20 Amendments of Rob ROOKEN related to 2022/0196(COD)
Amendment 275 #
Proposal for a regulation
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– The European Parliament rejects the Commission proposal.
Amendment 361 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 11
Recital 11
(11) Biological control agents are a sustainable control alternative to the use of chemical products for the control of harmful organisms. As noted in Council Decision (EU) 2021/110257, biological control agents have a growing importance in sustainable agriculture and forestry and have an instrumental role to play in the success of integrated pest management and organic farming. Access to biological controls facilitates moving away from chemical plant protection products. It is appropriate to encourage farmers to switch to low input agricultural methods including organic farming. However, action must be taken to prevent food security and livelihoods in the EU and globally from being jeopardised. It is therefore appropriate to define the concept of biological control as a basis for Member States to set indicative targets to increase the percentage of crops on which biological control agents are used. __________________ 57 Council Decision (EU) 2021/1102 of 28 June 2021 requesting the Commission to submit a study on the Union’s situation and options regarding the introduction, evaluation, production, marketing and use of invertebrate biological control agents within the territory of the Union and a proposal, if appropriate in view of the outcomes of the study (OJ L 238, 6.7.2021, p. 81).
Amendment 370 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 12
Recital 12
(12) The objective of the Farm to Fork Strategy is to make substantial progress in the reduction of the use of chemical plant protection products in an economically viable way. In order to achieve that aim, it is necessary to set quantified targets at Union and Member State levels for the reduction in the use and risk of chemical plant protection products and the use of more hazardous plant protection products to monitor progress. In this connection it is important to take a detailed look at the specific impact of a given plant protection product on the environment and, in the process, in line with the Treaties, to opt for a Member-State-specific approach. National targets should be established by national law in order to ensure adequate progress and accountability in relation to them. These binding national targets should also be achieved by Member States by 2030, where possible, unless that puts pressure on food affordability. The reduction in the use of chemical plant protection products is expected to significantly reduce occupational safety and health risks for professional users.
Amendment 392 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 13
Recital 13
(13) Given the different levels of historical progress and differences in intensity of pesticide use between Member States, it is necessary to allow Member States some flexibility when setting their own binding national targets (“national 2030 reduction targets”). Intensity of use is best measured by dividing the total quantity of active substances placed on the market, and therefore used, in the form of plant protection products in a particular Member State by the surface area over which the active substances were applied. In this connection it should be possible to take account of Member- State-specific characteristics, and the environmental impact of those active substances in a specific Member State. Intensity in the use of chemical pesticides, and in particular of the more hazardous pesticides, correlates with greater dependency on chemical pesticides, greater risks to human health and the environment and less sustainable farming practices. It is therefore appropriate to allow Member States to take their lower intensity of use of chemical pesticides than the Union average into account in setting their national 2030 reduction targets. It is also appropriate to require them to take their higher intensity of use of chemical pesticides than the Union average into account in setting their national 2030 reduction targets. In addition, in order to give recognition to past efforts by Member States, they should also be allowed to take into account historical progress prior to the adoption of the Farm to Fork Strategy when setting national 2030 reduction targets. Conversely, where Member States have increased, or made only limited reductions in, their use and risk of chemical plant protection products, they should now make a greater contribution to the achievement of the Union 2030 reduction targets, while also taking account of their intensity of pesticide use. In order to ensure a fair and collective effort towards the achievement of Union- wide targets and an adequate level of ambition, minimum limits should be laid down for national 2030 reduction targets. The EU’s outermost regions, as listed in Article 349 of the Treaty, are located in the Atlantic, Caribbean and Indian Ocean. Due to permanent constraints such as their remoteness to the European continent, insularity and high exposure to climate change, it is appropriate to allow Member States to take into account the specific needs of these regions as regards the use of plant protection products and measures tailored to specific climatic conditions and crops. In order to ensure a fair and collective effort towards the achievement of Union-wide targets, where a Member State reaches the level of its 2030 national reduction target before 2030, it should not be required to undertake additional reduction efforts, but it should closely monitor annual fluctuations in the use and risk of chemical plant protection products and in the use of more hazardous plant protection products to ensure progress towards meeting the respective 2030 national reduction target. In the interests of transparency, Member State responses to any Commission recommendations in relation to the level of ambition of national targets and the annual progress made towards them should be publicly accessible.
Amendment 435 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 15 a (new)
Recital 15 a (new)
(15a) In accordance with Article 191(2) TFEU, the Union must take into account the diversity of situations in the Member States when laying down its environmental policy. In order to reflect the Treaties, the reduction targets included in this Regulation should be taken to mean a best-efforts obligation rather than an obligation to achieve a result.
Amendment 436 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 15 b (new)
Recital 15 b (new)
(15b) It is important to recognise that Member States should be given a degree of discretion in discharging the best- efforts obligation in this Regulation. Member States should remain free to balance interests between, inter alia, rural vitality, economic activities, food security, affordability of healthy food and pesticide use reduction.
