71 Amendments of Milan BRGLEZ related to 2020/2260(INI)
Amendment 15 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 1 a (new)
Citation 1 a (new)
- having regards to its resolution of 18 December 2019 on the EU Pollinators Initiative1a, __________________ 1a P9_TA(2019)0104
Amendment 75 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 11 a (new)
Citation 11 a (new)
- having regard to Directive 2000/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2000 establishing a framework for Community action in the field of water policy; Directive 2006/118/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 December 2006 on the protection of groundwater against pollution and deterioration and Council Directive 91/676/EEC of 12 December 1991 concerning the protection of waters against pollution caused by nitrates from agricultural sources,
Amendment 113 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 23 a (new)
Citation 23 a (new)
- having regard to its resolution of 11 February 2015 on country of origin labelling for meat in processed food1a, __________________ 1a OJ C 310, 25.8.2016, p. 15–18.
Amendment 114 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 23 b (new)
Citation 23 b (new)
- having regard to its resolution of 12 May 2016 on mandatory indication of the country of origin or place of provenance for certain food1a, __________________ 1a OJC 76, 28.2.2018, p. 49–53.
Amendment 118 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 24 a (new)
Citation 24 a (new)
- having regard to its resolution of 13 March 2019 on a Europe that protects: Clean air for all1a, __________________ 1a P8_TA(2019)0186
Amendment 128 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 25 a (new)
Citation 25 a (new)
- having regards to Special Eurobarometer 505:"Making our food fit for the future – Citizens’ expectations" from October 2020,
Amendment 148 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 37 a (new)
Citation 37 a (new)
- having regard to Council Presidency Conclusions of 15 December 2020 on front-of-pack nutrition labelling, nutrient profiles and origin labelling,
Amendment 151 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 37 a (new)
Citation 37 a (new)
- having regards to the European Committee of the Regions' opinion on the Farm to Fork Strategy "From Farm to Fork – the local and regional dimension"1a, __________________ 1a NAT-VII/005
Amendment 224 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas Europe’s food system should deliver food and nutrition security in a way that contributes to social well- being and maintains and, restores ecosystem health and ensures animal health and welfare; whereas currently, the food system is responsible for a range of impacts on human and animal health and on the environment, the climate and biodiversity; whereas the way in which we produce and consume food needs to significantly transform in order to ensure coherence with the SDGs, the Paris Agreement, the Convention on Biological Diversity and EU policies, particularly in the areas of sustainability, the environment, climate, public health, animal welfare, food and economic sustainability for farmers;
Amendment 361 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
Amendment 396 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
Da. whereas it is estimated that in the EU in 2017 over 950,000 deaths (one out of five) and over 16 million lost healthy life years were attributable to unhealthy diets, mainly cardiovascular diseases and cancers1a; __________________ 1aEU Science Hub : https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/en/health- knowledge-gateway/societal- impacts/burden
Amendment 404 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas the European food system has played a crucial role during the COVID-19 pandemic, demonstrating its resilience with farmers, processors and retailers working together under difficult conditions, including lockdowns, to ensure that European consumers continue to have access to safe, affordable, and high quality products without impediment; whereas the COVID-19 crisis, nevertheless, has highlighted the limits and weaknesses of globalised and intricate food supply chains, and has shown that over- specialisation of agricultural production leaves countries more vulnerable to trade restrictions and sudden shifts in consumer demand;
Amendment 426 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
Ea. whereas globally, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), agriculture represents roughly one quarter of total anthropogenic emissions (23% on average) while the estimated share of food systems more broadly is between 21%and 37%1a; whereas about half of the food system emissions are direct emissions, mostly methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O)from farming practices, from the animals themselves and from their manure and the other half being emissions linked to land use and land-use changes1b (such as clearing of forests), and CO2 emissions from pre- and post- production sectors (transport of food, food processing, food waste, etc.); __________________ 1aIPCC Special Report on Climate Change and Land (SRCCL),Summary for Policy Makers, 8 August 2019. https://www.ipcc.ch/srccl/ 1bBetween 1960 and 2011, 65% of global land-use change was driven by the production of animal products. Drivers for global agricultural land-use change: The nexus of diet, population, yield and bioenergy. Global Environmental Change, 35: 138–147.
