24 Amendments of Jacques COLOMBIER related to 2018/0231(COD)
Amendment 36 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 1
Recital 1
Amendment 42 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 3
Recital 3
(3) The substantial body of Union legislation underpins the functioning of the internal market. This concerns, in particular, competitiveness, standardisation, consumer protection, market surveillance and food chain regulationexcessive market liberalisation and catastrophic deregulation of the food chain, but also rules concerning business, trade and financial transactions and the promotion of fair competition providing for a level playing field essential for the functioning of the internal market.
Amendment 43 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 4
Recital 4
(4) Still, barriers to the proper functioning of the internal market remain and the new obstacles are emergeing. Adopting rules is only a first step, but: making them work is asequally important. This is ultimately a matter of citizens' trust in the Union, in its capacity to deliver, and ability to create jobs and growth while protecting the public interest.
Amendment 46 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 8
Recital 8
(8) The Programme should support the design, implementation and enforcement of Union legislation underpinning the proper functioning of the internal market. The Programme should support the creation of the right conditions to empower all actors of the internal market: businesses, citizens including consumers, civil society and public authorities. To that end, the Programme should aim to ensure the competitiveness of businesses, notably SMEs, but also supporting the enforcement of consumer protection and safety rules and by raising the awareness of businesses and individuals by providing them with the right tools, knowledge and competence to make informed decisions and strengthen their participation in Union’s policy- making. Furthermore, the Programme should aim to enhance regulatory and administrative cooperation, notably through exchange of best practices, building of knowledge and competence bases, including the use of strategic public procurement. The Programme should also aim to support the development of high- quality international standards that underpin the implementation of Union legislation. This also includes standard -setting in the field of financial reporting and audit, thereby contributing to the transparency and well-proper functioning of the Union’s capital markets and to enhancing investor protection. The Programme should support rulemaking and standard setting also by ensuring the broadest possible stakeholder involvement. The objective of the Programme should also be to support the implementation and enforcement of Union legislation providing for a high level of health for humans, animals and plants along the food chain and the improvement of the welfare of animals and of the profitability of farms.
Amendment 47 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 9
Recital 9
(9) A modern internal market promotes competition and may benefits consumers, businesses and employees. Making better use of the ever evolving internal market in services should help European businesses create jobs and grow across borders, offer wider choice of services at better prices, and maintain high standards for consumers and workers. To achieve this, the Programme should contribute to the removal of remaining barriers, and to ensure a regulatory framework that can accommodate new innovative business models.
Amendment 56 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 12
Recital 12
(12) PThe placing on the market of products that are not compliant with Union law puts those who comply at a disadvantage and may endangers producers and consumers. Many entrepreneurs disregard the rules either through lack of knowledge or intentionally to gain a competitive advantage. Market surveillance authorities are often underfunded and constrained by national boundaries, while entrepreneurs trade at Union or even global level. In particular, in the case of e-commerce, market surveillance authorities have great difficulties in tracing non-compliant products imported from third countries and identifying the responsible entity within their jurisdiction. The Programme should therefore seek to strengthen product compliance by providing the right incentives to entrepreneurs, intensifying compliance checks and promoting closer cross-border cooperation among enforcement authorities. The Programme should also contribute to the consolidation of the existing framework for market surveillance activities, encourage joint actions of market surveillance authorities from different Member States, improve the exchange of information and promote convergence and closer integration of market surveillance activities.
Amendment 57 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 13
Recital 13
(13) Product safety is a common concern. The conformity assessment bodies verify whether products meet the safety requirements before they are placed on the market. It is therefore of paramount importance that the conformity assessment bodies are reliable and competent. The Union has put in place a system, in respect of which there is room for improvement, of accreditation of the conformity assessment bodies, verifying their competence, impartiality and independence. The main challenge is now to keep the accreditation system in line with the latest state of the art and to ensure that it is applied with the same stringency across the Union. The Programme should therefore support measures to ensure that conformity assessment bodies continue fulfilling the regulatory requirements and to enhance the European accreditation system, in particular in new policy areas, by supporting the European co-operation for Accreditation (EA) referred to in Article 14 of Regulation (EC) No 765/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council48. _________________ 48 Regulation (EC) No 765/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 July 2008 setting out the requirements for accreditation and market surveillance relating to the marketing of products and repealing Regulation (EEC) No 339/93 (OJ L 218, 13.8.2008, p. 30).
Amendment 74 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 29
Recital 29
(29) Creativity and innovation are crucial for the competitiveness of the Union's agricultural and industrial value chains. They represent catalysts for industrial modernisation and contribute to smart, inclusive sustainable growth. However, uptake by SMEs is still lagging behind. The Programme should therefore support targeted actions, networks and partnerships for creativity-driven innovation throughout the food and industrial value chains.
Amendment 78 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 44
Recital 44
(44) A high level of health protection through the food supply chain is necessary to allow the internal market to operate efficiently. A safe and sustainable food supply chain is a prerequisite for society and for the internal market. Cross must be based on the faith that the public have in European agricultural producers, as well as on the guarantee of fair remuneration that is commensurate with the work they do. Imports from third countries, as well as cross-border health crises and food scares, disrupt the functioning of the internal market by limiting the movements of persons and goods and disrupting production.
Amendment 81 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 45
Recital 45
(45) The general objective of Union law in the food chain area is to contribute to a high level of health for humans, animals and plants along the food chain, to support the improvement of the welfare of animals, to contribute to a high level of protection and information for consumers and a high level of protection ofor the environment, including the preservation of biodiversity, while improving the sustainability of European food and feed productions, increasing quality standards across the Union, enhancing the competitiveness and stability of the Union food and feed industry, and favouostering the creation of jobsustainable jobs by guaranteeing a decent income for all producers.
