Activities of Thomas WAITZ related to 2022/2147(INI)
Shadow opinions (1)
OPINION on the assessment of the new communication of the European Commission on Outermost Regions
Amendments (21)
Amendment 3 #
Draft opinion
Recital -A (new)
Recital -A (new)
-A. whereas the agri-food sector is of strategic importance for outermost regions in terms of using natural resources more sustainably; whereas the new representative concentration pathway (RCP) climate scenario RCP4.5 forecasts acute future problems for agriculture, the ecological balance, water availability and food security;
Amendment 5 #
Draft opinion
Recital -A a (new)
Recital -A a (new)
-Aa. whereas agriculture holdings in outermost regions are challenged by their remote location, a limited diversity of production due to local and climatic conditions and historical developments, a high dependence on local markets, the climate crisis, environmental degradation, biodiversity loss and a lack of energy, and often a lack of fresh and clean water;
Amendment 7 #
Draft opinion
Recital -A b (new)
Recital -A b (new)
-Ab. whereas outermost regions contain 80% of the European Biodiversity, harbouring many of the EU's endemic species, and encompass very rare, primary ecosystems; whereas outermost regions are also among the most ecologically vulnerable territories of the Union, as their small size, isolation and high level of endemic biodiversity, make them particularly exposed to anthropogenic and climate-change induced dynamics threatening natural ecosystems on a global scale and the communities which rely on them;
Amendment 9 #
Draft opinion
Recital -A c (new)
Recital -A c (new)
-Ac. whereas most outermost regions are highly vulnerable in the face of climate change and extreme weather events, such as hurricanes, aggravated by the fact they are located further away from the continents, in vast ocean basins;
Amendment 10 #
Draft opinion
Recital -A d (new)
Recital -A d (new)
-Ad. whereas it is important to note the principles set out in the European Pillar of Social Rights, including its contribution to eliminate inequalities and to promote gender equality and gender mainstreaming;
Amendment 40 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Calls on the Commission to maintain appropriate funding for the outermost regions, in order to support sustainable farming practices by providing schemes which are supporting sustainable management of natural resources and support balanced territorial development;
Amendment 45 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Stresses that the EU biodiversity strategy’s targets should not hinder the sustainable development ofbe implemented in the outermost regions in a way that takes into account their geographical and meteorological specificities; Stresses that targeted regional policies and actions to protect and restore the unique biodiversity of outermost regions are required to safeguard their agricultural sectors in the outermost regions (ORs); productivity and natural resources and livelihoods; for this reason, strongly advises against any weakening of environmental regulations in outermost regions and calls on the Commission and member states to prefer instead a strengthened support of farmers towards agro-ecological, biodiversity friendly practices, including through higher funding and co-financing rates; calls in particular on Member states to make the best use of the funds available under the LIFE program;
Amendment 52 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Highlights the dire economic situation of some outermost regions, notably the lack of employment opportunities, lower salaries and higher prices, in particular of food products; notes in particular the high level of unemployment of young people in the outermost regions, 10 to 20% higher than the EU average; calls on the member states to facilitate the access to land for young farmers; highlights that the Farm to Fork Strategy, by aiming at developing a sustainable, regionalised and climate friendly food and farming sector, could be a chance for these regions;
Amendment 63 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Notes the difficulty to access certain food products and agricultural inputs in some outermost regions, especially environmentally-friendly ones; calls on the Member States to use all available tools under cohesion policy to reinforce the self-sustainability of outermost regions and make them an integral part of the transition towards sustainable food systems, thus turning geographical handicaps into opportunities;
Amendment 64 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4b. Highlights the need to adapt as much as possible to climate change, notably in the food and farming sector; stresses that a resilient agriculture using locally adapted and sourced, non-GM crops has better chances to withstand the effects of climate change and to reduce agriculture’s water consumption; calls on the Member states to make the best use of funds available, and notably of the cohesion funds to support farmers in making the necessary changes in that regard; notes that this necessitates a reinforced and tailored advisory system and the facilitation of the exchange of best practices between farmers;
Amendment 65 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 c (new)
Paragraph 4 c (new)
4c. Stresses the need to support remunerative and environmentally friendly short supply chains and the development of a farming and food processing sector geared towards local consumption, as opposed to the situation in most outermost regions where the farming sector is mainly producing commodities for commercialisation on the mainland;
Amendment 66 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 d (new)
Paragraph 4 d (new)
4d. Regrets the exceptionally high concentration of the food retail sector in some outermost regions, impacting the food prices and the possibilities of diversifying local farming, its source of income and marketing options; calls the attention of the Commission and Member states on the effects this concentration has on the distribution of public funds, notably from the POSEI;
Amendment 67 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 e (new)
Paragraph 4 e (new)
4e. Stresses the importance of ensuring a reliable access to clean water in outermost regions, both for consumption and for agriculture; highlights in particular the dire situation in Martinique where the pollution with chlordécone has reduced drastically the availability of clean water and soils and the situation in French Guiana where gold mining is altering the quality of water streams due to the massive discharge of fine particles and pollutants; recalls that agriculture is one of the main consumers of water resources, especially for water intensive crops often sold to the mainland;
Amendment 68 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 f (new)
Paragraph 4 f (new)
4f. Highlights the lack of sustainable solutions for transporting agricultural products between most outermost regions and the mainland and for exporting and importing agricultural products from and towards outermost regions, and urges the Commission and the Member States to factor the need to develop greener connections into their development plans for these regions; points in particular to the need of reducing transport of live animals, in line with the conclusions of the ANIT committee;
Amendment 69 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 g (new)
Paragraph 4 g (new)
4g. Calls on member States to improve their POSEI programming and to ensure that POSEI-financed actions are coherent with their CAP strategic plans, notably concerning environmental and social objectives, and diversification of production; notes the opportunities under the EAFRD and the LEADER program for the outermost regions and calls on the Member states to make the best use of those resources;
Amendment 70 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 h (new)
Paragraph 4 h (new)
4h. Notes that outermost regions are particularly suited to produce solar and wind energies; Calls on the Member states to prioritise the development of these forms of energies in the outermost regions, without encroaching on the existing agricultural land;
Amendment 71 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 i (new)
Paragraph 4 i (new)
4i. Notes that low levels of anthropization were linked to harsh vertebrate biodiversity declines in Amazonia1a, and that the part of Amazonian forest situated on the EU territory should therefore be appropriately protected; notes that deforestation is mainly happening in French Guiana under the pressure of legal and illegal mining projects, but that farmed surfaces are also increasing; calls on the Commission and the concerned Member states to stop supporting any project leading to deforestation in the Amazonian forest, and to any project leading to high impact land use change in all outermost regions, including mining, farming or energy production; _________________ 1a Cantera, I., Coutant, O., Jézéquel, C. et al. Low level of anthropization linked to harsh vertebrate biodiversity declines in Amazonia. Nat Commun 13, 3290 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022- 30842-2
Amendment 78 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Calls on the Commission to establish a separate chapter dedicated to the ORs in its impact assessments of the farm to fork and biodiversity strategies;
Amendment 80 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Believes that cohesion policy should offer more benefits to women living in outermost regions, notably in the agri-food sector, and should promote gender equality and effective implementation of the EU Gender Equality Strategy in the ORs;
Amendment 81 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
Amendment 103 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Calls for the Commission to exercise the utmost vigilance in the liberalisation of the EU market and the proliferation of trade agreements between the EU and partner countries and to take into account their specific impacts on the outermost regions;