Activities of Clara AGUILERA related to 2021/2254(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
A long-term vision for the EU's rural areas (debate)
Amendments (56)
Amendment 38 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. 1. Whereas farmers’ associations in businesses such as agri-food cooperatives play a fundamental role in rural areas as businesses owned by farmers that add value to their products, reduce production costs, set people in the villages where the farmers live, create jobs in rural areas and diversify the local economy;
Amendment 39 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas Article 174 of TFEU states that the Union shall aim at reducing disparities between the levels of development of the various regions, with particular attention to be paid to some regions, notably rural areas;
Amendment 45 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A b (new)
Recital A b (new)
Ab. whereas the Rural Development Groups (RDGs), following the30 years as a permanent management tool in the EAFRD, have proven to be an effective tool for public/private territorial partnership, since they have experienced and versatile technical teams committed to the European rural areas; Whereas, moreover, these groups have succeeded in placing the following elements into the same equation: territory, revitalisation, bottom-up approach, innovation, integrated approach, decentralised management, networking integration and cooperation;
Amendment 47 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A b (new)
Recital A b (new)
Ab. whereas the overall share of population in rural areas has been slightly decreasing at EU level in the past decade, namely due ageing and outmigration (urbanisation); whereas populations are likely to shrink in four out of five rural regions by 2050 of the EU1a ; whereas remote rural areas are set to further lose inhabitants; _________________ 1a EUROSTAT 2021(https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/pr oducts-eurostat-news/-/ddn-20210520-1)
Amendment 54 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A c (new)
Recital A c (new)
Ac. whereas the share of people older than 65 years is generally the highest in rural areas, and is expected to increase in the future;
Amendment 59 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A e (new)
Recital A e (new)
Ae. whereas transport infrastructures and connections were identified by citizens as the key needs in rural areas 2a; _________________ 2a Flash Eurobarometer 491 - A long term Vision for EU Rural Areas, April 2021
Amendment 60 #
Af. whereas very-high-speed connections are available only to one out of six rural residents; whereas there is a substantial gap between rural and urban areas concerning basic digital skills, with 28% of the adults living in rural areas had basic or above basic digital skills, compared to 62% for adults living in cities (2019);
Amendment 62 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A g (new)
Recital A g (new)
Ag. whereas one of the objectives for the Common Agriculture Policy for the current programming period is to promote employment, growth, gender equality, including the participation of women in farming, social inclusion and local development in rural areas;
Amendment 65 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A h (new)
Recital A h (new)
Ah. whereas in 2016, for every farmer younger than 35 years, there were more than six farmers older than 65 years 3a; whereas the share of young female farmers is especially low; _________________ 3a CAP specific objectives explained - Structural change and generational renewal,https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/def ault/files/food-farming- fisheries/key_policies/documents/cap- briefs-7-structural-change_en.pdf
Amendment 66 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A i (new)
Recital A i (new)
Ai. whereas rural areas can play a major role in achieving the Paris Agreement target of reaching climate neutrality by 2050 and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG);
Amendment 82 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Stresses that policies and actions at EU level combined with national and, regional and local ones are key to securing the prosperity and well-being of rural European citizens, as well as tackling the challenges they face, namely population decline and ageing, fewer quality job opportunities, a lack of access to high- quality services and public facilities of general interest, climate and environmental pressures, lower digital connectivity and a wider gender equality gap, together with a limited access to innovation;
Amendment 101 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Highlights the central role rural areas can play in addressing societal challenges, by providing ecosystem services to mitigate climate change and environmental deterioration, ensuring sustainable food production, preserving rural heritage, fostering nature protection and biodiversity and contributing to a just, green and digital transition;
Amendment 102 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Highlights the central role rural areas can play in addressing societal challenges, by providing ecosystem services to mitigate climate change and environmental deterioration, ensuring sustainable and sufficient food production, preserving rural heritage, and contributing to a just, green and digital transition;
Amendment 116 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Highlights that demographic change and ageing will affect all regions but most particularly rural areas which will influence negatively their growth potential, skills development and access to services, as presented in the 8th Cohesion Report;
Amendment 117 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Stresses that rural areas are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of crisis, such as the COVID pandemic and the war in Ukraine but are also capable of offering new opportunities in response to such crisis; highlights that the covid-19 pandemic resulted in new behaviours in living, working and interacting that generates new opportunities for rural areas
Amendment 134 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Draws attention to the important function of small and medium-sized farms in maintaining rural populations, preserving land management and related landscape shaping and ecological functions, and mitigating shrinking demographic trends for rural areas.
