Activities of Marc TARABELLA related to 2020/2260(INI)
Shadow opinions (1)
OPINION on a Farm to Fork Strategy for a fair, healthy and environmentally friendly food system
Amendments (94)
Amendment 8 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Urges a shift away from trade- oriented agricultural policies and towards support for food sovereignty and local and regional marketthe utmost prioritisation of support for food sovereignty, local and regional markets; calls for the support of local production and consumption that ensure local employment creation, assure fair prices, guarantee the protection of workers’ health and safety, lessen countries' dependency on imports and their vulnerability to international price fluctuations; recalls that agroecology’s capacity to reconcile the economic, environmental and social dimensions of sustainability has been widely recognised;
Amendment 14 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. Regrets that the global dimension of the Strategy does not include concrete proposals to realize the Right to Adequate Food, implement the UN Declaration on the Rights of Peasants and Other People Working in Rural Areas or address measures to globally improve the working conditions of farmworkers and the income of small-scale farmers that are part of international food supply chains, or ensure the precautionary principle is included for all food safety requirements; insists that the global dimension is further strengthened;
Amendment 18 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
1 b. Urges the Commission to provide support for developing countries to protect their sensitive and infant industries, promote food security, support climate change mitigation for agriculture, and meet EU and international sustainability standards for the export of their agricultural products; calls on the Commission to present a comprehensive impact assessment of the targets envisaged in the Strategy on developing countries;
Amendment 21 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 c (new)
Paragraph 1 c (new)
1 c. Highlights that current food systems are unable to provide the world's population with diversified and quality food in sufficient quantity and to cope with the climatic, social, health, and economic crises as confirmed by the COVID-19 pandemic; underlines that 3 billion people cannot afford healthy food and that 690 million people suffer from hunger; highlights that according to the UN's estimates, by the end of 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic might double the number of people facing severe hunger; regrets that food and nutrition security is not a priority in the Team Europe Initiatives whereas the EU and its Member States should strengthen their efforts to mitigate the food crisis emanating from the current pandemic;
Amendment 23 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 d (new)
Paragraph 1 d (new)
1 d. Emphasizes on EU's role as an enabler in the transformation of food systems so they can be more resilient, sustainable, and fair in and outside the EU and its role to tackle all forms of malnutrition in humanitarian, development, and any fragile contexts;
Amendment 25 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 5 a (new)
Citation 5 a (new)
- having regard to the European Pillar of Social Rights,
Amendment 29 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Insists that EU funding for agriculture must be in line with Agenda 2030 and prioritise investments in agroecology, agroforestry and, crop diversification and energy consumption; stresses the importance of preserving agricultural biodiversity, local animal and plant breeds and local varieties; stresses to this regard the crucial role of research and development in nurturing innovation in agriculture, circular economy and integrated food systems, with positive spill over effects on all sectors of local economies;
Amendment 32 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 5 b (new)
Citation 5 b (new)
- having regard to its resolution on European protection of cross-border and seasonal workers in the context of the COVID-19 crisis adopted on 19 June,
Amendment 33 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Insists that EU funding for agriculture must be in line with Agenda 2030 and coherent with the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and prioritise investments in agroecology, agroforestry and crop diversification; stresses the importance of preserving agricultural biodiversity, local animal and plant breeds and local varieties;
Amendment 35 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2 a. Reminds that healthy nutrition is a prerequisite for physical and mental wellbeing, in particular for young women, children and infants, who are most likely to be exposed to malnutrition or undernourishment in areas affected by chronical food shortages, natural disasters, famines and armed conflict, thereby leading in the long term to critical deficits in physical and cognitive abilities; invites therefore the Commission to work together with partner countries, civil society and non-governmental organisations (CSOs and NGOs) in order to promote food security at large scale and guarantee high-quality and nutritious diets, ensuring a strategic allocation of resources to building the necessary infrastructure, on the one hand, and promoting behavioural change through ad-hoc education projects, on the other;
