Activities of Sandro GOZI related to 2020/2021(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
Towards a more sustainable single market for business and consumers (debate)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT Towards a more sustainable single market for business and consumers
Amendments (66)
Amendment 11 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas dwindling natural resources and the proliferation of waste make it essential to establish sustainable patterns of production and consumption which are commensurate with planetary boundaries and focus on the effective and sustainable use of resources;
Amendment 14 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas ambitious sectoral EU policies, as well as the proper implementation and effective enforcement of existing rules are essential for a well- functioning sustainable single market;
Amendment 16 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas we need a horizontal strategy for a sustainable sinternalgle market must be supported by a horizontal strategy that addresses the issue of premature obsolescence, while supporting, that will encourage sustainable patterns of production and consumption, provide innovation opportunities for businesses, and high level of consumer protection; this strategy should support sustainable growth, innovation and jobs;
Amendment 20 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas sustainable products with improved durability, reusability, upgradability, reparability and minimised environmental footprint should become the norm in the EU; whereas the ‘sustainable’ choice should become the default choice for all consumers in the EU;
Amendment 22 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B b (new)
Recital B b (new)
Bb. whereas effective methodologies and rules should be introduced for substantiating environmental claims in order to reduce ‘greenwashing’; whereas planned obsolescence of products should be tackled;
Amendment 23 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B c (new)
Recital B c (new)
Bc. whereas it is essential to mobilise sufficient funding, for example via Horizon Europe and InvestEU, to finance research and development of sustainable products;
Amendment 24 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B d (new)
Recital B d (new)
Bd. whereas a one-size-fits-all horizontal approach regarding product lifetime may be not the most effective; whereas different approaches that differentiate between different categories of products and take into account market and technological developments could be more appropriate;
Amendment 26 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas consumers are ready to embark on the journey towards a circular economy, but many obstacles remain, including, firstly, information asymmetry; whereas clear, reliable and transparent information on durability, reparability and environmental performance of products, including on their health benefits, is essential for consumers’ awareness and sustainable consumption patterns;
Amendment 33 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas encouraging the culture of repair and reuse and thedeveloping second- hand goods markets are sources ofcould offer economic and social opportunities, create jobs, and drive industrial competitiveness; whereas easily enforceable remedies that prioritise reuse and repair, as well as effective ‘right to repair’ are essential in this respect;
Amendment 40 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas the increasing digitalisation of our societies must help forge a sustainable market based on responsibility, transparency, information- sharing, and moderation; whereas online platforms could further deliver on their responsibility to provide consumers with reliable information on sustainability of products and services they offer;
Amendment 47 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas public procurement is a strategic tool that can be used to support Europe’s industrial fabric in its transitionin Europe’s green and digital transition; whereas mandatory green public procurement will strengthen Europe’s industrial resilience and strategic autonomy and will encourage sustainable choices for both businesses and consumers;
Amendment 50 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas advertising is used to persuade consumers to buy more, and this has environmental repercussionshas an effect on the levels and patterns of consumption and could encourage sustainable business and consumer choices; whereas misleading ‘green’ advertising should be tackled;
Amendment 55 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G a (new)
Recital G a (new)
Ga. whereas recent Eurobarometer figures show that around 68% of the EU citizens agree that consumption patterns adversely affect the environment in the EU and worldwide; whereas changing consumption and production habits is seen as an effective way to tackle environmental issues and move towards a sustainable Single Market;
Amendment 62 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G b (new)
Recital G b (new)
Gb. whereas developing a sustainable single market requires effective market surveillance to ensure compliance of products, including with certain environmental requirements;
Amendment 68 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 1
Subheading 1
Consumer rights and clamping down on prematurelanned obsolescence
Amendment 70 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 1 a (new)
Subheading 1 a (new)
- 1. Stresses that green and digital transition as well as Europe’s global competitiveness require strong political ambition when designing and implementing Europe’s strategy on sustainability; such strategy should be based on the imperatives of the European Green Deal and ‘no harm’ principle;
Amendment 71 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 1 b (new)
Subheading 1 b (new)
