Activities of Petros KOKKALIS related to 2020/2260(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
Farm to Fork Strategy (debate)
Shadow opinions (1)
OPINION on a Farm to Fork Strategy for a fair, healthy and environmentally friendly food system
Amendments (75)
Amendment 34 #
Draft opinion
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas overfishing and bycatch of sensitive marine species results to marine and coastal ecosystem degradation and leads to biodiversity loss;
Amendment 41 #
Draft opinion
Recital A b (new)
Recital A b (new)
Ab. whereas the impact of fisheries and aquaculture needs to be addressed both in the EU internal market and through its imports;
Amendment 50 #
Draft opinion
Recital A c (new)
Recital A c (new)
Ac. whereas the excessive use of pesticides in agriculture has also adverse effects on aquatic flora and fauna;
Amendment 68 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Expresses disappointment at the lack of prominence and ambition of the fisheries and aquaculture sector in the Farm to Fork Strategy; stresses that the lower ambition in the Strategy vis-à-vis the fisheries and aquaculture sector and the lack of concrete initiatives jeopardises the main goal of rendering the EU food system more secure, healthy, sustainable, and thus compromises the Union efforts for the attainment of the objectives of the European Green Deal;
Amendment 76 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Warns that the lack of ambition of the initiatives dedicated to the fisheries and aquaculture sector under the strategy will lead to fewer opportunities and less income for EU fishers, aquaculture producers and workers along the fish and seafood supply chain; calls on the commission to fill the gap by complementing the Strategy with additional initiatives for the sector; notes that this will improve policy coherence;
Amendment 81 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
1b. Underlines the close relationship between fishing activities and the conservation of biodiversity and highlights the negative impact of unsustainable fishing on biodiversity; stresses, however, that only sustainable fishing can limit the negative impact on species, habitats and ecosystems, as well as the effects of climate change;
Amendment 89 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Stresses that promoting healthy and sustainable diets should privilegeas part of the Strategy should encourage inter alia the consumption of EU fisheries and aquaculture products, as they are an important source of protein and a crucial component of a healthy diet and also; highlights the value of the work of fishers and women in the sector, and of aquaculture and underscores that their jobs should be protected;
Amendment 97 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Underlines that the EU fisheries and aquaculture sector has a significant environmental and climate footprint; invites the commission to assess options under the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) to better address the issue of depleting fish populations; that stresses that the sector should also contribute to the Union efforts of achieving the objectives of the European Green Deal;
Amendment 104 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 b (new)
Paragraph 2 b (new)
2b. Stresses that bringing fish stocks to sustainable levels and restoring marine and coastal ecosystems requires systematic and intensified controls to combat overfishing, halt destructive fishing practices and prevent bycatch of sensitive species; notes that efforts should be made to limit wasteful discarding;
Amendment 108 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 c (new)
Paragraph 2 c (new)
2c. Invites the Commission and the relevant EU agencies, including EFSA, to assess whether algae can constitute a safe, healthy and sustainable source of food in the context of the Farm to Fork Strategy;
Amendment 141 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Requests that the Commission and the Member States improve the labelling of all fisheries and aquaculture products, whether fresh, frozen, or processed or from aquaculture, marketed in restaurants and through retailers to allow traceability from the place of origin; stresses that this step will enhance the value of sustainable products and protect consumer rights; stresses that labelling should clearly state the place where caught or farmed; invites the commission to conduct the appropriate impact assessment and propose binding measures to extend the place of origin and traceability requirements to include processed fish, crustaceans, molluscs or other aquatic invertebrates as well as third country imports;
