar action at international level;
Amendment 60 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Calls on the EU to establish stronger cooperation and effective partnerships with major timber consuming countries and international stakeholders, such as the United Nations (UN), particularly the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), as well as the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) and the World Bank's Program on Forests (PROFOR), for a more effective reduction in the illegal logged timber trade at global level and a better overall forest governance.
Amendment 63 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Calls for the EU to develop provisions to enforce social and environmental standards for investors and to prevent investment activities which encouragpromote the uptake of Responsible Business Conduct guidelines on responsible agricultural supply chains, such as those of OECD as an effective tool to reduce deforestation and illegal logging.