20 Amendments of Carles PUIGDEMONT I CASAMAJÓ related to 2021/0366(COD)
Amendment 68 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 3
Recital 3
(3) Deforestation and forest degradation, such as over-harvesting of timber, contribute to the global climate crisis in multiple ways. Most importantly, they increase greenhouse gas emissions through associated forest fires, permanently removing carbon sink capacities, decreasing climate change resilience of the affected area and substantially reducing its biodiversity. Deforestation alone accounts for 11 % of greenhouse gas emissions20 . _________________ 20 IPCC, Climate Change and Land: an IPCC special report on climate change, desertification, land degradation, sustainable land management, food security, and greenhouse gas fluxes in terrestrial ecosystems, https://www.ipcc.ch/srccl/.
Amendment 71 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 5 a (new)
Recital 5 a (new)
(5a) Savannahs, wetlands and high biodiversity grasslands are also threatened by intensive harvesting, such as soy, and cattle production. In the case of palm oil, peatlands are in particular danger. Upon the entry into force of this Regulation, the Commission should assess whether there is a risk of increasing destruction of these ecosystems.
Amendment 75 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 14
Recital 14
(14) The Union imported and consumed one third of the globally traded agricultural products associated with deforestation between 1990 and 2008. Over that period, Union consumption was responsible for 10% of worldwide deforestation associated with the production of goods or services. Even if the relative share of EU consumption is decreasing, EU consumption is a disproportionally large driver of deforestation. The Union should therefore take action to minimise global deforestation and forest degradation driven by its consumption of certain commodities and products and thereby seek to reduce its contribution to greenhouse gas emissions and global biodiversity loss as well as promote sustainable production and consumption patterns in the Union and globally. To have the greatest impact, Union policy should aim at influencing the global market, not only supply chains to the Union. PMultilateral and bilateral partnerships and efficient international cooperation with producer and consumer countries are fundamental in that respect, taking into account the inputs from all stakeholders, including small holders, civil society, SMEs, women, indigenous peoples, local communities. To be effective, such partnerships should ensure trade incentives and support for local livelihoods, as well as roadmaps of reforms to happen the partner country.
Amendment 83 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 18
Recital 18
(18) As a member of World Trade Organisation (WTO), the Union is committed to promoting a universal, rule- based, open, transparent, predictable, inclusive, non-discriminatory and equitable multilateral trading system under the WTO, as well as an open, sustainable, and assertive trade policy. The scope of this Regulation will therefore include both commodities and products produced within the Union and commodities and products imported to the Union. Furthermore, the Commission should assure that it will always move according to the principles of proportionality, non discrimination and objectivity in case it takes any measure that might affect trade flows.
Amendment 89 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 21
Recital 21
(21) The Commission should continue to work in partnership with producer countries, and more generally in cooperation with international organisations and bodies, on-the-ground stakeholders, or local communities, and should be reinforcing its support and incentives with regard to protecting forests and transition to deforestation-free production, acknowledging the role of indigenous people, improving governance and land tenure, increasing law enforcement and promoting sustainable forest management, climate-resilient agriculture, sustainable intensification and diversification, agro- ecology and agroforestry. In doing so it should acknowledge the role of indigenous people in protecting forests. Building upon the experience and lessons learned in the context of the already existing initiatives, the Union and the Member States should work in partnership with producer countries, upon their request, to exploit the multi-functionalities of forest, support them in the transition to sustainable forest management, and address global challenges while meeting local needs and paying attention to the challenges faced by smallholders in line with the Communication to Stepping up Action to Protect and Restore the World’s Forests. The partnership approach should help producer countries in protecting, restoring and sustainably using forest, hence contributing to the objective of this Regulation to reduce deforestation and forest degradation and support forest regeneration.
Amendment 112 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 34
Recital 34
(34) Operators should formally assume responsibility for the compliance of the relevant commodities or products that they intend to place on the Union market or to export by making available due diligence statements. A template for such statements should be provided by this Regulation. This is expected to facilitate enforcement of this Regulation through competent authorities and courts as well as increase compliance by operators. The template should be understandable, provided in all languages of the Union and the Member States, included in the web portal built and managed by the Commission. The portal should be open to complaints and observations from all parties involved.
Amendment 116 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 38
Recital 38
(38) Other EU legislative instruments that set out due diligence requirements in the value chain with regard to adverse human rights or environmental impacts should apply in so far as there are no specific provisions with the same objective, nature and effect in this Regulation which may be adapted in the light of future legislative amendments. The existence of this Regulation should not exclude the application of other EU legislative instruments that lay down requirements regarding value chain due diligence. Where such other EU legislative instruments provide for more specific provisions or add requirements to the provisions laid down in this Regulation, such provisions should be applied in conjunction with those of this Regulation. Furthermore, where this Regulation contains more specific provisions, they should not be interpreted in a way that undermines the effective application of other EU legislative instruments on due diligence or the achievement of their general aim. The Commission should ensure that the Union's due diligence legal framework is harmonised and coherent.