Amendment 46 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Regrets that increasing vertical and horizontal concentration in the agri-food sector reinforces the industrial food and farming model; believes that the Green New Deal requires the creation of a new anti-trust environment; stresses that all actors of the agri-food sector need to exercise due diligence over their supply chain, that is to set up responsible and effective practices regarding the environment, human rights and good governance (e.g. minimum age requirements and occupational safety);
Amendment 49 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3 a. Welcomes the announcement of legislative initiatives in 2021-2022 to enhance cooperation of primary producers to support their position in the food chain; insists that the legislation not only covers EU based producers but also protects producers and farmers from developing countries who work with European companies;
Amendment 52 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3 b. Stresses that while women and girls are a crucial workforce in food systems, they are severely disadvantaged in their access to food and their burden of work; emphasizes that EU policies concerning fair, sustainable, and resilient food systems have to explicitly address gender inequality, especially women and girls' access to nutritious food, knowledge, dignified work, natural resources and markets, and to ensure their rights and participation in decision making;
Amendment 58 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Stresses that EU free trade agreements (FTAs), in particular the EU- Mercosur Agreement is in, must be consistent with the Green Deal and the Farm to Fork Strategy, in particular itsespecially on the reduction of EU’s dependence on animal feed, andd import of critical feed materials (e.g. soya grown on deforested land), the shift to a more plant- based diet and shorter supply chains;
Amendment 67 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Stresses that EU free trade agreements (FTAs) should not disrupt local agriculture, damage small producers or exacerbate dependency on food imports; recalls into question international trade rules which allow dumping through the WTO green boxthe principle of policy coherence for development to ensure European exports do not hinder the development of local and emerging productions; welcomes the Commission’s commitment to compliance of EU trade agreements with the Paris Agreement, and calls for market access in FTAs to be conditional on compliance with process and production methods criteria;
Amendment 75 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5 a. Welcomes references to relevant UN processes in the Farm to Fork Strategy, and highlights that the global governance of food and agriculture should involve strong support to the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) and its Civil Society Mechanism (CSM); calls on the Commission to promote a global transition to sustainable food systems in all relevant international forums, including the UN Food Systems Summit 2021;
Amendment 293 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas the European model of a multifunctional agricultural sector, driven by family farms, continues to ensure quality food production, local supply chains, good agriculture practices, high environmental standards and vibrant rural areas throughout the EU, and whereas, given the difficult economic circumstances, it would be advisable to allow strategic use of more coupled aid;
Amendment 356 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C e (new)
Recital C e (new)
Ce. whereas it is necessary to ensure consistency and coherence amongst the measures envisaged by the farm to fork strategy and the CAP and CFP, the Trade Policy, the EU biodiversity strategy , as well as other related EU policies and strategies;
Amendment 378 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas it is important that consumers are trained, informed and enabled to take responsibility for the consequences of their choice of food stuffs, including the price, on the whole food system, from production to processing and distribution; whereas this requires a healthy and sound food environment which ensures that the healthy and sustainable choice is also the easy and affordable choice, and fosters and encourages consumption patterns, available for all consumers, that support human health while ensuring the sustainable use of natural and human resources and animal welfare;
Amendment 396 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
Da. whereas it is estimated that in the EU in 2017 over 950,000 deaths (one out of five) and over 16 million lost healthy life years were attributable to unhealthy diets, mainly cardiovascular diseases and cancers1a; __________________ 1aEU Science Hub : https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/en/health- knowledge-gateway/societal- impacts/burden
Amendment 412 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas the European food system has played a crucial role during the COVID-19 pandemic, demonstrating its resilience with farmers and their cooperatives or producers organisations, workers employed along the food value chain, processors and retailers working together under difficult conditions and sanitary risks, including lockdowns, to ensure that European consumers continue to have access to safe, affordable, and high quality products without impediment;
Amendment 480 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E h (new)
Recital E h (new)
