Activities of Anja HAZEKAMP related to 2021/2239(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
EU action plan for organic agriculture (debate)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on an EU action plan for organic agriculture
Amendments (56)
Amendment 3 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas the Commission communication on an action plan for the development of organic production (organic action plan, OAP) emphasises that the Green Deal is the key to managing the transition towards a more sustainable food system, in particular strengthening the farmer’s efforts to tackle climate change, protect the environment and preserve biodiversity;
Amendment 8 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas Europe’s food system should deliver food and ensure food security in a way that ensures a healthy society and a healthy planet, contributes to social well-being, maintainimproves ecosystem health and ensures a fair living for farmers, instead of its current influence on our climate, the environment, biodiversity and the health of humans and animals worldwide;
Amendment 18 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas organic agriculture offers many environmental benefits and has the potential to helpreduce the role of the agricultural sector play its part in the fight againstin climate change and in addressing key challenges such as soil fertility and biodiversity loss;
Amendment 21 #
Ca. whereas agricultural diversity and shorter chains between farmer and consumer are the foundation of a healthy and sustainable food system;
Amendment 23 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas it is essential to ensure that consumers are in a position to make informed choices when purchasing food and to take action against food manufacturers who deliberately mislead consumers with their labels, packaging and advertising;
Amendment 40 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)
Recital F a (new)
Fa. whereas there are big differences between Member States concerning the total EU agricultural land under organic farming, varying from 0.5% to 25.3%1a; _________________ 1a European Commission, Factsheet organic farming in the EU, 25 March 2021.
Amendment 42 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F b (new)
Recital F b (new)
Fb. whereas the retail sales of organic products increased by over 145% from €18 billion to €41 billion in the period 2009-20191b; _________________ 1b European Commission, Factsheet organic farming in the EU, 25 March 2021.
Amendment 44 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F c (new)
Recital F c (new)
Fc. whereas organic farmland has 30% more biodiversity, is beneficial to pollinators, limits the use of artificial fertilisers, herbicides and pesticides, and plays an important role in improving animal welfare1c; _________________ 1c European Commission, Factsheet organic farming in the EU, 25 March 2021.
Amendment 45 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F d (new)
Recital F d (new)
Fd. whereas organic food should be made affordable and accessible to everyone, regardless of their income;
Amendment 46 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F e (new)
Recital F e (new)
Fe. whereas consumers in Europe are insufficiently informed about the origin of food and the human and animal (un)friendly and (un)sustainable production of food products;
Amendment 47 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F f (new)
Recital F f (new)
Ff. whereas knife and fork are our mightiest weapons against climate change, biodiversity loss, poverty, hunger and animal suffering;
Amendment 48 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F g (new)
Recital F g (new)
Fg. whereas consumers should be rewarded instead of punished for choosing and buying sustainable, organic products;
Amendment 49 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F h (new)
Recital F h (new)
Fh. whereas animal welfare is an essential part of sustainability;
Amendment 58 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the Commission’s recognition of organic farming as one of the important components on the EU’s path towards more sustainable food systems and the ambition of increasing the EU’s agricultural area under organic farming to 25% by 2030; recognises, at the same time, the potential for other sustainable farming methods to contribute to the Green Deal’s objectives;
Amendment 61 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Welcomes the Farm to Fork and Biodiversity Strategies' targets to reach 25% organic land in the EU by 2030; highlights that the development of organic farming will contribute to many of the objectives of the Farm to Fork and Biodiversity Strategies;
Amendment 65 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
1b. Expresses its concern over the low share of the total EU agricultural land under organic farming in several Member States, with Malta (0.5%), Ireland (1,6%), Bulgaria (2,3%), Romania (2,9%), Poland (3,5%), The Netherlands (3,7%), Luxembourg (4,4%) and Cyprus (5%) having the lowest share1d; _________________ 1d European Commission, Factsheet organic farming in the EU, 25 March 2021.