Amendment 165 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Agrees on the need for a common, EU-wide, functional definition of rural areas, while recognising its various specificities and urges the Commission to quickly develop and operationalise such a definition;
Amendment 169 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Supports the development of a Rural Pact; considers that it needs concrete objectives, deliverables, multilevel governance and monitoring systems, and institutional responsibilities; stresses the importance of involving local and regional authorities and stakeholders in its governance structure for the successful outcome of the initiative;
Amendment 175 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Welcomes the announcement of a Rural Observatory to improve data collection and analysis on rural areas; considers it a valid instrument for informing, designing and monitoring better public policies, as well as to monitor progress on the implementation of the long-term vision and future rural strategies; considers that the rural observatory should be an opportunity to identify data gaps, promote a more granular statistical approach and to develop indicators at an adequate geographical level to capture population’s needs;
Amendment 181 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Stresses the importance of implementing a rural proofing mechanism for EU initiatives so as to assess their potential impact on rural areas; urges the Member States to promote the development and implementation of effective mechanisms for rural proofing at national level and calls on the Commission to assist them; underlines the importance of involving local and regional authorities in the definition and implementation of rural proofing mechanisms, as well as in their governance at both European and national level
Amendment 192 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Insists that rural citizens must benefit, like any other citizen, from equitable conditions for achieving their professional, social and personal goals, with a particular focus on more vulnerable groups, thereby effectively upholding the European Pillar of Social Rights; stresses that targeted interventions fostering effective generational renewal are essential as well as the promotion of decentralized and modern educational structures in order to establish equivalent living conditions between urban and rural areas;
Amendment 203 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12a. Asks the European Commission to pay particular attention to the implementation of article 174 of the EU treaty and ensure that all EU policies will apply the "do no harm to cohesion" principle, particularly in the rural areas;
Amendment 204 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12a. Stresses the need for rural areas to provide quality infrastructure to enable their inhabitants to live in dignity, especially in the areas of public health, transport, housing and the provision of banking services;
Amendment 209 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 b (new)
Paragraph 12 b (new)
12b. Calls on the Commission and Member States to develop specific actions, in line with article 10 of the European Pillar on Social Rights, to improve the working conditions, safety and health of workers in the rural areas, including the living and working conditions of seasonal and migrant workers;
Amendment 231 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Underlines the central role agriculture and the agrifood sector plays in rural areas; insists that sustainable agriculture, providing fair income to farmers, is crucial for the vitality of these territories;
Amendment 232 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Underlines the central role agriculture and forestry plays in rural areas; insists that sustainable agriculture, providing fair income to farmers, is crucial for the vitality of these territories;
Amendment 242 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14a. Draws attention to the role of agri- food cooperatives in the environmental, economic and social sustainability of rural areas by adding value to their members’ products, diversifying the local economy, and making joint environmental investments for their members which are more efficient than if farmers do so individually, urges the European Commission and the Member States to promote through their policies the creation and integration processes of cooperatives in rural areas.