Amendment 456 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E b (new)
Recital E b (new)
Eb. whereas the EU agricultural sector produced 426 473 kilo tonnes of CO2 equivalent of greenhouse gases in 2015, about 10 % of the EU’s total GHG emissions (excluding Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) net removals) for that year; whereas there are considerable variations between Member States, with agriculture accounting from ~3% to 33% of national GHG emissions;
Amendment 467 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E c (new)
Recital E c (new)
Ec. whereas emissions of ammonia (NH3) rose for the fourth year running, increasing by 0.4% across the EU, from 2016 to 20171a with the overall increase over the 2014-2017 period of about 2.5%; whereas these increases are because of the lack of emission reductions in the agricultural sector; whereas ammonia emissions can lead to increased acid depositions and excessive levels of nutrients in soil, rivers or lakes, which can have negative impacts on aquatic ecosystems and cause damage to forests, crops and other vegetation; whereas eutrophication can lead to severe reductions in water quality with subsequent impacts including decreased biodiversity, and toxicity effects; __________________ 1aAnnual EEA briefing ‘National Emission Ceilings (NEC) Directive reporting status 2019’ https://www.eea.europa.eu/themes/air/air- pollution-sources-1/national-emission- ceilings/nec-directive-reporting-status- 2019
Amendment 472 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E d (new)
Recital E d (new)
Ed. whereas agriculture is the third biggest source of primary PM10 emissions in the EU, as stressed by the European Environment Agency; whereas ammonia (NH3) emissions from agriculture contribute to episodes of high PM concentrations experienced across Europe each spring, as well as to both short- and long-term negative health impacts;
Amendment 476 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E e (new)
Recital E e (new)
Ee. whereas methane emissions from agriculture are an important precursor to ground-level ozone, which has adverse effects on human health; whereas 98 % of the EU’s urban population is exposed to ozone levels exceeding WHO guidelines;
Amendment 477 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E f (new)
Recital E f (new)
Ef. whereas agro-ecology is an integrated approach that simultaneously applies ecological and social concepts and principles to the design and management of food and agricultural systems; whereas it seeks to optimise the interactions between plants, animals, humans and the environment while taking into consideration the social aspects that need to be addressed for a sustainable and fair food system;
Amendment 479 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E g (new)
Recital E g (new)
Eg. whereas agro-ecology can support food production and security and nutrition while restoring the ecosystem services and biodiversity that are essential for sustainable agriculture and plays an important role in building resilience and adapting to climate change; whereas the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)recognises it as a solution to tackle the multi-facetted social and environmental challenges facing the global food system;
Amendment 480 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E h (new)
Recital E h (new)
Amendment 515 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the ambitions and goals of the farm to fork strategy as an important steps in ensuring a sustainable, fair, healthy and resilient food system, which is central to achieving the goals set out in the European Green Deal and in the SDGs; emphasises the inextricable links between healthy people, healthy societies and a healthy planet, encourages the Commission to translate the strategy into concrete legislative and non-legislative action as soon as possible;
Amendment 593 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Welcomes the announcement of an impact-assessed proposal for a legislative framework for sustainable food systems; invites the Commission to use this proposal to set out a holistic, integrated common food policy aimed at reducing the environmental and climate footprint of the EU food system in order to make Europe the first climate- neutral continent by 2050 and strengthen its resilience to ensure food security in the face of climate change and biodiversity loss, leading a global transition towards sustainability from farm to fork, based on the principle of a multifunctional agricultural sector while ensuring consistency between policies by taking into account the existing legislation in order to enable all actors in the European food system to develop long- term plans based on realistic and transparent objectives; suggests that the respective base lines and progress achieved in each Member State be taken into account, while promoting the exchange of know-how and best practices between Member States; stresses the need to include the entire food and beverage chains including production, processing, marketing, transport, distribution and retail and to cover the environmental, social(including health) and economic dimensions of sustainability;