Amendment 67 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 c (new)
Paragraph 1 c (new)
1c. Welcomes the contribution of organic farming to the re-vitalisation of rural areas in the EU;
Amendment 68 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 d (new)
Paragraph 1 d (new)
1d. Welcomes organic farming systemic approach to sustainability, which delivers benefits for climate change mitigation and adaptation, for biodiversity protection, for soil protection, for water quality, for pesticides and antibiotics reduction, while ensuring higher animal welfare standards; stresses that sustainability labelling initiatives should not undermine the organic logo and should be based on methodologies that encompass all aspects of environmental sustainability;
Amendment 85 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Points out that for an EU action plan to succeed, it must stimulate and mobilise the Member States; expresses the view, therefore, that Member States should be encouraged to develop their own national OAPs with concrete, time-bound actions; adds that regional and local OAPs must also play a role in the development of the organic sector;
Amendment 104 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Stresses that Member States should engage all stakeholders, especially organic farmers and associations, local and regional authorities, consumer and private sector representatives and the hospitality industry, as well as citizens, in a consultative process when adopting their national OAPs to achieve the best possible synergies;
Amendment 110 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Acknowledges that organic production often involves higher production costs and, therefore, needs higher market prices to recover those costs; points out that higher prices may represent a barrier to expansion but that they are necessary to ensure the continuation of organic farming and its further uptaketrue cost accounting reveals that organic production comes closer to the true cost of food compared to other production methods; stresses that a tax on harmful pesticides, a reduced tax on organic products, or other true cost accounting measures will represent a step forward to putting a price on environmental and social externalities;
Amendment 117 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Underlines the importance of exempting healthy food products, such as organic fruit and vegetables, from VAT and to introduce a higher VAT rate for unhealthy food products; expresses its support for the introduction of a zero rate on organic fruit and vegetables;
Amendment 124 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. RecognisUnderlines the importance of rapidly speeding up the development of organic aquaculture in the EU;
Amendment 131 #
6a. Expresses its concern about misleading labels, packaging and advertising that makes it difficult for consumers to distinguish conventional products from organic products; emphasizes that the terms 'locally produced' or 'regionally produced' should only be used if the main ingredients of the food product concerned are actually from that region, and that the terms 'authentic' or 'natural' should never be allowed for industrially processed foods;
Amendment 140 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Supports the Commission in further promoting the EU organic logo among consumers, including through organic school schemes for fruit and vegetables; emphasises that it is of paramount importance that consumer surveys on organics are followed by actions to further raise awareness of the benefits organic farming;
Amendment 141 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Recalls that the new sustainable food labelling should not conflict with existing environmental frameworks such as the EU ecolabel or the organic logo; highlights that many unsubstantiated and even misleading environmental claims and advertising methods are currently being used and recalls the need to introduce a regulatory framework establishing a clear, swift and efficient pre-approval procedure for all sustainability claims and labels; stresses that such a framework would protect consumers from untruthful sustainability claims while ensuring that businesses that genuinely strive for more environmentally friendly operations are duly rewarded for their efforts; stresses the need for inspections by public control authorities of any label allowed on food products;
Amendment 151 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Believes that increasing green public procurement (GPP) in the Member States can serve as a strong stimulus for action towards the organic target; believes that the EU institutions should lead by example; calls on the Commission to research current structural and logistical barriers and to promote the use of GPP criteria in the Member States, and believes that any targets on GPP, such as quotas, must also encompass products derived from animals;
Amendment 164 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Highlights that the success of the OAP wimarket development capacity in national and regional NGOs has played a crucial role in Member States that have successfully developend ontheir organic market; points out that stronger involvement of the private sector towill contribute to the success of the OAP, for instance by stimulateing demand, especially in countries with less developed organic markets and production;
Amendment 169 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10a. Invites the European Commission and Member States to actively contribute to a better structuration of organic supply chains and to the capacity-building of organic producers' organisations;
Amendment 175 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Underlines that it is essential for the Commission, the Member States and stakeholders to engage actively in identifying ways in which the existing certification and control mechanisms can be made more robust to align organic control and certification with the Farm to Fork strategy objective of 25% organic land by 2030 and to prevent fraud in organic production and trade, both in the EU and in non-EU countries, as well as to prevent additional administrative burdens and costs for farmersimplify the process, including by using IT solutions;
Amendment 188 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Considers that concrete action to promote exports of EU organic products is neededsupport the global transition to sustainable and organic food systems; requests that the Commission report regularly on forthcoming negotiations with the EU’s trading partners to inform Parliament about the potential for expglobal transition of the organic marketto sustainable and organic food systems;
Amendment 191 #
12a. Recalls that a population-wide shift in consumption patterns is needed towards more healthy foods, diets and lifestyles, including increased consumption of sustainably and regionally produced plants and plant- based foods, such as fresh fruits and vegetables and whole grains, and to address the overconsumption of meat and ultra-processed products, as well as products high in sugars, salt and fats, which will also benefit the environment and animal welfare;
Amendment 195 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 b (new)
Paragraph 12 b (new)
Amendment 201 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Considers that an adequatethe existing common agricultural policy (CAP) budget should be providused to create incentives for farmers to convert to and maintain organic farming practices at national level, through rural development measures or newly introduced eco-schemes, or a combination of the two provided that attention is paid to potential double funding that could limit the budget for organic farmers; calls on the Member States to support generational renewal in organic farming;
