Activities of Francisco GUERREIRO related to 2023/0038M(NLE)
Shadow opinions (1)
OPINION Conclusion of the Free Trade Agreement between the European Union and New Zealand
Amendments (13)
Amendment 2 #
Draft opinion
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas the EU Farm to Fork Strategy and Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan defined the ambition of our food system to move towards a more plant- based diet with less red and processed meat and more fruit and vegetables; whereas meat and edible offal products are the most exported goods from New Zealand to the EU and the FTA is expected to moderately increase the Union imports of beef, sheep meat and dairy products from New Zealand;
Amendment 8 #
Draft opinion
Recital B b (new)
Recital B b (new)
Bb. whereas the agricultural sector is a significant contributor to environmental pressures in both New Zealand and the Union, facing common challenges including increased greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, loss of endemic species, water pollution and soil erosion;
Amendment 11 #
Draft opinion
Recital B c (new)
Recital B c (new)
Bc. whereas the increased production of beef and sheep meat brought about by the EU-NZ FTA is expected to have a negative impact on land use in New Zealand, and will therefore put further pressure on New Zealand's biodiversity, in the context where New Zealand already has the highest proportion of threatened indigenous species in the world1a _________________ 1a "Evaluating the Relative Environmental Impact of Countries," Corey J. A. Bradshaw, Xingli Giam, Navjot S. Sodhi Published: May 3, 2010 https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0010 440
Amendment 12 #
Draft opinion
Recital B d (new)
Recital B d (new)
Bd. Whereas liberalising trade can lead to an increase in GHG emissions not only through the increased production volumes, but also through the creation of additional trade flows with higher transport-related emissions; whereas the Trade Sustainability Impact Assessment assumes that an ambitious agreement will lead to an increase in non-CO2 GHG emissions;
Amendment 17 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Welcomes the fact that the Paris Agreement and the ILO conventions have been included in the general dispute settlement chapter of the EU-NZ FTA, thereby introducing the possibility of sanctions; underlines that this structural improvement must now become a precondition for future FTAs between the EU and third parties; calls, however, for clarity on enforceability and on precisely which actions would be considered a breach of the Paris Agreement; asks for specific targets, actions and timelines to be defined in complement to the primarily cooperative activities to achieve sustainable practices;
Amendment 19 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
1b. Recalls that New Zealand has not yet ratified a number of ILO Conventions that are relevant for ensuring fair labour conditions in agriculture, namely Fundamental Convention No. 87 on freedom of association and right to collective bargaining and Convention No. 138 pertaining to the effective abolition of child labour;
Amendment 46 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Recognises that the EU beef and sheep sectors are under pressure owing to the market access being given to non-EU countries; calls on the Commission to consider the cumulative impacts of current and future trade deals on EU farmers and the need forimpact on investment in sustainable local EU production; calls for the timely publication of the Commission's updated Cumulative Impact Assessment on the impact of all trade deals on agricultural sectors;
Amendment 51 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Highlights that the EU and New Zealand legislations on the use of pesticides exhibit certain differences, notably in the regulation of seeds treated with pesticides, which may lead to divergent legislative treatment of pesticides or pesticide-treated products and may give rise to unfair competition for farmers using such products; calls on the Commission to clarify how it will ensure coherence in standards applied to imports and the Union products, and whether specific cooperation or mirror measures are considered as a means to ensure protection of biodiversity and soil health in both New Zealand and the EU;
Amendment 62 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Amendment 66 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 b (new)
Paragraph 6 b (new)
6b. Highlights that the Union intends to update and improve its animal welfare standards in the near future through a review of animal welfare legislation in the near future, including a phasing out of cage farming; recalls that this and future FTAs should provide for mirror clauses related to animal welfare, not only to maintain the competitiveness of the Union farmers, but also to respond to citizens’ expectations, as per Eurobarometer 442; highlights the need for cooperation with New Zealand to ensure shared higher ambitions in light of the upcoming legislative proposals on animal welfare;
Amendment 68 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 c (new)
Paragraph 6 c (new)
6c. Calls for both parties to recognise and improve the rights of indigenous peoples, both within the trade agreement and more broadly, in line with the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples; Recalls that protection of the environment and biodiversity can be better assured through cooperation with indigenous peoples, and that legal mechanisms of involvement and cooperation must be codesigned with indigenous people, in order to ensure their genuine participation.
Amendment 72 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Highlights that in accordance with the environmental ambitions of the European Green Deal, the pricing of agricultural products and foodstuffs should better reflect the costs on society and environment that currently are externalised; calls for working groups to address this issue under the Committee on the Sustainable Food Systems (SFS);
Amendment 77 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 b (new)
Paragraph 7 b (new)
7b. Welcomes the recognition by both parties of the need to phase out fossil fuels and to cooperate to this end; calls for fossil fuel subsidies attributed either directly or indirectly in the parties' respective agricultural policies to be taken into account when reforming and reducing fossil fuel subsidies.