Amendment 491 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the farm to fork strategy as an important step in ensuring a sustainable, fair and resilient food system, which is central to achieving the goals set out in the European Green Deal, the European Pillar of Social Rights and in the SDGs; emphasises the inextricable links between healthy people, decent working conditions, healthy societies and a healthy planet, encourages the Commission to translate the strategy into concrete legislative and non-legislative action as soon as possible, involving not only farmers but all actors in the food chain, including consumers;
Amendment 492 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the farm to fork strategy as an important step in ensuring a sustainable, fair and resilient food system, which is central to achieving the goals set out in the European Green Deal and in the SDGs; emphasises the inextricable links between healthy people, healthy societies and a healthy planet, encourages the Commission to translate the strategy into concrete legislative and non-legislative action as soon as possible, while ensuring consistency between agricultural, trade, environmental, development and human rights policies;
Amendment 543 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
1b. Welcomes the Commission's proposal to develop a contingency plan for ensuring food supply and food security in order to coordinate a common European response to crises affecting food systems ; insists that a prevention approach is needed to avoid panic movements and overreactions by people, firms or Member States; considers that it will be an adequate response to the growing expectations about food security that are to be addressed at European level; urges the Commission to consider strategic food stock issues in the way that it does for strategic petroleum stocks across European Union;
Amendment 548 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 c (new)
Paragraph 1 c (new)
1c. Urges the Commission to integrate food aid issues in the farm to fork strategy since 33 millions of Europeans suffer from lack of food, especially single parent families and students, and the social and economic consequences of the pandemic will increase that figure; recognises the unique role of the food aid associations across the European Union that need to be more supported because of the growing number of people who need help; considers that the resilience of our food system need to increase the connections between food policies and agricultural policies at every level from the local to the European level;
Amendment 574 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Welcomes the announcement of an impact-assessed proposal for a legislative framework for sustainable food systems that should be based on transparent data and take into account the latest scientific knowledge; invites the Commission to use this proposal to set out a holistic common food policy in which all actors make their contribution, aimed at reducing the environmental and climate footprint of the EU food system in order to make Europe the first climate- neutral continent by 2050 and strengthen its resilience to ensure food security in the face of climate change and biodiversity loss, leading a global transition towards sustainability from farm to fork, based on the principle of a multifunctional and competitive agricultural sector while ensuring consistency between policdifferent EU policies and strategies by taking into account the existing legislation in order to enable all actors in the European food system to develop long-term plans based on realistic and transparent objectives that respond to rational criteria based on the best scientific knowledge; suggests that the respective base lines and progress achieved in each Member State be taken into account, while promoting the exchange of know-how and best practices between Member States; stresses the need to include the entire food and beverage chains including processing, marketing, distribution and retail;
Amendment 593 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Welcomes the announcement of an impact-assessed proposal for a legislative framework for sustainable food systems; invites the Commission to use this proposal to set out a holistic, integrated common food policy aimed at reducing the environmental and climate footprint of the EU food system in order to make Europe the first climate- neutral continent by 2050 and strengthen its resilience to ensure food security in the face of climate change and biodiversity loss, leading a global transition towards sustainability from farm to fork, based on the principle of a multifunctional agricultural sector while ensuring consistency between policies by taking into account the existing legislation in order to enable all actors in the European food system to develop long- term plans based on realistic and transparent objectives; suggests that the respective base lines and progress achieved in each Member State be taken into account, while promoting the exchange of know-how and best practices between Member States; stresses the need to include the entire food and beverage chains including production, processing, marketing, transport, distribution and retail and to cover the environmental, social(including health) and economic dimensions of sustainability;
Amendment 657 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 b (new)
Paragraph 2 b (new)