Amendment 259 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 b (new)
Paragraph 14 b (new)
14b. Recognises the importance of geographical indications as tools for rural development, given their usefulness in generating economic activity and establishing a population in the territory, highlighting their excellence in both the agricultural and artisanal sectors;
Amendment 267 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Stresses that diversification of and innovation in the rural economy with a more territorial and less sectoral approach, based on local potential are crucial to drawing opportunities from the digital and green transition; calls on the Member States to put in place measures to support the fair transition and diversification of the rural economy; Moreover, it is necessary for the various administrations to coordinate efforts and resources in order to avoid bureaucratic duplication;
Amendment 282 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Regrets that the work of rural women is still not properly recognised; calls on the Commission and the Member States to take action to design and implement measures to fight gender gaps and to promote the inclusion of women in farming, in particular by exploring the possibility of supporting shared co- ownership of European farms as an instrument to increase the transparency of women’s agricultural work and as a new formula that creates rights for them;
Amendment 283 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Regrets that the work of rural women is still not properly recognised; calls on the Commission and the Member States to take action toby designing and implementing measures to fight gender gaps, , namely to increase women’s participation in representative bodies and in decision making positions, facilitate co- ownership of businesses, provide targeted training and skills development and counteract the migration of high qualified women form rural areas;
Amendment 304 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Highlights the central role of rural areas in the transition to a low-carbon economy; stresses that initiatives in rural areas, such as renewable energy infrastructure, must contribute effectively to the economic and social vitality of such areas; calls on the Commission and Member States to facilitate and enable the uptake of initiatives by local actors, namely the creation of rural energy communities;
Amendment 347 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Stresses that the digital transition brings about new opportunities for rural areas, which are only accessible if there is adequate, stable and accessible broadband coverage; warns of the risks of the widening of the rural digital gap as a result of the lack of 5G coverage, and calls on Member States to mobilise all available instruments to prevent it, particularly with the support of the EU cohesion policy and MS´s recovery and resilience plans;
Amendment 356 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Draws attention to the fact that the comparative lack of digital skills in rural areas can preclude rural communities from benefiting from the opportunities of digitalisation; calls for measures that ensure digital inclusion and support an enabling environment for rural digital innovation; welcome initiatives pursued by national and regional administrations to developed measures and strategies to promote digital skills in rural areas and within the agrifood sector
Amendment 359 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Draws attention to the fact that the comparative lack of digital skills in rural areas can preclude rural communities from benefiting from the opportunities of digitalisation; calls for measures that ensure digital inclusion, especial in the context of population ageing, and support an enabling environment for rural digital innovation;
Amendment 367 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20a. Identifies a need for a greater commitment and funding from all policy levels directed at cultural and arts projects within rural areas; acknowledges that the longer distances, low population density and capacity issues in establishing networks of partners in rural areas should be taken into consideration in the funding of arts and cultural institutions in rural areas;
Amendment 378 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 b (new)
Paragraph 20 b (new)
20b. Highlights that rural communities vitality depend on the existence and maintenance of different types of local meeting places, which are a strong marker for place-based identity and for social interaction;
Amendment 390 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21a. Welcomes the REPowerEU plan to reduce dependence on Russian fossil fuels but is strongly concerned with the proposals to increase significantly the transfer possibility of resources from shared management funds, which, if followed, will be detrimental to medium and long -term policy planning towards a fair green and digital transition, including/especially for rural areas
Amendment 410 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Regrets the persistent obstacles to the multi-fund approach, which hamper the deployment of integrative approaches in rural areas and asks for clear guidelines on the multi-fund implementation; calls on the Commission to improve synergies and coordination between EU funding instruments, and with national instruments, and to pursue simplification, in particular for smaller projects, which are key for rural areas and to consider the application of simplified costs as the most effective measure to achieve administrative simplification;
Amendment 415 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)
Paragraph 23 a (new)
23a. Calls on the Commission to advance in 2022 a targeted legislative proposal enabling the possibility of the transfer of resources between all shared management funds when supporting rural territorial strategies, allowing to address rural areas needs in an holistic way, in order to promote employment, growth, gender equality, social inclusion and local development in rural areas
Amendment 418 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 b (new)
Paragraph 23 b (new)
23b. Call on the Commission to advance in 2022 a targeted legislative proposal extending the scope of the “Lead Fund” approach to interventions co- financed by more than one shared management fund as well as to further simplifying it by specifying that the rules of the Lead Fund shall apply in its entirety.