-1a. Stresses that completing and deepening the Single market is a precondition for the success of Europe’s transition to sustainable and circular economy; calls on the Commission and the Member States to address the existing regulatory and non-regulatory barriers stemming from restrictive and complex national rules, limited administrative capacities, and inadequate transposition and enforcement of EU rules; calls for more flexible and transparent governance of the internal market with more effective peer reviews and improved monitoring and performance tools;
Amendment 72 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 1 c (new)
Subheading 1 c (new)
-1b. Welcomes the Circular Economy Action Plan and the intention of the Commission to come up with specific measures to address the need to improve product durability, reusability, upgradability and reparability, as well as to tackle the planned obsolescence of products; stresses the need to empower consumers to better guide their consumption patterns by providing them with clear and reliable information on lifespan, environmental performance and reparability of products; calls on the Commission to support and develop economic tools that give an economic advantage to sustainable choices;
Amendment 73 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 1 d (new)
Subheading 1 d (new)
-1c. Stresses that the upcoming legislative proposals aimed at promoting a more sustainable single market for businesses and consumers should be fully aligned with the objective of limiting global warming to under 1.5°C, and should not contribute to biodiversity loss and increased scarcity of resources;
Amendment 74 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 1 e (new)
Subheading 1 e (new)
-1d. Recalls that the European Union is both the world’s second largest economic power and the world’s largest trading power; points out that the single market is a powerful tool that must be used to develop sustainable and circular products or technologies that will become tomorrow’s standards, thus enabling citizens to purchase affordable products that are safer, healthier and more respectful of the planet;
Amendment 75 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 1 f (new)
Subheading 1 f (new)
-1e. Points out that both sustainable production and consumption should be promoted; considers in this regard that resource efficiency should be improved by increasing the circularity of value chains, reducing the consumption of resources, and cutting down on waste generation; stresses that a new economy comprising circular services should be developed;
Amendment 80 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – introductory part
Paragraph 1 – introductory part
1. Calls on the Commission to devise a horizontal strategy that includesin consultation with all stakeholders to devise a horizontal strategy to encourage sustainable choices of both businesses and consumers, with measures that differentiate between categories of products, and take into account market and technological developments. This strategy should include the following measures to:
Amendment 88 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point a a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point a a (new)
aa) encourage manufacturers to consider the durability and reparability of products from the design stage, so as to ensure the placing on the market of sustainable, easily reparable and reusable products and a sustainable choice for consumers;
Amendment 89 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point a b (new)
Paragraph 1 – point a b (new)
ab) introduce a multi-criteria life cycle environmental performance index, which will provide information to consumers on the reparability, durability and recyclability of a product, including its packaging;
Amendment 95 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point b
Paragraph 1 – point b
b) introduce mandatory labelling, on theeasily readable labels, basised ofn common transparent standards, such as multi- criteria life cycle’s environmental performance index which, for comparison purposes, will informs consumers at the time of purchase of the estimated lifetime of a product and will sets out the options for repair,
Amendment 107 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point d
Paragraph 1 – point d
d) bring the duration of legal guarantees and periods of presumed conformity into line with the estimated lifetime of products and harmonise these at European level; the Commission should assess the impact of such proposal on the level of prices, the estimation of products’ lifespan, the system of commercial guarantees, and independent repair services,
Amendment 121 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point f
Paragraph 1 – point f
f) add to the list in Annex I to Directive 2005/29/EC practices which curtail the life of a product, such as preventing repairs, introducing a design fault, or slowing performance following an updatetackle planned obsolescence, by adding practices that effectively shorten the life of a product to increase its replacement rate and the unduly constrained reparability of products, including software to the list in Annex I to Directive 2005/29/EC; stresses the need for those practices to be clearly and precisely defined;
Amendment 136 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 – point a
Paragraph 2 – point a
a) security updates must continue throughout the estimated lifetime of the device, and for a minimum of five years,
Amendment 147 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 – point b a (new)
Paragraph 2 – point b a (new)
ba) security or any other software updates must never deliberately slow down devices or diminish their performance;
Amendment 151 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. PStresses the need for simple, effective and enforceable means of redress for both businesses and consumers; points out that consumers are all too often ill-informed about their rights and means of redress; calls for funding for measures to address this asymmetry of information and offer consumer associations support with their initiativessupport for the initiatives of business and consumer associations in this respect;