2b. Emphasises the need to ensure coherence of agricultural practices with the goals of the European Green Deal in terms of climate change, biodiversity, circular economy and zero pollution;
Amendment 664 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 b (new)
Paragraph 2 b (new)
2b. Calls on the Commission to use the farm to fork strategy to build a truly long-term vision for Europe’s sustainable and competitive food system, able to guarantee access to healthy and quality products through binding targets for agriculture on biodiversity, climate, air pollution, water pollution, pesticides use and land degradation, while addressing sustainability issues around consumption, health and trade and safeguarding a high level of animal health and welfare, and at the same time promoting reciprocity of EU production standards with all commercial partners;
Amendment 666 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 b (new)
Paragraph 2 b (new)
2b. Recalls that the social dimension must be fully integrated in all future initiatives of the farm to fork strategy along with the economic and environmental dimensions to achieve a much-needed policy coherence for sustainable development; insists that improvement of working conditions, in line with the 8 ILO core Convention, collective bargaining, social protection, investment in public services, inclusive governance and fair taxation should be included as sustainability criteria;
Amendment 668 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 b (new)
Paragraph 2 b (new)
2b. Recalls that for the FAO, agroecology is a fundamental part of the global response to climate change and for the creation of sustainable food and agricultural systems, the new legislative framework for sustainable food systems, to be proposed until 2023, must be based on the principles and elements defined by the FAO as agroecology in order to trigger a true agroecological transition;
Amendment 680 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 d (new)
Paragraph 2 d (new)
2d. Stresses that the Common Agricultural Policy and the farm to fork strategy must be determined together at European level, in order to complement each other and protect a fair balance between production, consumer health and environment, and must be attributed adequate resources to strengthen farmers’ position in the agri-food supply chain;
Amendment 682 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 e (new)
Paragraph 2 e (new)
2e. Reiterates that to ensure a proportionate contribution from the sector, agriculture should be target-driven in the EU’s ambition to move towards net- zero emissions by mid-century or before; stresses that inclusion of farmers in climate action is crucial in order to achieve global mitigation targets without compromising global food and nutrition security and the Sustainable Development Goals;
Amendment 683 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 f (new)
Paragraph 2 f (new)
2f. Calls for a sustainable and efficient CAP which actively encourages farmers to deliver more environmental and climate benefits, including through strengthened common standards and mandatory requirements, especially for eco-schemes, providing a wide range of tools for farmers adapted to specific natural conditions to more efficiently use essential resources and inputs in food production, to improve biodiversity and soils, increase carbon sequestration, preserve sensitive habitats, contribute to the circular economy, reduce waste in the production cycle and phase-out subsidies which damage the climate;
Amendment 689 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 2
Subheading 2
Building the food chain that works for consumers, workers, producers, climate and the environment
Amendment 719 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
Amendment 782 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Points out that, in addition to revising the directive on the sustainable use of pesticides to reduce the use and risks of pesticides, the Commission should improve the environmental risk assessment for plant protection products in order to take into account the effects of pesticides on water quality and drinking water sources, including cumulative and combination effects; emphasises that pesticides that have a strong negative impact on groundwater and surface water quality, or to the production of drinking water, should be phased out as a priority, and that the substitution of harmful pesticides by low-risk substances should be promoted; stresses the need to improve policy coordination between agricultural, pesticide-, biocide- and fertiliser-related legislation and, inter alia, water legislation in order to ensure the protection of our water resources, and in particular of those used for drinking water production, from overexploitation and agricultural pollution;
Amendment 803 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Considers that the reduction targets for phytosanitary products that will finally be established should be accompanied by sustainable alternatives available on the market with equivalent effectiveness in the protection of plant health, in order to avoid the lack of necessary treatments for crops in the EU and the proliferation of organisms harmful to plants;
