36 Amendments of Marianne THYSSEN related to 2011/0280(COD)
Amendment 144 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 13 a (new)
Recital 13 a (new)
(13a) Commission Regulation (EC) No 1120/2009 allows Member States to establish criteria for deciding whether an agricultural area of a holding is considered as being used predominantly for agricultural activities. In order to further improve the targeting of direct payments, the legal basis for Member States and regions to exclude certain non- agricultural areas from direct payments should be strengthened and expanded. In addition to criteria such as the intensity, nature, duration and timing of the non- agricultural activity, Member States and regions should also be able to exclude areas that are part of a non-agricultural infrastructure or that have a non- agricultural function.
Amendment 198 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 21
Recital 21
(21) Due to the successive integration of various sectors into the single payment scheme and the ensuing period of adjustment granted to farmers, it has become increasingly difficult to justify the presence of significant individual differences in the level of support per hectare resulting from use of historical references. Therefore direct income support should be more equitably distributed between Member States, by reducing the link to historical references and having regard to the overall context of the Union budget. To ensure a more equal distribution of direct support, while taking account of the differences that still exist in wage levels and input costs, the levels of direct support per hectare should be progressively adjusted. Member States with direct payments below the level of 90 % of the average should close one third of the gap between their current level and this level. This convergence should be financed proportionally byby linear cuts to all Member States with direct payments above the Union average, with a maximum decrease of 5% of the level of each Member State. In addition, all payment entitlements activated in 2019 in a Member State or in a region should have a uniform unit value following a convergence towards this value that should take place during the transition period in linear steps. However, in order to avoid disruptive financial consequences for farmers, Member States having used the single payment scheme, and in particular the historical model, should be allowed to partially take historical factors into account when calculating the value of payment entitlements in the first year of application of the new scheme. The debate on the next Multiannual Financial Framework for the period starting in 2021 should also focus on the objective of complete convergence through the equal distribution of direct support across the European Union during that period.
Amendment 331 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point b – point ii
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point b – point ii
(ii) a top-up payment for farmers observing agricultural practises beneficial for the climate and the environment;
Amendment 341 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point b – point iv
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point b – point iv
(iv) an obligatory payment for young farmers who commence their agricultural activity;
Amendment 351 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point b – point vii
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point b – point vii
(vii) a voluntary simplified scheme for small farmers;
Amendment 419 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point h
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point h
(h) ‘permanent grassland’ means land used to grow grasses or other herbaceous forage naturally (self-seeded) or through cultivation (sown) and that has not been included in the crop rotation of the holding for fiveeight years or longer; it may include other species suitable for grazing provided that the grasses and other herbaceous forage remain predominant; grass strips pursuant agri-environment-climate measures as specified in Regulation (EU) No [...] [RDR] shall be excluded;
Amendment 420 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point h
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point h
(h) ‘permanent grassland’ means land used to grow grasses or other herbaceous forage naturally (self-seeded) or through cultivation (sown) and that has not been included in the crop rotation of the holding for fiveeight years or longer; it may include other species suitable for grazing provided that the grasses and other herbaceous forage remain predominant;
Amendment 528 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 2
Article 7 – paragraph 2
2. For each Member State and each year, the estimated product of capping as referred to in Article 11, which is reflected by the difference between the national ceilings set out in Annex II, to which is added the amount available in accordance with Article 44, and the net ceilings set out in Annex III, is made available as Union supportin the Member State concerned for measures under rural development programming aimed at farmers or groups of farmers and financed under the EAFRD as specified in Regulation (EU) No […] [RDR].
Amendment 545 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
Article 9 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
1. No direct payments shall be granted to natural or legal persons, or to groups of natural or legal persons, where one of the following appliesMember States shall establish appropriate, objective and non- discriminatory criteria to ensure that no direct payments are granted to a natural or legal person:
Amendment 589 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 1 – point a a (new)
Article 9 – paragraph 1 – point a a (new)
(a a) whose agricultural activities form only an insignificant part of its overall economic activities; or
Amendment 592 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 1 – point a b (new)
Article 9 – paragraph 1 – point a b (new)
(a b) whose principal business or company objects do not consist of exercising an agricultural activity; or
Amendment 637 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 2
Article 9 – paragraph 2
Amendment 650 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 2
Article 9 – paragraph 2
2. Paragraph 1 shallMember States may decide not to apply paragraph 1 to farmers who received less than EUR 5 000 of direct payments for the previous year.
