15 Amendments of Daniel BUDA related to 2021/0366(COD)
Amendment 25 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 1
Recital 1
(1) Forests provide a broad variety of environmental, economic and social benefits, including timber and non-wood forest products and environmental services essential for humankind, as they harbour most (around 80%) of the Earth’s terrestrial biodiversity. They maintain ecosystem functions, help protect the climate system, provide clean air and play a vital role for the purification of waters and soils as well as for water retention. In addition, forests embody cultural, social and spiritual values, covering much of the land traditionally inhabited by indigenous peoples, and provide subsistence and income to about one third of the world’s population and their destruction has serious consequences for the livelihoods of the most vulnerable people, including indigenous peoples and local communities who heavily depend on forest ecosystems.18 Furthermore, deforestation and forest degradation reduce essential carbon sinks and increase the likelihood of new diseases spreading from animals to humans. _________________ 18 Commission Communication of 27 July 2019 ’Stepping up EU Action to Protect and Restore the World’s Forests’, COM(2019) 352 final.
Amendment 28 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 3
Recital 3
(3) Deforestation and forest degradation contribute to the global climate crisis in multiple ways, representing one of today's biggest sustainability challenges. Most importantly, they increase greenhouse gas emissions through associated forest fires, permanently removing carbon sink capacities, decreasing climate change resilience of the affected area and substantially reducing its biodiversity. Deforestation alone accounts for 11 % of greenhouse gas emissions20. _________________ 20 IPCC, Climate Change and Land: an IPCC special report on climate change, desertification, land degradation, sustainable land management, food security, and greenhouse gas fluxes in terrestrial ecosystems, https://www.ipcc.ch/srccl/.
Amendment 32 #
(11a) Points out that, in its resolution of 22 October 2020 with recommendations to the Commission on an EU legal framework to halt and reverse EU-driven global deforestation, the European Parliament 'asks the Commission that the measures to be adopted have a comprehensive and differentiated approach to deforestation, considering its multiple dimensions and its linkages both with the generation of sustainable ventures and the fight against criminal economies.(...)'. Stresses accordingly the need for the measures introduced by this Regulation to be fair, result-oriented and free of additional burdens that put EU companies at a competitive disadvantage.
Amendment 34 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 14
Recital 14
(14) The Union imported and consumed one third of the globally traded agricultural products associated with deforestation between 1990 and 2008. Over that period, Union consumption was responsible for 10% of worldwide deforestation associated with the production of goods or services. Even if the relative share of EU consumption is decreasing, EU consumption is a disproportionally large driver of deforestation. The Union should therefore take action to minimise global deforestation and forest degradation driven by its consumption of certain commodities and products and thereby seek to reduce its contribution to greenhouse gas emissions and global biodiversity loss as well as promote sustainable production and consumption patterns in the Union and globally, without, however, creating conditions of unfair competition between EU and third-country companies, particularly in the agricultural production and agri-food sectors. To have the greatest impact, Union policy should aim at influencing the global market, not only supply chains to the Union. Partnerships and efficient international cooperation with producer and consumer countries are fundamental in that respect.
Amendment 38 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 21
Recital 21
(21) The Commission should continue to work in partnership with producer countries, and more generally in cooperation with international organisations and bodies, and should be reinforcing its support and incentives with regard to protecting forests and transition to deforestation-free production, acknowledging the role of indigenous people, improving governance and land tenure, increasing law enforcement and promoting sustainable forest management, climate-resilient agriculture, sustainable intensification and diversification, agro- ecology and agroforestry. In doing so it should acknowledge the role of indigenous people in protecting forests. Building upon the experience and lessons learned in the context of the already existing initiatives, the Union and the Member States should work in partnership with producer countries, upon their request, to exploit the multi-functionalities of forest, support them in the transition to sustainable forest management, and address global challenges while meeting local needs and paying attention to the challenges faced by smallholders and giving them support in line with the Communication to Stepping up Action to Protect and Restore the World’s Forests. The partnership approach should help producer countries in protecting, restoring and sustainably using forest, hence contributing to the objective of this Regulation to reduce deforestation and forest degradation. The Commission must ensure a more level playing field and a better common understanding of non- deforestation supply chains to increase supply chain transparency and minimise the risk of deforestation and forest degradation arising from commodity imports into the EU.
Amendment 42 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 26
Recital 26
(26) The definition of “deforestation- free” should be sufficiently broad to cover both deforestation and forest degradation, it should provide legal clarity, accessibility and predictability and it should be measurable based on quantitative, objective and internationally recognised data. Definitions should also take into account the proportionality of the requirements, as well as appropriate measures to be taken by companies in line with their degree of responsibility for the impact.
Amendment 44 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 29
Recital 29
(29) Obligations concerning relevant commodities and products should be laid down by this Regulation in order to effectively combat deforestation, forest degradation, and to promote deforestation- free supply chains, maintaining a level playing field and addressing any unfair conditions of competition between EU and third country companies selling products on the internal market.
Amendment 66 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 1
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 1
(1) ‘deforestation’ means the conversion of forest to agriculturalother land use, whether human-induced or not;
Amendment 87 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 8 – point b
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 8 – point b
Amendment 139 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 1 a (new)
Article 9 – paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. The information referred to in paragraph (1) shall be without prejudice to legislation on confidentiality and professional secrecy.
Amendment 141 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 3
Article 9 – paragraph 3
3. The Commission may adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 33 to supplement paragraph 1 concerning further relevant information to be obtained that may be necessary to ensure the effectiveness of the due diligence system after a thorough impact assessment.
Amendment 185 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 14 – paragraph 12
Article 14 – paragraph 12
Amendment 188 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 15 – paragraph 1 – point h
Article 15 – paragraph 1 – point h
(h) spot checks, including field audits, including where appropriate in third countries through cooperation with the administrative authorities of third countries; all these on-the-spot checks shall be carried out without an increase in bureaucracy and without hampering the various trade agreements.
Amendment 219 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 27 – paragraph 2 – point b
Article 27 – paragraph 2 – point b
(b) rate of expansion of agriculture land claimed from deforestation for relevant commodities,
Amendment 224 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 29 – paragraph 1
Article 29 – paragraph 1
1. Natural or legal persons shall be entitled to submit substantiated concerns backed up by evidence to competent authorities when they deem, based on objective circumstances, that one or more operators or traders are failing to comply with the provisions of this Regulation. Such applications must be made in writing and no later than eight weeks after the product or goods in question are first placed on the market. The request shall state the grounds for the re- examination.