Amendment 657 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 b (new)
Paragraph 2 b (new)
2b. Emphasises the need to ensure coherence of agricultural practices with the goals of the European Green Deal in terms of climate change, biodiversity, circular economy and zero pollution;
Amendment 664 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 b (new)
Paragraph 2 b (new)
2b. Calls on the Commission to use the farm to fork strategy to build a truly long-term vision for Europe’s sustainable and competitive food system, able to guarantee access to healthy and quality products through binding targets for agriculture on biodiversity, climate, air pollution, water pollution, pesticides use and land degradation, while addressing sustainability issues around consumption, health and trade and safeguarding a high level of animal health and welfare, and at the same time promoting reciprocity of EU production standards with all commercial partners;
Amendment 676 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 c (new)
Paragraph 2 c (new)
2c. Calls on the farm to fork strategy to deliver together with the Biodiversity Strategy on the EU’s climate and environmental objectives through protection and restoration of ecosystems currently used for food production with a particular focus on the restoration of grasslands and drained peatlands, two major carbon sinks, as well as through protection of remaining natural ecosystems from further agricultural expansion such as peatlands, wetlands and old-growth forests;
Amendment 680 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 d (new)
Paragraph 2 d (new)
2d. Stresses that the Common Agricultural Policy and the farm to fork strategy must be determined together at European level, in order to complement each other and protect a fair balance between production, consumer health and environment, and must be attributed adequate resources to strengthen farmers’ position in the agri-food supply chain;
Amendment 682 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 e (new)
Paragraph 2 e (new)
2e. Reiterates that to ensure a proportionate contribution from the sector, agriculture should be target-driven in the EU’s ambition to move towards net- zero emissions by mid-century or before; stresses that inclusion of farmers in climate action is crucial in order to achieve global mitigation targets without compromising global food and nutrition security and the Sustainable Development Goals;
Amendment 683 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 f (new)
Paragraph 2 f (new)
2f. Calls for a sustainable and efficient CAP which actively encourages farmers to deliver more environmental and climate benefits, including through strengthened common standards and mandatory requirements, especially for eco-schemes, providing a wide range of tools for farmers adapted to specific natural conditions to more efficiently use essential resources and inputs in food production, to improve biodiversity and soils, increase carbon sequestration, preserve sensitive habitats, contribute to the circular economy, reduce waste in the production cycle and phase-out subsidies which damage the climate;
Amendment 719 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
Amendment 782 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Points out that, in addition to revising the directive on the sustainable use of pesticides to reduce the use and risks of pesticides, the Commission should improve the environmental risk assessment for plant protection products in order to take into account the effects of pesticides on water quality and drinking water sources, including cumulative and combination effects; emphasises that pesticides that have a strong negative impact on groundwater and surface water quality, or to the production of drinking water, should be phased out as a priority, and that the substitution of harmful pesticides by low-risk substances should be promoted; stresses the need to improve policy coordination between agricultural, pesticide-, biocide- and fertiliser-related legislation and, inter alia, water legislation in order to ensure the protection of our water resources, and in particular of those used for drinking water production, from overexploitation and agricultural pollution;
Amendment 818 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3b. Notes that several CAP measures can contribute to the implementation of the Sustainable Use of Pesticides Directive, for example by promoting IPM and organic farming; reminds that CAP rules also require Member States to establish farm advisory systems and provide advice on IPM to all farmers; regrets however that, while the IPM principles are mandatory for farmers, they are not included as a condition for CAP payments and despite encouragement for more sustainable farming practices, there are few measures deterring farmers from using ‘standard’ PPPs rather than turning to non-chemical or alternative methods1e; calls on the Member States to convert the general IPM principles into practical and measurable criteria and verify these criteria at farm level; calls on the Commission to incorporate these measurable IPM criteria into ‘conditionality’ in the post-2020 CAP and ensure they are enforced; _________________ 1eSpecial Report of the Court of Auditors 05/2019 "Sustainable use of plant protection products: limited progress in measuring and reducing risks"