Amendment 146 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Stresses that increased traceability is required throughout all stages of the fish and seafood supply chain, from catching, processing and distribution to selling and consumption; notes that the ongoing revision of the fisheries control system should be supported by an ambitious revision of the Common Organisation of the Markets regulation so as to reinforce traceability and labelling provisions and thus prevent and combat fraud along all stages of the fisheries and aquaculture food supply chain; suggests that will guarantee that consumers enjoy safe, high-quality, sustainably sourced fish and seafood and that they receive all the information they need to make a well informed, healthy and green dietary choice;
Amendment 155 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Paragraph 5 b (new)
5b. Highlights that coherence between the provisions of Regulation(EU) 1379/2013 and Regulation (EU)1169/2011 should be guaranteed to provide transparent, clear and comprehensive information to consumers regarding fish and seafood;
Amendment 158 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 c (new)
Paragraph 5 c (new)
5c. It is of the opinion that information on animal welfare should be included in the information provided to consumers; instructs the commission to assess whether a mandatory animal welfare labelling could be implemented in the EU;
Amendment 159 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 d (new)
Paragraph 5 d (new)
5d. Welcomes the mandatory use of digitalised catch certificates;
Amendment 165 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Points to the fact that the Strategy aims at promoting healthy and sustainable diets to European consumers; underlines that antimicrobial resistance related to the excessive and unregulated use of antimicrobials, inter alia on farmed fish and shellfish, poses a threat to public health; welcomes the commitment to reduce the EU sales of antimicrobials for farmed animals and in aquaculture by 2030; stresses that this target should be underpinned by an equal reduction in the use; calls on the Commission to assess and timely present measures for reducing the use of antimicrobials in aquaculture;
Amendment 173 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 b (new)
Paragraph 6 b (new)
6b. Underlines the need for binding and quantifiable targets for the transition to organic aquaculture; emphasises the economic benefits this will have for aquaculture producers; stresses that the transition can be assisted through the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF);
Amendment 179 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Underlines the importance of EMFAF in sustaining and modernising the sector, creating new employment and income opportunities, minimising its environmental footprint, favouring generational renewal, and promoting the active participation of women, associations, including guilds (‘cofradías), producer organisations and the retail sector;
Amendment 184 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Stresses that financial support should be provided under EMFAF to help fishers and aquaculture producer transition to more sustainable practices and environmental friendly infrastructure and gear; suggests that further economic incentives should be provided to fishers, aquaculture producers and workers across the supply chain who have already undertaken measures to limit their climate and environmental footprint;
Amendment 195 #
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 respects the planetary boundaries; whereas currently, the food system is the single largest driver of global deforestation and biodiversity loss in Europe as well as responsible for a wide range of detrimental impacts on human and animal health and welfare, on the environment, the climate and biodiversity; whereas the way in which we produce and consume food needs to transform radically and rapidly 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, biodiversity, public health, animal welfare, research and innovation, trade policy, food and economic sustainability for farmers;
Amendment 196 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Recommends that appropriately funded dedicated campaigns aimed at consumers be launched to bolster fish consumptionsustainable and responsible fish consumption; suggests that consumers should be fully informed on fish species under threat circulated in the market.