Amendment 818 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3b. Notes that several CAP measures can contribute to the implementation of the Sustainable Use of Pesticides Directive, for example by promoting IPM and organic farming; reminds that CAP rules also require Member States to establish farm advisory systems and provide advice on IPM to all farmers; regrets however that, while the IPM principles are mandatory for farmers, they are not included as a condition for CAP payments and despite encouragement for more sustainable farming practices, there are few measures deterring farmers from using ‘standard’ PPPs rather than turning to non-chemical or alternative methods1e; calls on the Member States to convert the general IPM principles into practical and measurable criteria and verify these criteria at farm level; calls on the Commission to incorporate these measurable IPM criteria into ‘conditionality’ in the post-2020 CAP and ensure they are enforced; _________________ 1eSpecial Report of the Court of Auditors 05/2019 "Sustainable use of plant protection products: limited progress in measuring and reducing risks"
Amendment 842 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 c (new)
Paragraph 3 c (new)
3c. Notes with interest the Commission's estimation of the EU-wide risks and impacts related to PPP use, published in November 2019, based on calculations of the two recently adopted harmonised risk indicators (one indicator based on PPP sales statistics and the other based on the number of emergency authorisations); regrets however that neither of the indicators show the extent to which the SUP Directive has been successful in achieving the EU objective of sustainable use of PPPs and that several concerns have been raised regarding the scientific rationale for the weightings used;1f calls on the Commission, in order to adequately assess the progress made towards policy objectives, to improve the harmonised risk indicators, or develop new ones that take into account, for Harmonised Risk Indicator II, agricultural areas or volumes of active substance, for Harmonised Risk Indicator I, the way PPPs are used; _________________ 1fEuropean Court of Auditors' Special Report 05/2019 "Sustainable use of plant protection products: limited progress in measuring and reducing risks"
Amendment 872 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 e (new)
Paragraph 3 e (new)
3e. Emphasises the need to improve policy coordination between agricultural legislation, particularly legislation on plant protection products, biocides and fertilisers, and, inter alia, water legislation, in order to ensure the protection of our water resources, particularly those used for drinking water supply , from overexploitation and agricultural pollution;
Amendment 917 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Emphasises the importance of recognising the significant impact of agriculture and especially animal production on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and land use; stresses the need to enhance natural carbon sinks and reduce agricultural emissions of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide, in particular in the feed and livestock sectors; calls for regulatory measures and targets to ensure progressive reductions in all GHG emissions in these sectors; calls on the Commission to make a clear distinction between intensive livestock production, which has a higher negative impact in terms of GHG emissions, and soil-based extensive livestock production, which is more virtuous and makes a valuable contribution to the fight against global warming, and to consider granting more public support to extensive livestock production than to intensive livestock production;
Amendment 982 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 c (new)
Paragraph 4 c (new)
4c. Stresses that intensive livestock production is highly unsustainable as it overloads the environment with nutrients, contributes to climate change through intensive GHG emissions, as well as air pollution and soil degradation and relies on destructive monocultures for feed production; calls for a coherent policy mix to enable a transition towards circular, extensive livestock production as part of mixed farming system, which respects the carrying capacity of the local environment and supports biodiversity;
Amendment 986 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 e (new)
Paragraph 4 e (new)
4e. Underlines the fact that technical measures to limit ammonia emissions exist, but are so far only used by a few Member States; recalls that these include: nitrogen management, taking into account the full nitrogen cycle; livestock feeding strategies to reduce nitrogen excretion from cattle, pigs and poultry; low-emission application of manure and fertiliser to land; low-emission manure storage systems; low-emission manure processing and composting systems; low- emission animal housing systems; and low-emission approaches for mineral fertiliser application;
Amendment 1018 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Points out that extensive and permanent grassland-based or organic animal husbandry is a feature of the European food system and a defining element of many traditional rural communities, and that it has multiple positive effects for the environment and against climate change, and contributes to a circular economy, and that, as a result, it should be better funded through increased coupled aid;
Amendment 1124 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Calls on the European Commission to promote EU-wide specialised training programmes, in order to make farmers aware of the benefits and the practice of integrating woody vegetation with agriculture at local, regional and global scales; stresses the importance of using agro-forestry and forests curtains to increase productivity and alternatives to the use of fertilisers in agricultural production;