Amendment 842 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 c (new)
Paragraph 3 c (new)
3c. Notes with interest the Commission's estimation of the EU-wide risks and impacts related to PPP use, published in November 2019, based on calculations of the two recently adopted harmonised risk indicators (one indicator based on PPP sales statistics and the other based on the number of emergency authorisations); regrets however that neither of the indicators show the extent to which the SUP Directive has been successful in achieving the EU objective of sustainable use of PPPs and that several concerns have been raised regarding the scientific rationale for the weightings used;1f calls on the Commission, in order to adequately assess the progress made towards policy objectives, to improve the harmonised risk indicators, or develop new ones that take into account, for Harmonised Risk Indicator II, agricultural areas or volumes of active substance, for Harmonised Risk Indicator I, the way PPPs are used; _________________ 1fEuropean Court of Auditors' Special Report 05/2019 "Sustainable use of plant protection products: limited progress in measuring and reducing risks"
Amendment 953 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Emphasises the importance of recognising the significant impact of agriculture and especially animal production on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and land use; stresses the need to enhance natural carbon sinks and reduce agricultural emissions of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide, in particular in the feed and livestock sectors; calls for regulatory measures and binding targets to ensure progressive reductions in all GHG emissions in these sectors;
Amendment 957 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Underlines that future agriculture and food policies should facilitate the transition to sustainable farming by rewarding farmers for the environmental and climate public goods they deliver, better reflecting the challenges faced by farmers and society, the need for change, and to support farmers in making low carbon choices the norm; stresses that farms and farm businesses should be made more resource efficient, low carbon, ecologically sound, sustainable and resilient thus enabling farms to become more independent and able to align themselves with what European citizens want from their rural environment;
Amendment 982 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 c (new)
Paragraph 4 c (new)
4c. Stresses that intensive livestock production is highly unsustainable as it overloads the environment with nutrients, contributes to climate change through intensive GHG emissions, as well as air pollution and soil degradation and relies on destructive monocultures for feed production; calls for a coherent policy mix to enable a transition towards circular, extensive livestock production as part of mixed farming system, which respects the carrying capacity of the local environment and supports biodiversity;
Amendment 984 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 d (new)
Paragraph 4 d (new)
Amendment 986 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 e (new)
Paragraph 4 e (new)
4e. Underlines the fact that technical measures to limit ammonia emissions exist, but are so far only used by a few Member States; recalls that these include: nitrogen management, taking into account the full nitrogen cycle; livestock feeding strategies to reduce nitrogen excretion from cattle, pigs and poultry; low-emission application of manure and fertiliser to land; low-emission manure storage systems; low-emission manure processing and composting systems; low- emission animal housing systems; and low-emission approaches for mineral fertiliser application;
Amendment 988 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 f (new)
Paragraph 4 f (new)
4f. Regrets that methane emissions are not regulated under EU air pollution legislation and not specifically regulated under EU climate policy; highlights the various cost-effective ways of addressing methane emissions without affecting meat and milk consumption; considers that manure management offers emissions reduction potential, through the adoption of simple and cost-efficient measures from storage to spreading techniques; further considers that changing feeding strategies (e.g. adding leguminous elements such as alfalfa and flax) would significantly reduce enteric methane emissions;
Amendment 1150 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
Amendment 1182 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Underlines that inconsistencies between different EU policies affecting our food system have hindered progress towards EU’s international commitments on the SDGs and a truly sustainable European food system; stresses that the farm to fork strategy and the European Green Deal must ensure full policy coherence between agriculture, environment, trade and climate policies; calls on the CAP National Strategic Plans to fully support the implementation of existing EU environmental law and to contribute to the objectives of the Green Deal in order to ensure coherence with EU’s climate and environmental targets;
