38 Amendments of Isabel GARCÍA MUÑOZ related to 2021/2079(INI)
Amendment 12 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas islands often suffer from a combination of multiple and permanent structural handicaps, such as small size, lowchallenges related to population density, small market, double insularity (island and archipelago), difficult topography very similar to mountainous regions, a dependence on maritime and air transport or a dependence on a small number of products;
Amendment 17 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas the islands’ physical disconnection from the mainland acts as a permanent impediment in many areas, including the labour market, access for island products to neighbouring external markets, education, health care, business, water and energy supply and waste management facilities; whereas this geographical disconnection adds important difficulties to the green transition towards a climate-neutral economy of such territories;
Amendment 22 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G a (new)
Recital G a (new)
Amendment 23 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G b (new)
Recital G b (new)
G b. whereas specific and disproportionate pressures on asylum and reception systems in some Member States with ultra-peripheral territories are faced; whereas these require coordinated solutions at European level;
Amendment 31 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital L
Recital L
L. whereas the outermost regions and islands are particularly at risk from natural disasters, such as volcanic eruptions, forest fires and storms; whereas this is the case of the island of La Palma (Spain), which since 19 September has suffered the effects of a volcanic eruption burying more than a thousand hectares of land and housing and caused multiple economic, social and environmental damages in the area;
Amendment 32 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital L
Recital L
L. whereas the outermost regions and islands are particularly at risk from natural disasters, such as volcanic eruptions, forest fires and storms, storms as well as other risks such as floods, desertification and drought, which can have negative effects on agriculture and food supply;
Amendment 35 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph -1 (new)
Paragraph -1 (new)
-1. Recognises insularity as a permanent structural handicap;
Amendment 41 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. Recalls that Article 349 TFEU includes insularity among the conditions restraining the development of the outermost regions;
Amendment 46 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Recalls that insularity creates structural problems of dependence on maritime and air transport, with additional costs for importing and exporting goods, as well as for passenger transport; highlights that these structural issues leave islands’ citizens and businesses more exposed to rising prices; stresses that, in the case of archipelagos, these difficulties are multiplied by a double insularity;
Amendment 49 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Recalls that insularity creates structural problems of dependence on maritime and air transport, with additional costs for importing and exporting goods, as well as for passenger transport; stresses that, in the case of archipelagos, these difficulties are multiplied by a double and sometimes triple insularity;
Amendment 52 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Highlights the deficit in terms of population, raw materials and resources of all kinds, and notes that in many islands access to drinking water is a central issue in people’s lives, the sustainability of the island and its tourism carrying capacity; stresses the importance of spatial planning focusing on effective and efficient land utilisation;
Amendment 56 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Stresses that isolation owing to insularity means a dependence on mainland markets and increases the cost of certain goods and services, such as waste management;
Amendment 57 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Stresses that island economies are oriented towards the primary and tertiary sectors and that hyper-specialisation weakens the economic fabric by making it more vulnerable to economic slowdowns; is concerned about long-term developments which in many EU islands can create an economy that is based solely on tourism; highlights the necessity of deconcentrating tourism from the summer season to other less-demanded months and to diversify the economy of islands by strengthening their secondary sector;
Amendment 74 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 3
Subheading 3
Environment and, energy autonomy, research and innovation
Amendment 83 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11 a. Considers that islands can represent a formidable laboratory for sustainability practices in sectors such as clean energy, circular economy, smart mobility, waste management and blue economy;
Amendment 89 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Stresses the increasingly precarious condition of all islands in terms of their environmental assets, particularly water resources; calls, in this context, on the Commission to adopt a common water management policy for islands; recalls also the challenges connected with waste management in island territories ands well as the strategic role of the circular economy and its potential in reducing marine litter;
Amendment 90 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12 a. Underlines the necessity and opportunities arising from the ‘Fit for 55’ legislative package; is however of the opinion that the concrete implementation of these legislative measures should go hand in hand with the promotion of the economic, social and territorial cohesion; since islands solely rely on the aviation and maritime transport;
Amendment 94 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Calls for specific rules and financial support to help islands achieve climate neutrality goals, taking into account the additional costs linvolved andked to sectors such as energy and transport as well as the impact of mobile technologies on their energy systems; calls for these costs to be taken into account in the ‘Fit for 55’ legislative package;
Amendment 95 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13 a. Calls on the Commission to examine the need to improve the European Solidarity Fund in order to adapt it to new realities and threats such as natural disasters or effects of climate change among others, in order to deal more realistically with the consequences of these phenomena;