Amendment 667 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 3 – introductory part
Article 9 – paragraph 3 – introductory part
3. The Commission shall be empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 55 for the purposes of laying down:guidelines on appropriate, objective and non-discriminatory criteria that Member States may use when applying paragraph 1.
Amendment 817 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 14 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1
Article 14 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1
1. Before 1 August 2013, Member States may decide to make available as additional support for measures aimed at farmers or groups of farmers under rural development programming financed under the EAFRD as specified under Regulation (EU) No […...] [RDR], up to 10 % of their annual national ceilings for calendar years 2014 to 201920 as set out in Annex II to this Regulation. As a result, the corresponding amount shall no longer be available for granting direct payments and shall be subject to co- financing.
Amendment 836 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 14 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 a (new)
Article 14 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 a (new)
Unallocated funds from the application of article 33 shall be transferred within the Member State concerned to rural development measures under the EAFRD, targeted at farmers or groups of farmers. The transfer of these funds shall count towards the maximum transfer percentage of 10% as laid down in paragraph 1.
Amendment 880 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 18 – paragraph 1
Article 18 – paragraph 1
1. Support underMember States shall decide to make the basic payment scheme shall be available to farmers in one of the following ways: a) if they obtained payment entitlements under the single payment scheme in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 and with Regulation (EC) No 73/2009 or b) if they obtain payment entitlements under this Regulation through first allocation pursuant to Article 21, Farmers can also obtain payment entitlements under this regulation from the national reserve pursuant to Article 23 or by transfer pursuant to Article 27.
Amendment 1261 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 29 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
Article 29 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
1. Farmers entitled to a payment under the basic payment scheme referred to in Chapter 1 shall receive a top-up payment, provided that they observe on their eligible hectares as defined in Article 25(2) thefour of the six following agricultural practises beneficial for the climate and the environment:
Amendment 1350 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 29 – paragraph 1 – point c a (new)
Article 29 – paragraph 1 – point c a (new)
(c a) to have an on-farm resource efficiency improvement plan
Amendment 1356 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 29 – paragraph 1 – point c b (new)
Article 29 – paragraph 1 – point c b (new)
(c b) to have an on-farm biodiversity action plan or to participate in a collective biodiversity scheme
Amendment 1366 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 29 – paragraph 1 – point c c (new)
Article 29 – paragraph 1 – point c c (new)
(c c) to have an on-farm water management improvement plan
Amendment 1397 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 29 – paragraph 2
Article 29 – paragraph 2
2. Without prejudice to paragraphs 3 and 4 and to the application of financial discipline, linear reductions in accordance with Article 7, and any reductions and penalties imposed pursuant to Regulation (EU) No […] [HZR], Member States shall grant the payment referred to in this Chapter to farmers observing those of the three practisee requirements referred to in paragraph 1 that are relevant for them, and in function of their compliance with Articles 29, 30, 31 and 32..
Amendment 1459 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 29 – paragraph 4 a (new)
Article 29 – paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a. Farmers applying agro- environmental measures in accordance with Article 29 (2) of Regulation (EC) No [...][RDR], or whose holding is certified under national or regional environmental certification schemes shall be entitled ipso facto to the payment referred to in this Chapter. Environmental certification schemes should be effective, impartial and transparent and offer equivalent or additional benefits to climate and environment on a regional level compared to the practices laid down in paragraph 1.
Amendment 1560 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 30 – paragraph 1 a (new)
Article 30 – paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. The first paragraph shall not apply to farms where : more then 70% of the eligible agricultural area is covered by permanent grassland, used for production of grass or other herbaceous forage, left fallow, or subject to a combination of these uses;
Amendment 1562 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 30 – paragraph 1 a (new)
Article 30 – paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. The first paragraph shall not apply to farms where the farmer interchanges more than 50% of his total arable land with other farmers on an annual basis, provided that the farmer proves that each parcel of his arable land is being cultivated with a different crop compared to that of the previous calendar year;
Amendment 1679 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 31 – paragraph 3
Article 31 – paragraph 3
3. The Commission shall be empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 55 laying down rules concerning the increase of reference areas under permanent grassland as laid down in the second subparagraph of paragraph 1, the renewal of permanent grassland, the reconversion of agricultural area into permanent grassland in case the authorised decrease referred to in paragraph 2 is exceeded, as well as the modification of the reference areas under permanent grassland in case of transfer of land. Member States may define the baseline for the protection of permanent grassland on the basis of the amount of organic matter content in their soils.