Amendment 1199 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 b (new)
Paragraph 7 b (new)
7b. Calls on the Commission and on Member States to promote the agro- ecological farming practices in EU agriculture based on the set of principles as defined by FAO1g, in particular through the CAP Strategic Plans, in order to transform the EU’s food and agricultural system, to mainstream sustainable agriculture and to achieve Zero Hunger and multiple other SDGs; _________________ 1gThe 10 Elements of Agroecology Guiding the Transition to Sustainable Food and Agricultural Systems http://www.fao.org/3/I9037EN/i9037en.pd f
Amendment 1217 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Calls for CAP National Strategic Plans to ensure adequate financial support and incentives to promote new ecological ‘green’ business models for agriculture and artisanal food production, notably through fostering short supply chains and quality food production; to achieve these objectives, stresses that it is essential that European regions should be able to continue to perform their role as managing authorities in order to support the transitions as locally as possible and to ensure that the future strategic plans meet local needs;
Amendment 1317 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Recalls that the European food system generally delivers a sufficient and varied supply of safe, and nutritious, affordable and sustainable food to people at all times and underlines that increasing the economic, environmental and social sustainability of food producers will ultimately increase their resilience; encourages the Commission to consider the food supply cha food to people at all times; points out, however, that an estimated 11% of the population (49 million people, EU-27) are unable to afford a quality meal every second day and that COVID-19 is likely to exacerbate fin and itcial difficulties wforkers as a strategic asset for the safety and well-being of all Europea many European households; stresses that food poverty requires appropriate policy response;
Amendment 1325 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Underlines that increasing the economic, environmental and social sustainability of food producers will ultimately increase their resilience; encourages the Commission to consider the food supply chain and its workers as a strategic asset for the safety and well- being of all Europeans;
Amendment 1390 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Expresses its deep concern about the increasingly frequent emergence of zoonotic diseases that are transferred from animals to humans (anthropozoonoses), such as Q fever, avian influenza and the new strain of influenza A (H1N1), which is exacerbated by anthropogenic climate change, the destruction of biodiversity, environmental degradation and our current food production and consumption systems;
Amendment 1403 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11a. Welcomes the emphasis placed on the need to reduce antibiotics use in animal agriculture and stresses that EU initiatives in this area should adopt a One Health approach that recognises the interdependence between the health and well-being of humans, animals and the planet; calls to ensure equivalent standards for products of animal origin imported into the EU as those adopted under the Veterinary Medicines Regulation; notes the need, as part of the revision of the feed additives Regulation, to address substances currently not classified as antibiotics, such as coccidiostats, that may be used in animal agriculture in high quantities for preventative use and thereby compensate for poor animal husbandry practices;
Amendment 1476 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Urges the Commission to follow up on Directive (EU) 2019/633 on unfair trading practices22 and the EU code of conduct on responsible business and marketing practices by producing a monitoring framework for the food and retail sectors and providing for legal action if progress in integrating economic, environmental and social sustainability into corporate strategies is insufficient, and in so doing promoting and rewarding the efforts of sustainable agricultural producers while increasing the availability and affordability of healthy, sustainable food options and reducing the overall environmental footprint of the food system; insists on the need for the EU code of conduct for food and retail businesses to focus on commitments which are relevant to shaping healthy and sustainable food environments, and which are specific, measurable and time bound, and centred on key operations of the entities involved; stresses the importance of halting and addressing consolidation and concentration in the grocery retail sector in order to ensure fair prices for farmers; _________________ 22 OJ L 111, 25.4.2019, p. 59.