Amendment 196 #
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 thus minimising its climate and environmental footprint; whereas currently, the food system is responsible for a range of adverse impacts on human and animal health and on the environment, the climate and biodiversity; whereas the way in which we produce, process, distribute, market and consume food needs to be transformed in order to ensure coherence with the Union's international commitments under the SDGs, the Paris Agreement, the Convention on Biological Diversity and EU policies, particularlys well as with the objectives of the European Green Deal and all the EU policies in the areas of sustainability, the environment, climate, public health, animal welfare, food and economic sustainability for farmers; and workers in the agri-food sector;
Amendment 273 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B c (new)
Recital B c (new)
Bc. whereas in the current risk assessment of active and basic substances and pesticides and biocides, the following parameters are not taken into account properly: multiplicity of pollutants co- existing in nature, chronic exposure, toxicity of mixtures, interaction between active substances and other chemicals (synergistic toxicity, such as food additives, food contaminants and silos), frequency of usage, exposure time, nor parameters related to the landscape and the climate, while the widespread, increasing and prophylactic use of plant protection products is of concern to EU citizens;
Amendment 295 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas the European model of a multifunctional agricultural sector, driven by family farms, continues to ensure quality food production, local supply chains, good agriculture practices, high environmental standards and vibrant rural areas throughout the EU; whereas the environmental footprint of the agri-food sector can be further reduced and its sustainability and resilience improved;
Amendment 303 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas the European model of a multifunctional agricultural sector, driven bywhich should be driven by small-scaled family farms, continues topartly ensures quality food production, and local supply chains, good agriculture practices, high environmental standards and vibrant rural areas throughout the EU;
Amendment 342 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas the transition to a secure, sustainable and resilient EU food system requires substantial financial means to support the transition and protect the jobs throughout the food supply chain;
Amendment 380 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas it is important that consumers are informed and enabled to take responsibility for the consequences of their choice of food stuffs on the whole food system, from production to processing and distribution; whereas this requires a healthy and sound food environment which ensures that the healthy and sustainable choice is also the easy and affordable choice, and fosters and encourages consumption patterns that support human health while ensuring the sustainable use of natural and human resources, and animal welfare and the balanced development of rural areas;
Amendment 389 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
Da. whereas the COVID-19 pandemic has shown us how vulnerable we are for emerging zoonotic diseases; taking into account that around half of the zoonotic diseases that have emerged in humans since 1940 resulted from changes in land use, especially clearing land for crop and livestock production that bring people and livestock close to forests and increase contact between wildlife, livestock, pathogens and people; whereas the expansion and intensification of agriculture, the breeding of billions of farm animals kept in close proximity to each other and to humans and the lack of genetic diversity in kept animals coupled with the high use of veterinary medicine which reduce the natural resistance in animals, unsustainable international trade and wildlife hunting and trade create ideal conditions for outbreaks of infectious and zoonotic diseases, which, just as the novel coronavirus, have the potential to become pandemics with dramatic consequences for our health and our societies;
Amendment 395 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
Da. whereas water and agriculture are inextricably linked and sustainable water management in the agricultural sector is vital to ensure the production of high- quality and adequate food and the ensuring the conservation of water resources;
Amendment 401 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D b (new)
Recital D b (new)
Db. whereas the expected increase in the average global surface temperature in the 21st century and its direct effects on climatic conditions require an environmentally sustainable food system, ensure the production of safe food, and will not allow the Union to become dependent on other markets;
Amendment 402 #
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; nevertheless, the COVID-19 crisis 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, which proves that there is a need to focus increasingly on ensuring long term food security and resilience by establishing shorter and robuster food chains;
Amendment 449 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
Ea. whereas the excessive use of pesticides is a significant source of soil, water and air pollution and negatively affects human, animal and plant health;