Amendment 1150 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
Amendment 1182 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Underlines that inconsistencies between different EU policies affecting our food system have hindered progress towards EU’s international commitments on the SDGs and a truly sustainable European food system; stresses that the farm to fork strategy and the European Green Deal must ensure full policy coherence between agriculture, environment, trade and climate policies; calls on the CAP National Strategic Plans to fully support the implementation of existing EU environmental law and to contribute to the objectives of the Green Deal in order to ensure coherence with EU’s climate and environmental targets;
Amendment 1190 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Welcomes the acknowledgment of the crucial role played by seed diversity in ensuring the sustainability and resilience of food production; calls for a meaningful reform of the seeds marketing legal framework that would enable a wide range of crop diversity in the EU and ensure that different types of diversity have facilitated access to the market;
Amendment 1199 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 b (new)
Paragraph 7 b (new)
7b. Calls on the Commission and on Member States to promote the agro- ecological farming practices in EU agriculture based on the set of principles as defined by FAO1g, in particular through the CAP Strategic Plans, in order to transform the EU’s food and agricultural system, to mainstream sustainable agriculture and to achieve Zero Hunger and multiple other SDGs; _________________ 1gThe 10 Elements of Agroecology Guiding the Transition to Sustainable Food and Agricultural Systems http://www.fao.org/3/I9037EN/i9037en.pd f
Amendment 1217 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Calls for CAP National Strategic Plans to ensure adequate financial support and incentives to promote new ecological ‘green’ business models for agriculture and artisanal food production, notably through fostering short supply chains and quality food production; to achieve these objectives, stresses that it is essential that European regions should be able to continue to perform their role as managing authorities in order to support the transitions as locally as possible and to ensure that the future strategic plans meet local needs;
Amendment 1247 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Calls for CAP National Strategic Plans to ensure adequate financial support and incentives to promote new ecological ‘green’ business models for agriculture and artisanal food production, notably through fostering short supply chains and quality food production, such models should support farmers in the transition towards climate neutrality;
Amendment 1281 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Welcomes the explicit recognition of a safeguard of the social rights of workers in the food chain; recalls that this has been endorsed by the European Parliament with the introduction of the social conditionality for the CAP basic payment in its position on the national strategic plans Regulation;
Amendment 1282 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Underlines the necessity to diversify the organic production, based on the market demand, to make sure the prices will not lower under the production costs and to create and adapt the market for their products in order to protect our farmers from bankruptcy;
Amendment 1287 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 b (new)
Paragraph 8 b (new)
8b. Underlines that the COVID 19 pandemic presents the EU with the unique opportunity to rethink the European agriculture and food systems with a more sustainable and socially just vision;
Amendment 1298 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Recalls that the European food system delivers a sufficient and varied supply of safe, nutritious, affordable and sustainable food to people at all times and underlines that increasing the economic, environmental and social sustainability of food producers will ultimately increase their resilience; encourages the Commission and Member States to consider the food supply chain and its workers as a strategic asset for the safety and well-being of all Europeans; and to ensure that working and social protection conditions throughout the EU food supply chain meet national, EU and international standards for all workers;
Amendment 1317 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Recalls that the European food system generally delivers a sufficient and varied supply of safe, and nutritious, affordable and sustainable food to people at all times and underlines that increasing the economic, environmental and social sustainability of food producers will ultimately increase their resilience; encourages the Commission to consider the food supply cha food to people at all times; points out, however, that an estimated 11% of the population (49 million people, EU-27) are unable to afford a quality meal every second day and that COVID-19 is likely to exacerbate fin and itcial difficulties wforkers as a strategic asset for the safety and well-being of all Europea many European households; stresses that food poverty requires appropriate policy response;