Amendment 1739 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 32 – paragraph 1
Article 32 – paragraph 1
1. Farmers shall ensure that at least 7 % of their eligible hectares as defined in Article 25(2), excluding areas under permanent grassland, is ecological focus area such as land left fallow, ditches, nitrogen-fixing crops, terraces, landscape features, buffer strips, and afforested areas as referred to in article 25(2)(b)(ii).
Amendment 1742 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 32 – paragraph 1
Article 32 – paragraph 1
1. Farmers shall ensure that at least 7 % of their eligible hectares as defined in Article 25(2), excluding areas under permanent grassland, is ecological focus area such as land left fallow, terraces, landscape features, buffer strips and afforested areas as referred to in article 25(2)(b)(ii). Landscape features that are not eligible on the basis of article 25(2) remain non- eligible for payment but can be used by the farmer to fulfil this obligation.
Amendment 1774 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 32 – paragraph 1 a (new)
Article 32 – paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. Member States may decide to define rare crops which are at risk of disappearing and which represent less than 1% of total arable surface in a Member State as ecological focus area;
Amendment 1780 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 32 – paragraph 1 b (new)
Article 32 – paragraph 1 b (new)
Amendment 1785 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 32 – paragraph 1 c (new)
Article 32 – paragraph 1 c (new)
1 c. Farmers that decide to comply with part of the obligation to have ecological focus area by participating in a group of farmers in accordance to a national or regional management plan, cannot leave the group of farmers and cannot comply with the aforementioned obligation in the relevant year in another way. Every farmer is responsible for the compliance of all other farmers in the group of farmers. The payment referred in article 29(1) shall be reduced to all participants if the group of farmers does not, or insufficiently, complies with the obligation regarding the maintenance of ecological focus area.
Amendment 1807 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 32 a (new)
Article 32 a (new)
Article 32 a Resource efficiency improvement plan 1. Farmers shall implement a resource efficiency action plan to areas of their holding eligible for support as defined in Article 25(2), including for example: a) an on-farm nutrient management plan, which could include the use of catch crops or nitrogen-fixing crops, the use of controlled release nitrogen fertilisers, a plan for the optimised use of animal manure or the recovery of nutrients from manure, b) participation in an antibiotic reduction programme, c) participation in a chemical plant protection products reduction programme, d) an energy efficiency plan, include measures to reduce to use of (fossil) fuels and/or to produce renewable energy. 2. The Commission shall be empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 55 laying down the rules concerning the application of the measure.
Amendment 1811 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 32 b (new)
Article 32 b (new)
Article 32 b Biodiversity action plan 1. Farmers shall implement a biodiversity action plan to areas of their holding eligible for support as defined in Article 25(2). The plan shall identify species on the holding and species in decline with targeted habitat provisions for those species in decline. 2. The Commission shall be empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 55 laying down the rules concerning the application of the measure.
Amendment 1815 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 32 c (new)
Article 32 c (new)
Article 32 c Water management improvement plan 1. Farmers shall adopt measures to conserve water resources, for example through capture and storage of rain water, irrigation techniques consuming less water or precision agriculture. Farmers will be required to measure on- farm water use and to demonstrate a significant improvement in their water efficiency. 2. The Commission shall be empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 55 laying down the rules concerning the application of the measure.
Amendment 1859 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 33 – paragraph 2 a (new)
Article 33 – paragraph 2 a (new)
2 a. Unallocated funds from the application of article 33 shall be transferred within the Member State concerned to rural development measures under the EAFRD, targeted at farmers or groups of farmer, as laid down in article 14.s.
Amendment 1995 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 37 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1
Article 37 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1
In order to finance the payment referred to in Article 36, Member States shall use a percentage of the annual national ceiling set out in Annex II which shall not be lower than 1% and not be higher than 2 %. They shall notify the Commission, by 1 August 2013, of the estimated percentage necessary to finance that payment.