Activities of Anne SANDER related to 2021/2254(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
A long-term vision for the EU's rural areas (debate)
Amendments (18)
Amendment 28 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas rural areas represent around 83 % of the total European territory and are home to around 137 million people (30 % of the European population); whereas rural territories are at the heart of our European food production and are an asset for our entire continent; whereas, however, rural areas, in particular remote and less developed rural regions, face specific unresolved challenges, such as demographic decline and access to transport and certain other services;
Amendment 69 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Highlights the diversity of rural areas across the EU; recalls that rural areas close to urban centres, in remote areas or mountainous zones, and in outermost regions face different challenges requiring targeted solutions to be implemented in consultation with local actors;
Amendment 80 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Stresses that policies and actions at EU level combined with national and regional ones are key to securing the prosperity and well-being of rural European citizens, as well as tackling the challenges they face, namely population decline and ageing, fewer quality job opportunities, a lack of access to high- quality services of general interest, climate and environmental pressures, lower connectivity and limited access to innovation; stresses that these numerous challenges need to be addressed in consultation with local authorities in order to best identify the needs of each territory and to be able to fully stimulate their attractiveness and dynamism;
Amendment 89 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Highlights the problems for rural border regions which are particularly in need of bilateral and interregional cooperation in order to address the specific problems of citizens who cross the border every day to go to work;
Amendment 90 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 b (new)
Paragraph 2 b (new)
2b. Recalls the need to ensure coexistence between human activities and large carnivores, in particular wolves; calls on the Commission and the Member States to take concrete action to address these issues so as not to compromise the development and dynamism of rural areas; calls also on the Commission to carry out an evaluation of the Habitats Directive;
Amendment 113 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Draws attention to the growing discontent among rural populations who feel their needs are insufficiently considered in political decision-making, which creates fertile ground for civic and political disengagement; stresses that geographical remoteness and disconnection from public transport services are increasing this discontent;
Amendment 146 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Welcomes the Commission’s communication on a long-term vision for the EU’s rural areas; agrees with its general aims and considers it a most valuable opportunity for reinforcing action on the present and future of rural areas; stresses the importance of ensuring good synergy between the avenues envisaged in the Commission communication, the pre- existing instruments and the accessibility of information for local authorities and stakeholders;
Amendment 160 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Agrees on the need for a common, EU-wide, functional definition of rural areas, and urges the Commission to quickly develop and operationalise such a definition; considers that such a definition will enable better targeting of EU policies for the development of these territories;
Amendment 234 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Underlines the central role agriculture and forestry plays in rural areas; insists that sustainable agriculture, providing fair income to farmers, is crucial for the vitality of these territories;
Amendment 251 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14a. Recalls that rural areas are important areas places of resilience and that it is essential that the inhabitants of these areas can fully benefit from this vitality; calls for the development of short supply chains to bring consumers and producers closer together, enabling access to high-quality food for consumers, decent remuneration for farmers and a reduction in greenhouse gases in the food production cycle;
Amendment 279 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15a. Stresses that rural areas in the outermost regions are subject to additional constraints; recalls the specific nature of the outermost regions as laid down in Article 349 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, which, owing to their remoteness, insularity, small size, topography and economic dependence on a small number of products, must be fully integrated into this strategy; considers that they represent an opportunity for the European Union in terms of economic development and access to maritime areas and regions far from the European continent and are unique reservoirs of biodiversity;
Amendment 288 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Regrets that the work of rural women is still not properly recognised; calls on the Commission and the Member States to take action to design and implement measures to fight gender gaps; stresses that recognition of the work of women in the agricultural sector is essential if it is to be visible and contribute to the development of rural areas; stresses the need to exchange good practices within the Member States, in particular on the professional status provided for spouses in the agricultural sector in order to allow them access to social security, training, maternity leave and retirement pensions;
Amendment 308 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Highlights the central role of rural areas in the transition to a low-carbon economy; stresses that initiatives in rural areas, such as renewable energy infrastructure, must contribute effectively to the economic and social vitality of such areas, while taking into account the social acceptance of this new infrastructure;
Amendment 323 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17a. Stresses that locating diversified economic sectors in rural areas is a prerequisite for their attractiveness; considers, therefore, that financial and tax incentives, in particular, should be granted to companies setting up in these areas, ensuring that administrative formalities are facilitated;
Amendment 346 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Stresses that the digital transition brings about new opportunities for rural areas, which are only accessible if there is adequate, stable and accessible broadband coverage; believes that reducing the digital divide is an important tool for tackling depopulation in these areas; warns of the risks of the widening of the rural digital gap as a result of the lack of 5G coverage, and calls on Member States to mobilise all available instruments to prevent it;
Amendment 394 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Urges Member States to address the specific challenges of rural areas during the implementation of the current multiannual financial framework programmes and to provide the investments needed for social inclusion and job creation, in order to foster competitiveness and enable a just digital and green transition; considers that some regions are not making sufficient use of the financial resources available to them owing to insufficient administrative structures, and that these areas should be supported so as to ensure that these funds are used harmoniously and effectively;
Amendment 414 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Regrets the persistent obstacles to the multi-fund approach, which hamper the deployment of integrative approaches in rural areas; calls on the Commission to improve synergies and coordination between EU funding instruments, and with national instruments, and to pursue simplification, in particular for smaller projects, which are key for rural areas; calls on the Commission to facilitate access to information and procedures in order to inform businesses, artisans, owners of innovative projects and all those with dynamic initiatives for rural areas about the means available to support and help them;
Amendment 476 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
Paragraph 30
30. Recalls that the future of rural areas is of paramount importance for Europe’s food security and food autonomy, as the recent COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine have clearly demonstrated; adds that they enable the European Union to ensure its food security while contributing to that of third countries; recalls that the resilience of the EU’s productive fabric has made it possible for European citizens to have access to high-quality food during the pandemic, and that maintaining European agricultural potential is essential for feeding third countries which are already facing a food emergency;