13 Amendments of Maria NOICHL related to 2017/9999(INI)
Amendment 4 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Points out that owing to the low cost of agricultural production stemming from its large-scale holdings and well suited natural and weather conditions, Australia has a very competitive, export- focused agricultural sector and points out that it continuously seeks to create sale areas for its products on international markets; emphasises, therefore, that securing increased access to the vast EU market throughis of keen interest to Australian agricultural exporters and that the removal or lowering of EU tariff and non- tariff barriers in the sector will undoubtedly be a priority for Australia as part of the proposed negotiations;
Amendment 34 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Wishes to draw attention to the extremely sensitive nature of some sectors of the European farming industry, such as beef and veal, sheepmeat, sugar, cereals and dairy products; points out that those sectors have recently experienced major crises, as a consequence of surplus production and price volatility, and that special emergency support schemes have had to be adopted by the EU institutions to make it possible for the affected farmers to manage crises of that kind; takes the view that a further opening-up of the EU market in these sectors could seriously disrupt them and have disastrous consequences for European producers;
Amendment 43 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Takes the view that the EU must refrain from making any sort of commitment concerning the most sensitive agricultural products, such as beef and veal and sheepmeat and special sugars, for example, and should leave those products out of the negotiations;
Amendment 68 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Emphasises the cumulative impact of the concessions that the EU has made in the agricultural sector, in both multilateral and bilateral agreements, and; calls for this impact to be taken into account when assessing what concessions could be offered to Australia, therefore, for the evaluation of all EU agricultural concessions that are a part of the proposed negotiations by taking into full consideration the concessions already agreed by the WTO (e.g. hormone-treated beef compensation) and by Canada (CETA) and those which could be agreed upon shortly with Mercosur, Mexico, New Zealand and the United States (if the TTIP discussions recommence);
Amendment 78 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Points out that, following Brexit, all tariff quotas which might be granted to Australia will apply to a smaller EU market consisting of 27 Member States and 443 million consumers; points out that Brexit will inevitably affect the economic impact of such quotas, particularly in sectors in which the UK represents a significant amount of consumption and/or imports; emphasises that from now on the EU will have to take careful account of Brexit when deciding what concessions it can offer;
Amendment 101 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Calls on the Commission to carry out without delay an analysis on the impact of a potential EU-Australia agreement which details the effects by sector and country, including the outermost regions and overseas countries and territories, so that it is possible to evaluate fully the potential advantages and disadvantages of such a trade agreement for all European producers; calls on the Commission to include the consequences of the UK leaving the EU in the study, focussing in particular on the existing quotas;
Amendment 107 #
Draft Opinion
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Emphasises that the free trade agreement between the EU and Australia will affect millions of farm animals; emphasises that the EU cannot allow any cuts to European animal welfare standards; calls on the Commission to ensure that both parties provide binding pledges to improve animal welfare standards;
Amendment 113 #
Draft Opinion
Paragraph 8 b (new)
Paragraph 8 b (new)
8b. Points out that the exchange of nearly identical agricultural products between two such distant parts of the world is ecologically dubious;
Amendment 115 #
Draft Opinion
Paragraph 8 c (new)
Paragraph 8 c (new)
8c. Points out that in many places in Europe, intensive animal husbandry is accompanied by numerous negative ecological effects, poor working conditions and massive structural change, and that those processes will be intensified by the production of excess animal products owing to further competition from Australia and the intensification of trade;
Amendment 116 #
Draft Opinion
Paragraph 8 d (new)
Paragraph 8 d (new)
8d. Stresses that the mutual recognition of sanitary and phytosanitary rules must not give rise to threats to the environment, people and animals, for example as a result of the abolition of checks on imported food and feed;
Amendment 117 #
Draft Opinion
Paragraph 8 e (new)
Paragraph 8 e (new)
8e. Stresses that the reduction of tariff and non-tariff trade barriers in a future FTA will place agricultural production in developing countries under pressure owing to the loss of market shares and will lead to further refugee movements;
Amendment 118 #
Draft Opinion
Paragraph 8 f (new)
Paragraph 8 f (new)
8f. Stresses that steps must be taken to ensure that animal welfare standards can be enhanced in keeping with public attitudes towards health and ethical issues;
Amendment 119 #
Draft Opinion
Paragraph 8 g (new)
Paragraph 8 g (new)
8g. Calls on the Commission to make every effort to provide special protection for agricultural structures in Europe by defining sensitive product areas, since, if tariff and non-tariff barriers to trade were dismantled to too great an extent, the structure of Australian agriculture would jeopardise smallholder farming in Europe;