Amendment 211 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13a. Emphasizes that organic, regional and sustainable agriculture should be the norm, and that the Common Agricultural Policy should be used to help farmers in their transition to organic and sustainable agriculture;
Amendment 212 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 b (new)
Paragraph 13 b (new)
13b. Calls for CAP National Strategic Plans to fully contribute to the Farm to Fork targets and ambition, and to include a national target for organic land based on an analysis of the organic sector’s current development and potential in each Member State; calls on the European Commission to only approve CAP National Strategic Plans if they demonstrate their contribution to European Green Deal objectives, given Member States respective baselines, and to make sure that all CAP National Strategic Plans together meet the Union wide targets;
Amendment 215 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 c (new)
Paragraph 13 c (new)
13c. Considers that national CAP Strategic Plans should set payments rates proportionate to the ambition and benefits of the farming systems and standards they support and should ensure these payments rates provide a comparative advantage to organic conversion and maintenance, compared to less ambitious standards or single practices that deliver fewer environmental benefits;
Amendment 216 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 d (new)
Paragraph 13 d (new)
13d. Stresses that the environmental benefits of organic farming should not be supported only by consumers of organic products willing to pay a higher price, and that national CAP Strategic Plans should properly reward organic farmers for the public goods that they deliver, through the protection of the environment and of natural resources, through the reduction of inputs and higher animal welfare standards;
Amendment 217 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 e (new)
Paragraph 13 e (new)
13e. Stresses that CAP support for organic conversion and maintenance could be funded via rural development measures, via Eco-schemes or through a combination of both; insists that Eco- schemes should be designed to be compatible and complementary with agri- environmental and climate measures (AECMs), including organic farming measures, set in the second Pillar;
Amendment 218 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 f (new)
Paragraph 13 f (new)
13f. Is deeply concerned that CAP funding is mainly used for agricultural systems that are detrimental to the climate, the environment, biodiversity and animal welfare;
Amendment 235 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Welcomes the Commission’s support for the development of bio-districts within Member States, as they are multifunctional in nature, promote short supply chains and create synergies between inter alia farmers, consumers, the hospitality industry and cultural enterprises;
Amendment 251 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Considers that the use of digital technologies, including precision farming and blockchain, can play a role in the development ofare used in the development of organic farming; stresses however that these technologies cannot be considered as a substitute to the systemic sustainability approach implemented in organic farming;
Amendment 255 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17a. Welcomes the contribution of organic farming to the reduction of the use of synthetic pesticides; calls on the Commission to increase the availability of biocontrol solutions and natural substances by improving and speeding up the evaluation and authorisation process for natural substances;
Amendment 258 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 b (new)
Paragraph 17 b (new)
17b. Supports working towards 100% organic meals in nurseries, kindergarten and school canteens, with meat and other animal products being the exception and not the standard on the menu;
Amendment 259 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 c (new)
Paragraph 17 c (new)
17c. Emphasizes the important role that cities could play by focusing on sustainable, local and non-toxic cultivation of fruit and vegetables, and expresses its supports for the promotion of organic urban agriculture, such as the production of fruit and vegetables in yards, parks and gardens in and around cities, produced and consumed by residents;
Amendment 260 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 d (new)
Paragraph 17 d (new)
17d. Points out that prevention is the basis of good health care, that healthy eating plays an important role when it comes to preventing illness and discomfort, that preventive healthcare reduces healthcare costs as a whole and that hospitals and nursing homes should therefore invest in organic, healthy and tasty food, with meat and other animal products being the exception and not the standard on the menu;
Amendment 261 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 e (new)
Paragraph 17 e (new)
17e. Urges governments to lead by example and to ensure that food in the company restaurants of government buildings is purchased organically and regionally or fair trade, and that vegetarian and vegan options are offered by default;
Amendment 295 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19a. Supports the stimulation or organic (traditional) crop breeding for the development of healthy and resilient varieties;
Amendment 303 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Paragraph 20 – subparagraph 1 (new)
More attention to animal welfare
Amendment 304 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20a. Welcomes the statement of the Commission that organic farming should remain the model in terms of animal welfare protection and entail a guarantee for the consumer that animals were well treated along the chain and could fulfil their natural needs and behaviours whether at farm level or during transport, as animals should be spared any avoidable pain, distress or suffering, including at the time of killing;
Amendment 308 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 b (new)
Paragraph 20 b (new)
20b. Welcomes that the Commission is working on improving animal welfare in organic farming, as society associates organic farming with the highest standards of animal welfare, and asks for specific attention to improving the welfare of offspring;
Amendment 309 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 c (new)
Paragraph 20 c (new)
20c. Calls on the Commission to further develop rules on husbandry, mutilation, transport and slaughter for organic production, especially in light of its work on animal welfare labelling;
Amendment 310 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 d (new)
Paragraph 20 d (new)
20d. Stresses that animal farming causes major negative impacts on public and animal health, the climate, the environment, nature and biodiversity, and thus calls on the Commission to ensure that its policies and funding programmes solely promote a shift to less and improved animal farming and reduced meat, dairy and eggs consumption in Europe;
Amendment 311 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 e (new)
Paragraph 20 e (new)
20e. Emphasizes the urgent need to address animal welfare issues, on-farm, during transport and slaughter, and to enforce existing animal welfare rules in organic farming;
Amendment 312 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 f (new)
Paragraph 20 f (new)
20f. Recalls that the market for animal products from cage-free, free range and organic systems, as well as the market for plant-based alternatives, is growing in the EU;
Amendment 313 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 g (new)
Paragraph 20 g (new)
20g. Points out that reducing and replacing animal products by promoting a shift to more plant-based diets, should be considered as a solution to meet the Commissions' objective to make food systems fair, healthy and environmentally-friendly;