Amendment 504 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the farm to fork strategy as an important step in ensuring a sustainable, fair and resilient food system, which is central to achieving the goals set out in the European Green Deal and in the SDGs; stresses that this strategy is essential for Europe to function within planetary boundaries; 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 559 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Welcomes the announcement of an impact-assesevidence-based 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, water and climate footprint, as well as reducing the negative impacts on biodiversity and human and animal health and welfare of the EU food system in order to make Europe the first climate- neutral and zero-pollution continent by 2050 and strengthen its resilience to ensure long-term food security in the face of climate change, environmental degradation and biodiversity loss, leading a global transition towards sustainability from farm to fork, based on the UN FAO’s principles of a multifunctional agricultural sector while ensuring consistency between policies by taking into account the existing legislation in ordergroecology and the UN right to food, while ensuring enhanced policy coherence of all the legislative and non-legislative acts and to enable all actors in the European food system to develop long-term plans based on realistic and transparent objectives; stresses the need for urgent and bold policy and legislative change in the face of overwhelming scientific evidence of the unsustainability of the current food system and the higher costs of a failure to act; 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 processing, marketing, distribution and retail and to cover the environmental, social (including health) and economic dimensions of sustainability; calls for this legislative proposal to pay full regard to the welfare of farm animals, given that this is integral to food sustainability; recommends that it includes measures to stimulate the adoption of higher animal welfare standards, a reduction of the amount of farm animals and stocking densities, and to increase the production and consumption of plant-based products at the same time;
Amendment 679 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 c (new)
Paragraph 2 c (new)
2c. Stresses that protection and restoration of biodiversity is crucial for safeguarding EU and global food security, and that the coherence with the EU Biodiversity Strategy, including the contribution of Natura2000 and Marine Protected Areas to support healthy food production, must be guaranteed at all times;
Amendment 692 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 g (new)
Paragraph 2 g (new)
2g. Insists that bio-based industrial value chains that threaten food security, the climate and biodiversity in Europe and globally, must no longer receive any subsidies or market incentives; highlights furthermore that the strict public monitoring of the climate and biodiversity impacts of raw biomass production, in particular, will be paramount in preventing the destruction of carbon sinks;
Amendment 697 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 g (new)
Paragraph 2 g (new)
2g. Stresses the importance of robust and strict criteria for biomass-based renewable energy production and calls on the Commission to bring forward science- based criteria as part of the review of the Renewable Energy Directive;
Amendment 699 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 g (new)
Paragraph 2 g (new)
2g. Stresses that the EU rapidly needs to reduce the use of pesticides and move to ecological farming and a sustainable food system production, in order to reduce the immense costs resulting from the harmful effects on human and animal health and in order to drastically reduce the burden on the environment, including notably pollinators;
Amendment 720 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Welcomes the decision to revise the directive on the sustainable use of pesticides and the reduction targets for pesticides, fertilisers, and antibiotics; welcomes the Commission's vision of reducing the use and risk of chemical pesticides and the use of the most hazardous pesticides in the EU by 50% by 2030; notes that these targets are scientifically and technologically feasible and attainable and stresses that additional efforts should be made to further reduce and bring the use of chemical and hazardous pesticides down to zero as soon as science and technology permits; emphasises the importance of pursuing these targets through holistic and circular approaches, such as agroecological practices; insists that each Member State should establish robust quantitative reduction targets, following Commission's proposals, binding, robust quantitative reduction targets should be established for each Member State, accompanied by well- defined support measures ensuring accountability and enforcement at all levels to help reach these targets; reiterates its call for the translation into Union legislation of the above targets and objectives and calls on the Commission to clarify how it will deal with individual Member States’ contributions to Union-wide targets and to clarify the baselines for these targets;
Amendment 788 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Highlights that alternatives to chemical and hazardous pesticides are already available; calls on the Commission to assess and timely propose an overhaul of directive 2009/128/EC to fully harness the potential of alternatives to pesticides, in particular the context on Integrated Pest Management (IPM); invites Member States to convert the current general IPM principles into practical and measurable criteria with a view to verifying them at farm level; notes that under the current CAP provisions, there are few measures deterring farmers from using ‘standard’ PPPs and suggests that more incentives should be given to transition to non- chemical or alternative methods;
Amendment 815 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Believes that the quantitative reduction target of 50% of all chemical pesticides used should be raised to 70% and that the use of all high-risk pesticides should be phased out by 2030;