Amendment 1539 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Urges the review of the EU promotion programme for agricultural and food products, including the EU school scheme, with a view to bringing it into coherence with the objectives of the Green Deal and farm to fork strategy and enhancing its contribution to sustainable production and consumption, notably by focusing on educational messages about the importance of healthy nutrition, short local and regional supply chains and promoting greater consumption of fruit and vegetables with the aim of reducing obesity rates;
Amendment 1651 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Calls for a comprehensive and complementary range of measures to reduce the burden that highly processed foods with high salt, sugar and fat content place on public health; regrets that the introduction of nutrient profiles is greatly delayed andcalls that nutrient profiles, which are long overdue, remain pertinent and necessary to meet the objectives of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 on Nutrition and Health Claims; welcomes the announcement of a legislative proposal to establish nutrient profiles; points out that many food products, including some marketed towards children, continue to use health and nutrition claims despite them having high levels of nutrients of concern; stresses that a robust set of nutrient profiles must be developed to restrict or prohibit the use of false nutritional claims on foods high in fats, sugars and/or salt; calls for a mandatory EU-wide front-of-pack nutrition labelling system based on independent science;
Amendment 1688 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16a. Highlights that 1 in 2 adults is overweight or obese in the EU, demonstrating the need for stronger action to help stem this public health crisis; recognises that front-of-pack nutritional labels have been identified by international public health bodies such as the World Health Organisation as a key tool to help consumers make more informed and healthier food choices; calls on the Commission to ensure that the EU mandatory front-of-pack nutritional label is developed based on robust, independent scientific evidence and demonstrated consumer understanding; stresses furthermore that to facilitate comparison across products, it should include an interpretive element and be based on uniform reference amounts such as per 100g/100ml;
Amendment 1694 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16a. Calls for a mandatory EU-wide front-of-pack nutrition labelling system based on independent and sound science; indicates in this regard that the Nutri- Score label, which has been adopted by several EU Member States, industrial players and consumer associations, is to date the easiest label to understand nutritional information, makes consumers to choose healthier foods, incentivises manufacturers to improve the nutritional quality of their products and thus participates in the fight against the increase in cardiovascular disease, cancer, obesity and diabetes;
Amendment 1734 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Welcomes the Commission’s commitment to revise the EU legislation on food contact materials (FCM); reiterates its call to revise the legislation on FCM in line with the regulation on the registration, evaluation, authorisation and restriction of chemicals (REACH), as well as classification, labelling and packaging regulations, and to insert, without further delay, specific provisions to substitute endocrine disrupting chemicals; stresses that equal safety requirements should be applied to virgin and recycled materials;
Amendment 1742 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17a. Insists further on the need for comprehensive, harmonised regulation of all FCMs, which should be based on the precautionary principle, the principle of ‘no data, no market’, comprehensive safety assessments that address all the relevant safety and health endpoints and are based on the latest scientific data for all chemicals used in FCMs, effective enforcement and improved information to consumers;
Amendment 1745 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 b (new)
Paragraph 17 b (new)
17b. Notes that vast majority of chemicals in the EU is currently regulated on a case-by-case basis and for each specific use while ample evidence justifies that for the most harmful chemicals the generic approach to risk management becomes the default option, in particular as regards their use in consumer products; calls, therefore, on the Commission to extend the generic approach to risk management across legislation to ensure that substances used in agriculture, food production and processing do not contain chemicals that cause cancers, gene mutations, affect the reproductive or the endocrine system, or are persistent and bio-accumulative;
Amendment 1753 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Welcomes the fact that the strategy rightly recognises the role and influence of the food environment in shaping consumption patterns and the need to make it easier for consumers to choose healthy and sustainable diets; reiterates the importance of promoting sustainable diets by raising consumer awareness of the impacts of consumption patterns and providing information on diets that are better for human health and have a lower environmental footprint, such as products from short local and regional supply chains; underlines the important role which consumer organisations can play in this regard; underlines that food prices must send the right signal to consumers; welcomstresses, therefore, the strategy’s objective that the healthy and sustainable choice should become the most affordable one; at the shift to a more sustainable food system cannot rely solely on individual choices by consumers and that a range of actions, including regulation, is needed to make food production more sustainable by default;
Amendment 1796 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Amendment 1801 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 b (new)
Paragraph 18 b (new)
18b. Underlines that the affordability of healthy and sustainable food choices is the main obstacle to the adoption by consumers of healthy and sustainable diets and that food prices must send the right signal to consumers; welcomes, therefore, the strategy’s objective that the healthy and sustainable choice should become the most affordable one; invites the Commission to launch a study to quantify in economic terms the environmental and societal (including health-related) costs associated with the production and consumption of the most consumed food products on the EU market, as a first step towards moving towards true cost accounting for food;1a _________________ 1aSpecial Eurobarometer 505. Making our food fit for the future – Citizens’ expectations. October 2020. ‘Healthy, sustainable food choices are affordable’ was the answer most frequently given by consumers when asked about what would help them to adopt a healthy and sustainable diet.