Amendment 420 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Stresses the role that all EU policies and funds, both shared and those under direct management, must play in supporting rural areas by incorporating a rural dimension in the design of their measures and interventions; calls on the Commission to develop a mechanism to assess and monitor the contribution each fund makes to the rural areas;
Amendment 430 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Highlights the Commission study’s conclusions on LEADER’s effectiveness in delivering solutions to address economic, social and development challenges and opportunities at local level and in contributing to for sustainable rural development1a ; calls on Member States to support LEADER/Community-Led Local Development (CLLD), thereby facilitating and promoting multi-fund approaches; considers that the meaningful earmarking of assistance for CLLD under all relevant funds at EU level, including the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD), would contribute to stronger and more sustainable territorial development; _________________ 1a European Commission, Directorate- General for Agriculture and Rural Development, Dwyer, J., Kubinakova, K., Powell, J., et al., Evaluation support study on the impact of leader on balanced territorial development : final report, 2022, https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2762/01039
Amendment 435 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 a (new)
Paragraph 25 a (new)
25a. Calls on Member States to make better use of all available tools to support rural areas, such as tax incentives to individuals and businesses looking to settle in rural areas, aimed at creating jobs and incentivising the establishment of new residents, as well as to encourage private companies to promote remote working, aiming at actively combat depopulation;
Amendment 442 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Stresses that empowering rural communities, which requires capacity building, particularly in the most remote and less populated areas, will promote greater social cohesion, innovation, entrepreneurship and a stronger sense of belonging;
Amendment 461 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Notes that while EU legislation envisages multilevel governance approaches and partnerships, there is resistance to their application in a meaningful way; calls on Member States to support these approaches by allocating responsibility at the appropriate local level and ensuring political ownership and strong coordination of policies and investments across all levels of governance; recalls that Eurobarometer showed that rural residents have stronger confidence in regional and local governments;
Amendment 465 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 a (new)
Paragraph 28 a (new)
28a. Draws attention to the role of agri- food cooperatives in the environmental, economic and social sustainability of rural areas, adding value to the products of their members, creating employment, diversifying the local economy and contributing for the fixation of rural population; urges the Commission and the Member States to promote, with their policies, the processes of creation and integration of cooperatives in rural areas.
Amendment 467 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 a (new)
Paragraph 28 a (new)
28a. Draws attention to the need to improve coordination between the different administrative levels in order to promote measures to actively combat depopulation, including the establishment of tax incentives for new residents in rural areas.
Amendment 471 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Takes note of the Commission’s intention to take stock by mid-2023 of the actions taken by the EU and Member States for rural areas and to produce a public report on that basis in early 2024; considers that this evaluation could pave the way to a fully integrated Rural Action Plan in the 2028-2034 programming period; invites therefore the Commission to directly involve all relevant stakeholders and managing authorities to this evaluation exercise through a large consultation process and the setting up of working groups within the Rural Pact community;
Amendment 491 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31
Paragraph 31
31. Calls for the long-term vision to be developed into a true rural strategy at EU level to be fully integrated into future programming periods and calls on all Member States to develop rural strategies at national leveland regional level; in those countries where regions have territorial competences, as is the case in Spain;
Amendment 492 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31
Paragraph 31
31. Calls for the long-term vision to be developed into a true rural strategy at EU level to coordinate the contribution of all EU funds and policies in rural areas, to be fully integrated into future programming periods and calls on all Member States to develop rural strategies at national level and regional level;
Amendment 499 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31 a (new)
Paragraph 31 a (new)
31a. Calls for the implementation of a Rural Proofing mechanism to ensure that the legislation adopted adequately meets the demands of rural territories, since legislation sometimes tends to have a focus on urban areas;
Amendment 500 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32
Paragraph 32
32. Calls on the Commission to assess in a timely manner the potential impact of the EAFRD’s detachment from the common provisions for shared management funds, Regulation (EU) 2021/1060, in the development of integrated territorial approaches in rural areas and to draw lessons for the next programming periods;
Amendment 501 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32 a (new)
Paragraph 32 a (new)
32a. Invites the Commission to explore alternative policy strategies and approaches for funding articulation in the next programming period that would allow for a truly integrated territorial development in rural areas, including examining the option of one national strategy and one regulation for all shared management funds.
Amendment 502 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32 a (new)
Paragraph 32 a (new)
32 a. Calls on the Commission to assess in a timely manner to what extent Member States have developed measures to support social and territorial cohesion in rural areas within national Recovery and Resilience Plans;
Amendment 508 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34
Paragraph 34
34. Highlights the importance of the strategic links between Africa, Latin America and Europe, building on the progress made in the Africa-Europe rural transformation action agenda, which sets out initiatives designed to sustainably strengthen Africa’s agri-food sector and rural territories;