Amendment 156 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Underlines the importance of ensuring information and consumer awareness of vulnerable groups, such as persons with disabilities, to increase consumer confidence in products with a long lifetime; considers that the Commission and the Member States should assist local and regional authorities, companies and consumer associations, in promoting exchanges of information and sharing of best practices throughout the EU;
Amendment 160 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3b. Stresses that products from outside the EU often do not comply with EU rules on sustainability and safety; calls on the Commission and the Member States to step up their efforts to ensure compliance of products with mandatory environmental criteria through enhanced market surveillance, including for products sold online;
Amendment 166 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Calls for the following information to be given at the time of purchaseStresses the need to enhance and optimise the information provided to consumers on reparability of products at the time of purchase; calls for the following information to be available in a clear and easy readable manner: whether spare parts are available or not, period of availability from date of purchase, price of spare parts, delivery and repair times;
Amendment 174 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 – introductory part
Paragraph 5 – introductory part
5. CAsks the Commission to assess the existing barriers preventing repairs, resales, donations and reuse and to propose measures to address those; calls on the Commission to establish a consumers’ right to repair with a view to making repairs, taking into account different product categories in order to encourage systematic and affordable: repairs:
Amendment 183 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 – point a
Paragraph 5 – point a
a) by guaranteeing unrestrictedensuring access to repair and maintenance information and spare parts for all those involved inconsumers and representatives of the repair industry and all consumers,
Amendment 188 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 – point b
Paragraph 5 – point b
b) by imposencouraging standardisation of spare parts, for the sake of interoperability while respecting product safety requirements and allowing for innovation,
Amendment 200 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 – point d
Paragraph 5 – point d
d) encouraging repair over replacement by extending guarantees for consumers who choose for this option; furthermore, ensuring that sellers always inform consumers of the option of repair as well as the associated right of extended guarantee,
Amendment 225 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Stresses the importance of boosting circular economy business models, that will minimise destruction of products and promote repair and ‘reuse’; calls for ensuring R&D investments in this area; stresses the need for educational campaigns and training projects on ‘reuse’ for both businesses and consumers;
Amendment 228 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 b (new)
Paragraph 6 b (new)
6b. Points out the existence of many discouraging practices by companies, which prevent technical, safety or software solutions by independent repairers and directly affect consumers’ choices of repair; calls for balanced approach that safeguards the enforcement of intellectual property rights on the one hand and ensures effective support for independent repairers on the other, in order to promote consumer choice and achieve an overall sustainable Single Market;
Amendment 231 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. PStresses the need to create incentives for consumers to buy second- hand goods; points out that transferring the guarantee in the event of the resale of a product which is still covered would boost consumer confidence in this market, and calls for guarantees to be linked to the item rather than the buyer;
Amendment 234 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Calls for a system of extended guarantees forclear definition of reconditioned goods to beand for introduceding a system of extended guarantees for them on a broad scale, to supplement the initial legal guarantees, in order to support consumers and prevent malpractice;
Amendment 239 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Welcomes the development of commercial models that separate consumption from material ownership,; stresses the need to facilitate rentals and calls for a robust assessment of the impact of the functionality economy and its potential rebound effects;
Amendment 244 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Stresses the importance of a well- functioning internal market for secondary raw materials and recycled products; calls on the Commission to identify and remove existing barriers, as well as to accelerate requests for development of harmonised standards for these products;
Amendment 249 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 b (new)
Paragraph 9 b (new)
9b. Highlights the role of the service sector in increasing accessibility and affordability of repairs, leasing and product-as-a-service; points out that completing the internal market for services will contribute to the transition to a more sustainable single market;
Amendment 256 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 – introductory part
Paragraph 10 – introductory part
10. Welcomes the announcement of a common database and of ambition of the Commission to develop digital ‘product passports’ to improve traceability and transparency; calls fhat will provide information on a product’s origin, durability, composition, reuse, repair, dismantling possibilities, and end-of-life handling; welcomes, furthermore these tools to be developed in such a way as to: intention to establish a common European data space for smart circular applications;