Amendment 1804 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 c (new)
Paragraph 18 c (new)
18c. Welcomes the future legislative proposals to improve consumer information on food origin; highlights that origin is the most important factor for Europeans when buying food; reminds the Commission of the Parliament’s resolutions of 11 February 2015 and 12 May 2016, where Parliament called for mandatory origin labelling of drinking milk, dairy products and meat used as an ingredient in processed foods; adds furthermore that mandatory labelling of origin should also be extended to seafood products, not least those that are preserved or processed;
Amendment 1808 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 d (new)
Paragraph 18 d (new)
Amendment 1810 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 e (new)
Paragraph 18 e (new)
18e. Highlights that too many unsubstantiated and even misleading environmental claims are being used on food, creating confusion among consumers and making it difficult for them to identify the products that are more environmentally friendly; calls on the Commission to introduce a new regulatory framework establishing a clear, swift and efficient pre-approval procedure for all green claims and labels, taking into account the experience gained in the application of the system already in place for health and nutrition claims; stresses that such framework would protect consumers from untruthful green claims while ensuring that businesses who genuinely strive for more environmentally friendly operations are duly rewarded for their efforts;
Amendment 1813 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 f (new)
Paragraph 18 f (new)
18f. Stresses that Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 requires that where the origin of a food is given and is different from the one of its primary ingredient, the origin of the primary ingredient shall be given or at least indicated as being different to the origin of the food; points out that in practice that means that products whose primary ingredients are not locally or regionally sourced can be marketed as such if the origin of said non-local primary ingredients is indicated in small print; underlines that there is an imbalance between the visibility of marketing practices that use national, regional and local names and symbols for products whose primary ingredients are not nationally, regionally or locally sourced and EU labelling requirements; considers this to be detrimental to the consumers' right to be properly informed and potentially misleading; calls on the Commission to rectify that imbalance;
Amendment 1816 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 g (new)
Paragraph 18 g (new)
18g. Points out that Directive 2001/110 regulates that honey sold on European markets is either labelled as coming from a specific country, as ‘EU’ or as ‘non- EU’, or as both ‘EU and non-EU’ honey blends. In both non-EU cases, blended or not, the consumer is not aware whether the product is actually genuine EU standard quality honey, meaning without added sugar syrup, for example; calls on the Commission and Member States to support the EU beekeeping sector by reinforcing import inspections in order to prevent imports of adulterated honey; considers that the current rules are not fit for purpose as they provide ambiguous information to consumers and facilitate the import and sale of low quality or adulterated honey in the EU; calls on the Commission to propose legislative changes for honey labelling rules that will result in better consumer information and support the EU beekeeping sector;
Amendment 1839 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Reaffirms its beliefUnderlines that policy measures that are dependent solely on consumer choice lack efficacy and unduly shift the responsibility to purchase sustainable products to consumers; notes that third- party certification and labelling alone are not effective in ensuring sustainable production and consumption;
Amendment 1949 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Considers that the further development of sustainable plant protein production and alternative sources of protein in the EU is a way of effectively addressing many of the environmental and climate challenges that EU agriculture is facing, as well as preventing deforestation in countries outside the EU;