Amendment 123 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 47 a (new)
Recital 47 a (new)
(47a) The benchmarking criteria should take into account national laws or international standards on tenure rights, Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC), transparency or community benefit-sharing. Countries could therefore be defined as low risk, significantly lightening due diligence requirements, despite being at high risk of, inter alia, land rights violations. Moreover, benchmarking should not reward the existence of an agreement as well as its implementation. Risk rating should be done at a national and sub-national levels and per commodity.
Amendment 127 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 51
Recital 51
(51) The plan for checks should be regularly updated on the basis of the results of its implementation. Those operators showing a consistent track record of compliance should be subject to a reduced frequency of checks. For that to happen accordingly, the Commission should ask the Member State to duly enforce the control in line with this Regulation.
Amendment 137 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 57 a (new)
Recital 57 a (new)
(57a) The Commission should assist least developed countries (LDCs) and SMEs in their understanding, implementation and compliance with the standards set out in this Regulation, keeping an open cooperation towards capacity building with national, regional and local governments, civil society organisations and producers, especially small producers.
Amendment 157 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 2
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 2
(2) ‘forest’ means land spanning more than 0,5 hectares with trees higher than 5 meters and a canopy cover of more than 10%, or trees able to reach those thresholds in situ, excluding agricultural plantations and land that is predominantly under agricultural or urban land use as well as natural forests and plantations;
Amendment 167 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 6
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 6
(6) ‘forest degradation’ means harvesting operations that are not sustainable and cause a reduction or loss of the biological or economic productivity and complexity of forest ecosystems, resulting in the long-term reduction of the overall supply of benefits from forest, which includes wood, biodiversity and other products or services, such as over- harvesting of timber;
Amendment 327 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 27 – paragraph 2 – point f a (new)
Article 27 – paragraph 2 – point f a (new)
(fa) laws from partner countries;
Amendment 329 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 27 – paragraph 2 – point f b (new)
Article 27 – paragraph 2 – point f b (new)
(fb) international standards on tenure rights, Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC), transparency, and community benefit-sharing.
Amendment 330 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 27 – paragraph 2 a (new)
Article 27 – paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. In extraordinary cases, where the third country has showed a consistent will to improve its risk assessment, they shall also be defined as low risk, significantly lightening due diligence requirements, despite being at high risk of, inter alia, land rights violations. Moreover, benchmarking shall reward the existence of an agreement as well as its implementation. Risk rating shall be done at a national and sub-national levels and per commodity.
Amendment 338 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 28 – paragraph 1
Article 28 – paragraph 1
1. The Commission shall engage with producer countries concerned by this Regulation to develop partnerships and cooperation to jointly address deforestation and forest degradation. Such partnerships and cooperation mechanisms will focus on the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of forests, deforestation, forest degradation and the transition to sustainable commodity production, consumption processing and trade methods. To be effective, such partnerships shall ensure trade incentives and support for local livelihoods, as well as roadmaps of reforms to happen the partner country. Partnerships and cooperation mechanisms may include structured dialogues, support programmes and actions, administrative arrangements and provisions in existing agreements or agreements that enable producer countries to make the transition to an agricultural production that facilitates the compliance of relevant commodities and products with the requirements of this regulation. Such agreements and their effective implementation will be taken into account as part of the benchmarking under Article 27 of this Regulation.
Amendment 342 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 28 – paragraph 2 a (new)
Article 28 – paragraph 2 a (new)
Amendment 347 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 28 – paragraph 4 a (new)
Article 28 – paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Partnerships with third countries shall include a process to demarcate and recognise community tenure rights in line with the internationally accepted Voluntary Guidelines for the Governance of Tenure (VGGT) in order to clarify the domestic legal situation so that companies’ obligations are clear.
Amendment 354 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 30 – paragraph 2 a (new)
Article 30 – paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. The Commission shall prepare a delegated regulation to set up a mechanism for communities whose rights have been violated by infringements of this Regulation, with the aim to obtain compensation, and penalties relating to environmental damage. The delegated regulations shall include information on who shall receive penalties paid by companies that infringe this Regulation.
Amendment 362 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 32 – paragraph 1 a (new)
Article 32 – paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. Upon the entry into force of this Regulation, the Commission shall assess whether there is a risk of increasing destruction of savannahs, wetlands and high biodiversity grasslands due to intensive harvesting and cattle production.