Amendment 259 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 – point a
Paragraph 10 – point a
Amendment 261 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 – point b
Paragraph 10 – point b
Amendment 264 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 – point c
Paragraph 10 – point c
Amendment 266 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 – point d
Paragraph 10 – point d
d) involve the adoption of guidelines and ambitious minimum standards on data exchange and protection, to be applied to both business-to-business transactions and business-to-consumer transactions, thereby significantly improving product traceability;eleted
Amendment 277 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Takes note of digital technologies’ contribution to innovation and in forging a more circular economy; calls for derogations to be made from intellectual property law to allow full use to be made of such technologies when in the public interest, for example during a health crisis;on the Commission and Member States to increase funding for research and innovation in sustainable technologies;
Amendment 282 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. StressNotes that, whether we consider its manufacturing or services, the digital sector has a significant environmental footprint, and calls for the introduction of an EU digital sustainability index based on an analysis of product life cycles;
Amendment 284 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12a. Stresses the importance of online platforms and online marketplaces for promoting sustainable products and services and encouraging sustainable consumption; calls for proactive measures to tackle misleading practices and disinformation regarding products and services offered online, including false ‘environmental claims’;
Amendment 289 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Takes the view that public procurement should be central to the EU’s economic recovery plan, in line with the European Green Deal; calls for absolute priority to be given to stimulating demand for eco-innovative goods and services and ensuring access for small and medium- sized enterprises by introducing, inter alia, preferential award criteria;
Amendment 294 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13a. Stresses that ambitious public procurement in terms of sustainability of products and services could support innovation efforts of private sector and sets the right incentives for boosting sustainable production and consumption;
Amendment 296 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 b (new)
Paragraph 13 b (new)
13b. Stresses the need to ensure the uptake of green public procurement by introducing mandatory sustainability criteria to encourage governments to buy goods and services with less impact on the environment;
Amendment 298 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 c (new)
Paragraph 13 c (new)
13c. Calls for absolute priority to be given to stimulating demand for eco- innovative goods and services, as well as to reused and recycled goods, and low- energy consumption software programmes;
Amendment 299 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 d (new)
Paragraph 13 d (new)
13d. Stresses the potential benefits of an instrument for screening ‘green’ tenders to ensure the compatibility of large-scale infrastructure projects with EU's climate commitments and to tackle ‘greenwashing’, including in the context of public procurement;
Amendment 300 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 e (new)
Paragraph 13 e (new)
13e. Calls for mandatory reporting obligations for the Commission and the Member States with regard to their sustainable public procurement;
Amendment 301 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 f (new)
Paragraph 13 f (new)
13f. Calls for ensuring effective reciprocity in public procurement with third countries, as well as ensuring access for small and medium-sized enterprises by introducing, inter alia, preferential award criteria;
Amendment 302 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 g (new)
Paragraph 13 g (new)
13g. Stresses the important contribution of social economy enterprises to circular and local production models and calls for improving their access to public procurement;
Amendment 310 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14a. Underlines that the integrity and functioning of a sustainable Single Market greatly depends on a seamlessly functioning customs union; insists that the Commission ensures that custom controls throughout the EU follow the same standards, by means of a direct unified customs control mechanism, in coordination with Member States and in full compliance with the principle of subsidiarity;
Amendment 328 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Stresses the major roleNotes that advertising playhas ian ‘psychological obsolescence’, the phenomenon whereby a functioning product comes to be viewed as outdated; concludes that a regulatory framework effect on the levels and patterns of consumption and could encourage sustainable business and consumer choices; stresses the importance of responsible advertising this area is crucial for at respects public standards on environment and consumer healthe; creation of a sustainable marketalls for misleading advertising to be tackled;
Amendment 333 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
Amendment 342 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
Amendment 347 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18a. Calls on the Commission to assess the impact of advertising on the environment and consumer health, as well as to examine the feasibility of introducing measures to promote sustainable consumption;
Amendment 349 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19