Amendment 1953 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21a. Recalls its resolution of 15 January 2020 on the European Green Deal and its resolution of 22 October 2020 on an EU legal framework to halt and reverse EU-driven global deforestation and its repeated demand to the Commission to present, without delay, a proposal for an EU legal framework based on mandatory due diligence to ensure sustainable and deforestation-free supply chains for products placed on the Union market, with a particular focus on tackling the main drivers of imported deforestation and instead encouraging imports that do not create deforestation and ecosystem degradation abroad;
Amendment 2013 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
Amendment 2073 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
24a. Highlights with concern the downward trend across the EU in both the number of official food controls undertaken and the resources allocated to them; supports the Commission in its efforts to combat food fraud; considers that the punishment should fit the crime in cases of intentional food fraud and calls on Member States to adequately reflect that principle in national legislation, in line with the Official Controls Regulation 2017/625;
Amendment 2243 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 a (new)
Paragraph 26 a (new)
26a. Underlines that approximately 80% of global deforestation is caused by the expansion of land used for agriculture1a; stresses in this context that the Commission Communication on Stepping up EU Action to Protect and Restore the World’s Forests of July 2019 recognises that Union demand for products such as palm oil, meat, soy, cocoa, maize, timber, rubber, including in the form of processed products or services, is a large driver of deforestation, forest degradation, ecosystem destruction and associated human rights violations across the globe and represents around 10 % of the global share of deforestation embodied in total final consumption1b; in addition notes that EU consumption of other commodities, such as cotton, coffee, sugar cane, rapeseed and mangrove- farmed shrimps also contributes to global deforestation; _________________ 1aFAO. 2016. State of the World’s Forests 2016. Forests and agriculture: land-use challenges and opportunities. Rome. http://www.fao.org/3/a-i5588e.pdf 1bEuropean Commission, 2013. The impact of EU consumption on deforestation: Comprehensive analysis of the impact of EU consumption on deforestation. Final report. Study funded by the European Commission and undertaken by VITO, the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, HIVA-Onderzoeksinstituut voor Arbeid en Samenleving and International Union for the Conservation of Nature NL.
Amendment 2272 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 b (new)
Paragraph 26 b (new)
26b. Considers that trade and international cooperation are important tools for consolidating higher standards of sustainability, especially with regard to sectors that are linked to agriculture, forests and their derived value chains; stresses that Union trade and investment agreements should include binding and enforceable sustainable development chapters that fully respect international commitments, in particular the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development;
Amendment 2284 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 c (new)
Paragraph 26 c (new)
26c. Recommends, in the context of the ‘do no harm’ principle as highlighted in the communication on the European Green Deal, that the Commission better and regularly assess the impact of existing trade and investment agreements on deforestation, forest and ecosystem degradation, land grabbing and human rights and ensure that more ambitious binding and enforceable provisions on forest and ecosystem protection, biodiversity, on ending land grabbing and sustainable forestry are included in the trade and sustainable development chapters of all free trade and investment agreements;
Amendment 2288 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 d (new)
Paragraph 26 d (new)
26d. Notes with concern that despite being banned in the EU, European companies continue to produce and sell pesticides to third countries with lower human health and environmental protection laws; calls on the Commission to halt the production and export of banned pesticides to third countries, some of which can be detected in food sold back to the EU market and to ensure that imported and exported chemicals and products containing thereof abide by the same standards as those governing chemicals and products produced and used in the Union in order to ensure a level playing field between EU and non- EU manufacturers;