Activities of Juozas OLEKAS related to 2023/2048(INI)
Shadow opinions (1)
OPINION on the implementation of territorial development (CPR, Title III, Chapter II) and its application in the European Territorial agenda 2030
Amendments (17)
Amendment 5 #
Draft opinion
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas rural areas face the urgent challenges of demographic decline and ageing, especially affecting EU farming populations, along with rural abandonment, lack of access to infrastructure, healthcare, education and services, low incomes and fewer job opportunities;
Amendment 10 #
Draft opinion
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the digital and green transitions offer opportunities for stronger, connected, resilient, innovative and prosperous rural areas in the long term, however, despite recent improvements in high-speed broadband connectivity, only 59% of households in rural regions have access to broadband, compared to 87% of the households in the EU;
Amendment 14 #
Draft opinion
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas the Long-term Vision for the EU's Rural Areas calls to improve rural quality of life, achieve balanced territorial development and stimulate economic growth in rural areas;
Amendment 16 #
Draft opinion
Recital C b (new)
Recital C b (new)
Cb. whereas the role and importance of rural areas is often under-appreciated, insufficiently rewarded and funded;
Amendment 17 #
Draft opinion
Recital C c (new)
Recital C c (new)
Cc. whereas the diversity of EU’s rural areas calls for locally designed responses and solutions corresponding to each territory’s specific needs and possibilities and strategies should address rural areas according to their individual characteristics and in relation to their environment, using, among other tools, the rural proofing mechanism;
Amendment 18 #
Draft opinion
Recital C d (new)
Recital C d (new)
Cd. whereas rural communities are exposed to greater damages from climate change, more frequent adverse climate events such as storms, floods and droughts, and the consequences of biodiversity loss, and experience greater costs associated with climate transition;
Amendment 19 #
Draft opinion
Recital C e (new)
Recital C e (new)
Ce. whereas sustainable farming and forestry management, that includes environmental, economic and social sustainability, provided decent work and livelihoods, ecological systems and biodiversity and also enhances climate and risk resilience;
Amendment 21 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Recalls that small, medium and family farms are the backbone of EU rural areas, providing food security and ecosystem services for European citizens;
Amendment 39 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Highlights the role that agriculture plays in achieving the Union objectives of food security, sustainable growth, social inclusion, and combating climate change, while helping to diversify agricultural production, preserve biodiversity and develop local economies;
Amendment 55 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Emphasises the role of e-services, mobile service solutions, private-public partnerships, social enterprises, cultural and creative industries; accessibility of education and healthcare; as well as cooperatives to help provide necessary services for rural areas and act as a key factor for rural socio-economic development;
Amendment 59 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Paragraph 5 b (new)
5b. Calls for improvement of the level of digital skills and the availability and affordability of adequate digital infrastructure, and the capacities to effectively deploy digital technologies, such as digital service platforms in rural areas;
Amendment 62 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 c (new)
Paragraph 5 c (new)
5c. Calls for development of partnerships in all economic activities in rural areas, between businesses of all sectors, local authorities, researchers and services based on innovation, knowledge sharing and cooperation;
Amendment 65 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 d (new)
Paragraph 5 d (new)
5d. Calls for more effort in enabling rural residents to take active part in policy and decision-making processes, involving a broad range of stakeholders at all levels of governance to develop tailor-made, place-based and integrated policy solutions and investments
Amendment 67 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 e (new)
Paragraph 5 e (new)
5e. Calls for improving affordable public transport services and infrastructure such as railways, roads, charging and refuelling stations to support e-mobility solutions;
Amendment 69 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 f (new)
Paragraph 5 f (new)
5f. Emphasises the essential economic role played by agriculture, forestry and fisheries, calls for further development of short supply chains, quality schemes, producer organisations and cooperatives that contribute to increasing the sustainability of European food production;
Amendment 70 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 g (new)
Paragraph 5 g (new)
5g. Emphasises that generational renewal is the key for social, economic and environmental sustainability of rural areas and EU food autonomy and the future of agriculture and thus must remain a high priority in territorial development plans and strategies, stresses the need to account for the needs of small and medium sized farmers, and especially focus at attracting young farmers, preventing land abandonment and facilitating land access and access to credit;
Amendment 71 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 h (new)
Paragraph 5 h (new)
5h. Stresses the significance of circular and bio-economy principles, as well as their application within the agricultural sector, in contributing to the realization of the objectives set out in the European Green Deal; encourages the enhancement of understanding and the implementation of circular and bio- economy principles within the European agriculture and food system.