Amendment 86 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 47
Recital 47
(47) Official controls carried out by the Member States are an essential tool for verifying and monitoring that relevant Union requirements are being implemented, complied with and enforced. The effectiveness and efficiency of official control systems is vital for maintaining a high level of safety for humans, animals and plants along the food chain, whilst ensuring a high level of protection ofor human health, the environment and of animal welfare. Union financial support should be made available for such control measures. In particular, a financial contribution should be available to Union reference laboratories in order to help them bear the costs arising from the implementation of work programmes approved by the Commission. Moreover, since the effectiveness of official controls also depends on the availability to the control authorities of well trained staff with an appropriate knowledge of Union law, the Union should be able to contribute to their training and relevant exchange programmes organised by competent authorities.
Amendment 90 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 52
Recital 52
(52) The Union and Member States are committed to the implementation of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Ssustainable Ddevelopment. By contributing to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda, the Union and Member States will foster a stronger, more sustainable, inclusive, secure and prosperous Europe. The Programme agenda should contribute to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, including by balancing the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development.
Amendment 91 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 53
Recital 53
(53) Reflecting the importance of tackling climate change in line with the Union's commitments to implement the Paris Agreement and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, this Programme should contribute to mainstream climate actions and to the achievement of an overall target of 25 % of the Union budget expenditures supporting, this Programme should contribute to the mainstreaming of climate objeactiveons. Relevant actions will be identified during the Programme's preparation and implementation, and reassessed in the context of the relevant national evaluations and review processes.
Amendment 92 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 55
Recital 55
(55) The Agreement on the European Economic Area provides for cooperation in the fields subject to the Programme between the Union and its Member States, on the one hand, and the countries of the European Free Trade Association participating in the European Economic Area, on the other. Provision should also be made to open the Programme up to participation by other countries, including the neighbouring countries of the Union and countries which are applying for, are candidates for or are acceding to, membership of and by countries which are acceding to the Union. In addition, in the field of European statistics, the Programme should be open to Switzerland in accordance with the Agreement between the European Community and the Swiss Confederation on cooperation in the field of statistics64. _________________ 64OJ L 90, 28.3.2006, p. 2.
Amendment 108 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point a a (new)
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point a a (new)
(aa) giving national authorities the legal possibility and financial means to take appropriate action on the agricultural products market as soon as it shows any signs of weakening, so as to restore market balance and guarantee profitable business opportunities for European food producers.
Amendment 112 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point b
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point b
(b) improving the competitiveness of enterprises (with special emphasis on SMEs, in particular agricultural ones, and achieving additionality through the provision of measures that provide various forms of support to SMEs,), improving access to markets (including the internationalisation of SMEs), favourablimproving the business environment for SMEs,so that it is favourable for SMEs, improving the competitiveness of sectors, the modernisation ofing agriculture and industry and the promotion ofng entrepreneurship;
Amendment 115 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point c – point ii
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point c – point ii
(ii) support the development of high- quality international financial reporting and auditing standards, facilitate their integration into the Union law and promote the innovation and development of best practices in corporate reporting;
Amendment 116 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point d – point i
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point d – point i
(i) empowering, and assisting and educating consumers, businesses and civil society; ensuring a high level of consumer protection, sustainable consumption and product safety, notably by supporting competent enforcement authorities and consumer representative organisations and cooperation actions, as well as cooperation actions among Member States, and exchanges of good practice and information, to shield European products on the internal market against all unfair competition; ensuring that all consumers have access to redress and; provision of adequate information on markets and consumers;
Amendment 123 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point e
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point e
(e) contributing to a high level of health for humans, animals and plants along the food chain and in related areas, including by preventing and eradicating diseases and pests, and to support the improvement of the welfare of animals as well as a sustainable European food production and consumption;
Amendment 129 #
(b) acceding countries, candidate countries and potential candidates, in accordance with the general principles and general terms and conditions for their participation in Union programmes established in the respective framework agreements and Association Council decisions, or similar agreements, and in accordance with the specific conditions laid down in agreements between the Union and them countries concerned;
Amendment 130 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point d – point i
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point d – point i
(i) ensures a fair balance as regards the contributions and benefits of the third country participating in the Union programmes; strict equality must therefore be observed between the funding paid in by the third country concerned in the form of contributions, and the funding it receives under the Programme;
Amendment 137 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 8 – paragraph 3 – point b a (new)
Article 8 – paragraph 3 – point b a (new)
(ba) actions designed to help farming businesses access the relevant markets, by shielding them from unfair competition and economic problems arising from global and societal challenges, and shoring up the Union’s leading position in agriculture in value chains in Europe and all over the world;
Amendment 140 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 2 – point c
Article 9 – paragraph 2 – point c
(c) legal entities established in a third country which is not associated to the Programme are exceptionally eligible to participate, provided that the action pursues Union objectives and, that the entity itself provides at least the same amount of funding as it receives under the programme, and that the activities outside the Union contribute to the effectiveness of interventions carried out in Member State territories to which the Treaties apply.
Amendment 141 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 7 – point c
Article 9 – paragraph 7 – point c
(c) non-profit making entities established within the Union, which are independent of industry, commercial and business or other conflicting interests, and have as their primary objectives and activities the promotion and support of the implementation of the European statistics Code of Practice referred to in Article 11 of Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 and the implementation of new methods of production of European statistics aiming at efficiency gains and quality improvements at Union level.