Activities of James NICHOLSON related to 2007/2192(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
Future of the sheep/lamb and goat sector in Europe (debate)
Amendments (12)
Amendment 5 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the systemscale of sheep and goat production in Northern and Southern Europe are significantly different
Amendment 21 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Notes the Commission's intention to review policy instruments where it has been demonstrated that decouplingthere has hadbeen a negative impact; welcomes the further reference to this specific issue in the context of the recently published European Commission communication – Preparing for the "Health Check" of the CAP reform ;
Amendment 26 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 – phrase introductive
Paragraph 3 – phrase introductive
3. Calls on the Commission and the EU Council of Agriculture Ministers to direct additional financial support as a matter of urgency to the EU sheep and goat producers in order to retain a critical mass ofdevelop a vibrant, self-sufficient, market-led and consumer- orientated sheep and goat productionsector in the EU; calls on the Commission and the EU Council of Agriculture Ministers to restructurexamine the future financing of these sectors as part of the CAP Health Check through the implementation of a variety of measures, giving each Member State the flexibility of choosing from the following possible financing optionsoptions, bearing in mind the need to avoid distortion of competition on the internal market:
Amendment 48 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Calls on the Commission to introduce an additional payment for traditional mountainous breeds in order to preserve sheep in sensitive areas, to be either a) financed directly by National Governments or b) co-financed by EU and National Governments;
Amendment 52 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Notes that the return to the producer for sheepmeat products as a percentage of the retail price is insufficient and draws attention to its Written Declaration of 19 February 2008 in which it called on the Commission to investigate and remedy abuses of power by large supermarkets operating within the EU; welcomes the fact that the Commission has established a High Level Group on the Competitiveness of the Agro-Food Industry which will examine the situation regarding market power in distribution and expects representatives from the Parliament to be fully involved in its work;
Amendment 58 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Calls on the Commission and the EU Council of Agriculture Ministers to review the introduction of an electronic identification system for sheep intended for 31/12/2009 due to the difficulty in implementation, high costs, technical difficulties and unproven benefits; asks that each Member State be allowed the discretion of introducing this system on a voluntary basis; strongly recommends that implementation of the system be deferred until 2012 at the earliest, so as to allow more time for consultation with the industry, to improve its technical reliability and to prove its cost- effectiveness;
Amendment 68 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Calls on the Commission to reviewassess existing import quota management regimes to ensure that domestically EU-produced lamb is not exposed to unfair competition;
Amendment 71 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Calls on the Commission to introduce a mandatory EU labelling regulation system for sheepmeat products, which would have an EU wide logo to allow consumers to distinguish between EU products and those from third countries, which would be underwritten by a number of criteria including a farm assurance scheme and a country of origin indication, ensuring that consumers are fully aware as to the pointlace of origin of the product; the system must be designed in such a way so as to avoid undermining existing promotional labelling schemes at Member State and regional level;
Amendment 73 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 bis (new)
Paragraph 10 bis (new)
10a. Underlines that the most effective and sustainable means of helping the sector lie in developing the market, engaging with consumers, highlighting the nutritional and health benefits of the products concerned and boosting consumption;
Amendment 80 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Calls on the Commission to support innovationresearch and development in the ‘small ruminant’ industry, concentrating on both technical innovation for farms and product innovation with regard to lamb, cheese and by-products such as wool and pelts, known as the fifth quarter, where the financial return is almost negligible at present;
Amendment 87 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Calls on the Commission to publish a price series on retail, wholesale, processor and producer prices for each Member State on the internet evbring forward proposals on price transparency in the sector in ordery three monthso provide information to econsure more price transparency within the European sheep sectormers and producers on product prices;
Amendment 88 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Calls on the Commission and the Presidency of the Council to set up an implementation task force to oversee the practical reform ofclosely monitor the sheep and goat sectors in the EU and to ensure that this implementation task forceregular reportsing to the European Parliament Agriculture Committee and the EU Council of Agriculture Ministers every six months for the next two years on the policy changes that it is enacting; notes that this implementation task force should be comprised of key officials from the European Commission and from the countries representing the four forthcoming Presidencies of the EUParliament on the impact of any policy changes that are enacted;