Amendment 836 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3b. Regrets the fact that the Commission's 2021 work programme lacks legislative measures or other initiatives to reduce the use and risk of chemical pesticides, as well as the use of fertilisers and antibiotics, as it was initially planned under the European Green Deal's roadmap on key initiatives;
Amendment 852 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 c (new)
Paragraph 3 c (new)
3c. Calls on the Commission to introduce a definition and a separate category for natural substances in horizontal legislations, as well as to establish a specific risk assessment and authorisation procedure for these naturally occurring substances to facilitate their registration and to increase the availability of alternative plant healthcare strategies;
Amendment 860 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 d (new)
Paragraph 3 d (new)
3d. Reiterates its calls to only present draft implementing regulations to extend the approval periods of substances for which the current state of science is not expected to lead to a Commission proposal for non-renewal of the authorisation of the active substance concerned, and to withdraw the approvals for substances if proof or reasonable doubt exists that they will not meet the safety criteria laid down in Regulation; reiterates its calls on the Member States to ensure the proper and timely reassessment of the authorisations for the active substances for which they are the reporting Member States, and to ensure that current delays are solved effectively as soon as possible;
Amendment 873 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 e (new)
Paragraph 3 e (new)
3e. Recalls the polluter pays principle, emphasising that financial incentives to reduce the use and risks of pesticides could be helpful in the transition towards a zero-pollution agriculture; calls therefore on Member States to install levies or taxes on pesticides and calls on the Commission to develop guidelines to aid Member States in this process;
Amendment 887 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 m (new)
Paragraph 3 m (new)
3m. Welcomes the targets to halve nutrient losses and cut fertiliser use by 20%; urges the Commission to prioritise reductions in “new” N and P inputs from synthetic fertilisers and from livestock feed imports; emphasises the importance of pursuing these targets through holistic and circular approaches to nutrients management, such as agroecological practices, which can deliver co-benefits for soil quality and biodiversity and help farmers end their dependency on mineral fertilisers;
Amendment 888 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 n (new)
Paragraph 3 n (new)
3n. Reiterates the crucial importance of protecting bees and other pollinators against the harmful effects of pesticides; reiterates its call on the Commission to ensure that Bee Guidance is based on the latest scientific and technical knowledge, and thus proposes modifying the uniform principles, not only with regard to acute toxicity for honeybees, but at least also with regard to chronic toxicity and larval toxicity for honeybees and acute toxicity for bumblebees; stresses that the level of protection must in any case not be lower than the bee guidance established by EFSA in 2013;
Amendment 1080 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Welcomes the notion of rewardpromoting carbon sequestration in soils; stresses, however,reminds of the importance of nature-based solutions, such as agroecology or ecosystem restoration, especially peatland restoration, for increasing natural carbon sinks; warns against reliance on voluntary carbon markets or other carbon trading schemes, stresses that intensive and industrial agriculture and farming models with negative impacts on biodiversity should not receive climate funding or be incentivised; calls for the proposals to be in line with the environmental objectives and the ‘do no harm’ principle of the Green Deal;
Amendment 1187 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Deeply deplores that the opportunity to fundamentally reform the CAP has been wasted, and that the stances taken by Parliament and Council will lock in our agricultural sector even deeper in unsustainable farming methods; points out that even the Commission's analysis shows that the ambitions and goals of the European Green Deal will not be met with the current positions of the legislators;
Amendment 1207 #
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; fully contribute to the farm to fork targets and ambition, and to include a national target for organic land based on an analysis of the organic sector’s current development and potential in each Member State; calls on the European Commission to only approve CAP National Strategic Plans if they demonstrate their contribution to European Green Deal objectives, given Member States respective baselines, and to make sure that all CAP National Strategic Plans together meet the Union- wide targets; calls on Member States 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, pesticide free and high-quality, local food production; stresses that such models should support farmers in the transition towards climate neutrality and biodiversity conservation, and calls for eco-schemes to include a funding mechanism to help farmers transition away from animal agriculture, towards plant-crop farming, to ensure a healthy and sustainable future;
Amendment 1310 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Recalls that the European food system delivers a sufficient and varied supply of safe, 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 and will create new economic opportunities; 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 1343 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Underlines that robust and reliable legal frameworks for the fisheries and aquaculture sector should provide the basis for better protection measures with subsequent increases in fish populations and more clarity regarding the use of space and licenses in aquaculture, allowing for greater predictability for investments; stresses that good traceability mechanisms and labelling and high sustainability standards for all products sold on EU markets are essential to ensure transparency for consumers, the sector and the different administrations, and to achieve the targets of the Green Deal and the SDGs;