Amendment 96 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13 a. Calls for concrete compensatory measures that offset any possible negative consequence on islands’ economic, social and territorial cohesion in the process to transit to a cleaner economy and society, due to their dependence on the aviation and the maritime sector;
Amendment 97 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 b (new)
Paragraph 13 b (new)
13 b. Calls on the Commission to swiftly address the importance of adapting the existing emergency mechanisms to deal with the increasingly severe natural disasters such as the eruption of the volcano on the island of La Palma (Spain), an unprecedented social and economic challenge requiring a proportionate response to the damages caused;
Amendment 99 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Considers the use of renewable energy to be a priority and believes it could bring substantial benefits to islands and the strengthening of their energy autonomy; calls, therefore, for the development of a wide range of renewable energy sources to be supported according to their geographical features; welcomes the green hydrogen programmes which islands have launched;
Amendment 104 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Calls for renewables-based energy autonomy to be established as a target for all European islands; calls for additional research to make offshore renewables more affordable and fit for the geographical features of the different sea basins;
Amendment 107 #
15 a. Recalls that a successful environmental transition for islands also depends on robust research and innovation policies at the local level; encourages the collaboration among local authorities, research institutions and enterprises such as the initiatives within the European Institute of Innovation and Technology and its Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs); promotes a wider uptake of research facilities in insular territories;
Amendment 118 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Calls for urgent measures to counteract the depopulation of islands as well as brain and skill drain and to improve quality of life, support local businesses and protect jobs and address ageing population; calls also for the development of professional training and employment establishments for island inhabitants to be promoted;
Amendment 141 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19 a. Is of the opinion that fully unleashing the potential of the green and blue sector will also help to enhance islands' positioning as sustainable destinations; calls for additional support measures to unleash such potential; calls specifically for action on sustainable tourism through EU funds and programmes;
Amendment 151 #
Access to public services, entrepreneurship and digitalisation
Amendment 156 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Calls for the development of sustainable transport in island countries and regions to be fostered, and for support for the modernisation and greening of port infrastructure while ensuring a socially just transition;
Amendment 160 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Stresses the need to ensure the territorial continuity of all islands through maritime and air transport and to ensure the safety and suitability of land bridges and road links; calls on the Commission to ensure that the 2021-2023 work programme of the Connecting Europe Facility contributes to the territorial accessibility of islands and the development of sustainable transport;
Amendment 166 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Stresses, particularly in the context of the COVID-19 crisispandemic, the importance of improving the public health infrastructure on European islands and the access to medicines;
Amendment 167 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)
Paragraph 23 a (new)
23 a. Considers digitalisation a crucial instrument to contribute to overcoming the geographical disadvantage of insularity; welcomes the Commission initiatives on the Digital Decade;
Amendment 169 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Calls for priority to be afforded to equipping islands with digital technologies,Underlines that digital connectivity for islands is an utmost priority in particular so as to enhance the provision of education and training services as well as e-health and other essential government services for citizens and businesses;
Amendment 173 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
24 a. Is of the opinion that the uptake of ICT in European islands can also be beneficial to the digitalisation of small and medium enterprises, with positive effects on their business strategy as well as on their operations;
Amendment 175 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 b (new)
Paragraph 24 b (new)
24 b. Believes that, especially in small islands, it is difficult for SMEs to easily access all the information referring to the promotion of entrepreneurship, to skills development and EU-funded opportunities; calls for stronger financial support in this regard as well as the provision of enhanced information sessions, advisory services and tailor- made training;
Amendment 180 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Stresses that the lack of statistical data on islands, including gender- disaggregated data, is hindering the development of targeted policies; calls on the Commission to set up a European Institute for Disadvantaged Territories to collect data at all administrative levels;
Amendment 184 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Calls on the Commission to take note of the studies already produced by island regions concerning the additional costs associated with insularity, and to establish interdisciplinary analyses covering the demographic, geographical and economic characteristics of island territories so as to ensure that these regions will not suffer from any competitive disadvantage linked to their geographical condition;
Amendment 188 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 a (new)
Paragraph 27 a (new)
Amendment 191 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 b (new)
Paragraph 27 b (new)
27 b. Supports the partnerships among European islands as an effective way to share best practices, cope with common challenges and implement solutions that are beneficial for citizens and businesses; calls on the European Commission to further facilitate these partnerships;