Amendment 516 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 25
Recital 25
(25) Use of plant protection products may have particularly negative impacts in certain areas that are frequently used by the general public or by vulnerable groups, communities in which people live and work and ecologically sensitive areas, such as Natura 2000 sites protected in accordance with Directive 2009/147/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council67 and Council Directive 92/43/EEC68. If plant protection products are used in areas used by the general public, the possibility of exposure of humans to such plant protection products is high. In order to protect human health and the environment, the use of plant protection products in sensitive areas and within 3 metres of such areas, should therefore be prohibited. Derogations from the prohibition should only bare allowed under certain conditions and on a case-by-case basis. __________________ 67 Directive 2009/147/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 November 2009 on the conservation of wild birds (OJ L 20, 26.1.2010, p. 7). 68 Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora (OJ L 206, 22.7.1992, p. 7).
Amendment 519 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 25 a (new)
Recital 25 a (new)
(25a) Since Member States are very different from each other, for example in terms of surface area or share of agricultural sector, Member States should be given sufficient leeway to assess the conditions under which they allow the use of plant protection products in publicly accessible areas. However, it is important that Member States establish clear prior conditions on the basis of which they allow the use of plant protection products in publicly accessible areas.
Amendment 643 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 47 a (new)
Recital 47 a (new)
Amendment 659 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 49 a (new)
Recital 49 a (new)
(49a) It is desirable that the Council and Parliament are able to regularly express their views on the desirability of this Regulation. In this way, the people of the Union continue to have a means – including through Parliament – of expressing their views on the desirability of this Regulation. Therefore, this Regulation should lapse by operation of law. However, the Commission must have the power to postpone this automatic expiry date by five years by adopting a delegated act. The Commission may adopt such a delegated act postponing the automatic expiry of this Regulation only once for each five-year application period.
Amendment 660 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 49 b (new)
Recital 49 b (new)
(49b) According to Article 241 TFEU, the Council, acting by simple majority, may request the Commission to undertake any studies the Council considers desirable for the attainment of the common objectives, and to submit to it any appropriate proposals. The Council may, on the basis of the report referred to in Article 42 of this Regulation or for economic and social reasons, request the Commission to amend or repeal this Regulation. If the Commission does not submit a proposal, it must inform the Council and Parliament.
Amendment 2455 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 27 – paragraph 1
Article 27 – paragraph 1
1. Each Member State shall designate a competent authority to provide information to the public, in particular through awareness-raising programmes, in relation to the risks associated with the use of plant protection products. At the same time, it shall also give information on the need to use plant protection products. The competent authority shall provide nuanced and balanced information.
Amendment 2491 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 27 – paragraph 3 – point f a (new)
Article 27 – paragraph 3 – point f a (new)
(fa) the need to use plant protection products;
Amendment 2493 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 27 – paragraph 3 – point f b (new)
Article 27 – paragraph 3 – point f b (new)
(fb) the standards that European farmers have to comply with, compared to standards that have to be met by farmers in countries with which the European Union has a free trade agreement.
Amendment 2713 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 42 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 – introductory part
Article 42 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 – introductory part
By … [OP: please insert the date = fourtwo years after the date of application of this Regulation], and every two years thereafter, the Commission shall carry out an evaluation of this Regulation based on the following:
Amendment 2719 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 42 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 – point d a (new)
Article 42 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 – point d a (new)
(da) the impact of this Regulation on the affordability of healthy food in the European Union, taking account of the total cost of living, with particular attention being paid to the position of minimal- and middle-income households.
Amendment 2723 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 42 – paragraph 2
Article 42 – paragraph 2
2. The Commission shall present a report on the mainthe findings to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee, and the Committee of the Regions in a report.
Amendment 2725 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 42 – paragraph 2 a (new)
Article 42 – paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Should the Commission conclude in its report that there is a negative impact on the affordability of healthy food, it shall include measures in its report to reverse that negative impact. Where appropriate, those measures may include action to adapt this Regulation or other relevant Union legislation.
Amendment 2728 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 42 a (new)
Article 42 a (new)
Article 42a Council request to repeal this Regulation On the basis of the report referred to in Article 22, or major changes in the environmental, economic or social situation within the Union, the Council, acting by simple majority, may request the Commission to submit to the European Parliament a legislative proposal to amend or repeal this Regulation. If the Commission does not submit such a legislative proposal, or does not do so in time, it shall inform the Council and Parliament.
Amendment 2742 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 45 a (new)
Article 45 a (new)
Article 45a Automatic disapplication 1. This Regulation shall cease to apply on 31 December 2027. 2. Power is delegated to the Commission to adopt a delegated act to postpone disapplication for a five-year period by 31 October 2027, and every five years thereafter.