Amendment 1346 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10a. Reiterates the importance of increased traceability throughout the agri-food and beverages sector, from production to retail and consumption, in securing that consumers enjoy safe, healthy, high-quality and sustainable products, and in empowering them to make well informed, healthy and low- impact dietary choices through transparent, up-to-date and comprehensible information; calls on the Commissions to conduct impact assessments and timely propose measures for Union action, inter alia through the revision of the relevant EU legislation, to fill the gaps and enhance the traceability requirements for agricultural, fisheries and aquaculture products in the single market, whether locally produced and processed or imported;
Amendment 1362 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Expresses its deep concern about the 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 systems; underlines that the intensive animal production systems, which involve the confinement of thousands of animals of a similar genotype in close proximity to one another under chronically stressful conditions can significantly compromise animal welfare and increases their susceptibility to infectious disease, creating conditions for the emergence and spread of zoonotic diseases;
Amendment 1393 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Expresses its deep concern about the 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), and the novel SARS-CoV- 2, which is exacerbated by anthropogenic climate change, the destruction of biodiversity, environmental degradation and our current food production systems;
Amendment 1411 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 b (new)
Paragraph 11 b (new)
11b. Is deeply worried about the potential of intensive livestock farms to facilitate the spread of pests and epidemic diseases, especially in areas with a high concentration of intensive farms; urges the Commission, Member States and regional authorities to use all means to their disposal to protect public and animal health, including notably spatial zoning policy ensuring a sufficiently large buffer strip between industrial farms and populated areas, and to regulate a maximum stocking density;
Amendment 1414 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 c (new)
Paragraph 11 c (new)
11c. 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 1417 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 e (new)
Paragraph 11 e (new)
11e. Calls for an EU wide ban on fur production as the COVID-19 pandemic has shown that this sector is highly susceptible for infectious disease and is responsible for intolerable animal suffering;
Amendment 1466 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Urges the Commission to follow up on Directive (EU) 2019/633 on unfair trading practices22, particularly its transposition into national law and the enforcement of national level, 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; stresses the importance of halting and addressing consolidation and concentration in the grocery retail sector in order to ensure fair prices for farmers; at yearly reporting on the progress made towards the EU reduction targets in their chain should become mandatory, 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 and decent labour conditions for workers, urges the Commission to promote alternative business models rooted in the social and solidarity economy, such as consumer-friendly cooperative schemes; _________________ 22 OJ L 111, 25.4.2019, p. 59. 22
Amendment 1518 #
13b. Highlights that the COVID-19 pandemic shed new light on the challenging working and living conditions of millions of workers in the agricultural sector in Europe, notably those working in slaughterhouses, and calls for the recognition of the importance of protecting workers’ individual and collective labour and social rights, thereby reinforcing the ‘social dimension’ of EU agriculture, and calls on the Commission to strengthen measures focusing on the rights, working and employment conditions and social protection of farm labourers including migrants and other mobile workers, and to ensure coherence between policy areas on this issue;
Amendment 1595 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 d (new)
Paragraph 14 d (new)
14d. Denounces the use of the EU promotion programme for false and misleading claims on animal welfare, as was for example recently ruled by the SRC, the self-regulation system of advertising in The Netherlands, in the case of a promotion campaign for chicken, and calls on the Commission to ensure that misleading advertising campaigns are not co-financed with EU funding;
Amendment 1649 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Calls for 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 and stresses that a robust set of nutrient profiles muststresses that a comprehensive set of initiatives should be developed to restrict or prohibit the use of false and misleading nutritional claims onand promote healthier diets by enhanced consumer food and nutrition information on highly processed food and foods high in calories, fats, sugars and/or salt; calls for a mandatoinvites the Commission to assess the feasibility and modalities of a harmonised voluntary EU-wide front-of- pack nutrition labelling system based on independent scienceto provide transparent and comprehensive information to consumers, based on independent and up- to-date science; stresses that such a scheme should be independent of commercial interests;
Amendment 1690 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16a. Stresses that current nutri-score schemes implemented in certain Member States present methodological and algorithmic limitations that lead to distortions with regard to the overall nutritional value of certain products, thus providing misleading information to European consumers; underlines that nutri-score schemes, when determining a food product's overall nutritional contribution, shall not base the evaluation solely on nutrients such as sugar, fat and salt; reiterates that promoting healthy diets means encouraging well-balanced diets based on the consumption of a variety of food groups; stresses that the different dietary patterns, habits and food culture across the EU should be taken dully into consideration;
Amendment 1707 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 b (new)
Paragraph 16 b (new)
Amendment 1764 #
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 and balanced diets; reiterates the importance of promoting sustainable and balanced 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; underlines 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; stresses that the transition to healthier and more balanced diets for consumers should not be driven by commercial interests;
Amendment 1793 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18a. Stresses the need for True Pricing of food to ensure that food prices increasingly reflect the true cost of food by internalising externalities and by upholding the ‘polluter pays principle’ in food production; welcomes the announcement of tax incentives that drive the transition to a sustainable food system and encourage consumers to choose sustainable and healthy diets, like the Commission’s proposal on VAT rates currently under discussion, that could allow Member States to make more targeted use of rates, for instance to support organic fruit and vegetable;
Amendment 1805 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 c (new)
Paragraph 18 c (new)
18c. 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, and to conduct an inventory of international true cost/true pricing-related initiatives and analyses, and an assessment of the strong and weak points and lessons learned of the variety of methods and approaches in use, as a first step towards moving towards true cost accounting for food;
Amendment 1814 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 f (new)
Paragraph 18 f (new)
18f. 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 truly 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; stresses the need for independent certification and audits of any label allowed on food products;
Amendment 1915 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20a. Considers it necessary to reduce the ecological and social footprint of the EU food system, through new legislative measures, which reduce the demand for agricultural products such as soybeans and palm oil, linked to deforestation, ecosystem degradation and human rights violations;
Amendment 2039 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Reiterates its call to take the measures required to achieve a Union food waste reduction target of 30 % by 2025 and 50 % by 2030 compared to the 2014 baseline; underlines that binding targets at Union and Member States level are needed to achieve this;
Amendment 2063 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Welcomes the proposed revision of EU rules on date marking; stresses that any change to date marking rules should be science based and should improve the use of date marking by actors in the food chain and its understanding by consumers, in particular ‘best before’ labelling, while at the same time not undermining food safety or quality; notes that the current system of date marking is not optimal and leads to food waste and considers important that any modifications to the system should take it into account;
Amendment 2074 #
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; calls on the Member States to step up their audits and inspections in all parts of the food chain, including border controls; supports the Commission in its efforts to combat food fraud and stresses that consumers must always be informed of cases of food fraud and recalls;
Amendment 2094 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Underlines the importance EU funding for research and innovation as a key driver in accelerating the transition to a more sustainable, healthy and inclusive European food system while facilitating investments needed to encourage agro- ecological practices in both social and technological innovation, including the promotion of NAMs, and the crucial role of farm advisory services in ensuring the transfer of knowledge to the farming community, drawing on the existing specialised training systems for farmers in Member States; welcomes the proposed earmarking of funds under Horizon Europe for research into the availability and sources of alternative plant, microbial and marine algae based proteins; warns against excessive reliance on technological innovations which do not address the root causes of problems nor the systemic environmental issues faced by the agricultural sector; reminds that many alternatives to excessive use of agricultural inputs such as chemical pesticides already exist and that it is essential to focus on better uptake by farmers; recalls that the precautionary principle underpins the EU Directive on GMO (Dir. 2001/18/EC) and that the 2018 ruling the Court of Justice of the EU strengthens the precautionary protection of human and environment;
Amendment 2187 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 e (new)
Paragraph 25 e (new)
25e. Regrets that the global dimension of the farm to fork strategy is not ambitious enough; notes with concern that actions to address elements related to international aspects and trade are vague and non-committal;
Amendment 2242 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 a (new)
Paragraph 26 a (new)