Amendment 1325 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Underlines that increasing the economic, environmental and social sustainability of food producers will ultimately increase their resilience; encourages the Commission to consider the food supply chain and its workers as a strategic asset for the safety and well- being of all Europeans;
Amendment 1403 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11a. Welcomes the emphasis placed on the need to reduce antibiotics use in animal agriculture and stresses that EU initiatives in this area should adopt a One Health approach that recognises the interdependence between the health and well-being of humans, animals and the planet; calls to ensure equivalent standards for products of animal origin imported into the EU as those adopted under the Veterinary Medicines Regulation; notes the need, as part of the revision of the feed additives Regulation, to address substances currently not classified as antibiotics, such as coccidiostats, that may be used in animal agriculture in high quantities for preventative use and thereby compensate for poor animal husbandry practices;
Amendment 1407 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11a. Acknowledges the importance of plant health for sustainable food production systems, and points to the need of raising public awareness and providing adequate training emphasising preventive approaches to dealing with pests and diseases;
Amendment 1476 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Urges the Commission to follow up on Directive (EU) 2019/633 on unfair trading practices22 and the EU code of conduct on responsible business and marketing practices by producing a monitoring framework for the food and retail sectors and providing for legal action if progress in integrating economic, environmental and social sustainability into corporate strategies is insufficient, and in so doing promoting and rewarding the efforts of sustainable agricultural producers while increasing the availability and affordability of healthy, sustainable food options and reducing the overall environmental footprint of the food system; insists on the need for the EU code of conduct for food and retail businesses to focus on commitments which are relevant to shaping healthy and sustainable food environments, and which are specific, measurable and time bound, and centred on key operations of the entities involved; stresses the importance of halting and addressing consolidation and concentration in the grocery retail sector in order to ensure fair prices for farmers; _________________ 22 OJ L 111, 25.4.2019, p. 59.
Amendment 1521 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 c (new)
Paragraph 13 c (new)
13c. Calls for the recognition of the food distribution system, based on the proximity of retail outlets to consumers, both in urban and rural areas, as essential to ensure access to food to all European citizens, avoiding the so-called food deserts that occur in the USA;
Amendment 1539 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Urges the review of the EU promotion programme for agricultural and food products, including the EU school scheme, with a view to bringing it into coherence with the objectives of the Green Deal and farm to fork strategy and enhancing its contribution to sustainable production and consumption, notably by focusing on educational messages about the importance of healthy nutrition, short local and regional supply chains and promoting greater consumption of fruit and vegetables with the aim of reducing obesity rates;
Amendment 1580 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14a. Calls on the Commission to urge those Member States that are unnecessarily complicating the rules of the school fruit and vegetable scheme to make full use of the budget available to them for this purpose, as intended by the European legislator;
Amendment 1696 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16a. Urges the Commission to avoid simplistic labelling that may mislead consumers, and instead advocate a simple score from 1 to 7 that is based mainly on the level of processing of food, with a good score (from 1 to 3) being given to food that involves little or no processing, and a less good or poor score (from 4 to 7) being given to highly processed food that contains multiple additives;
Amendment 1703 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16a. Calls on the European Commission to consider digital consumer information as a key element in making information on healthy and sustainable diets available to consumers in the EU;
Amendment 1710 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 b (new)
Paragraph 16 b (new)
16b. Calls on the Commission to strengthen the EU single market and provide clarity and simplicity for all players in the food sector, offering a more harmonised and science-based approach, which is currently lacking, in areas such as front-of-pack labelling, origin labelling, waste management, food donations, to name but a few, so that Europe can uphold sustainability standards in the food chain at the international level;
Amendment 1719 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 c (new)
Paragraph 16 c (new)
16c. Recalls the growing importance attached by producers and consumers to origin labelling; insists that such labelling should be established at EU level, should not undermine the smooth functioning of the internal market, be fully verifiable and traceable, and should be compatible with the EU's international obligations;
Amendment 1742 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17a. Insists further on the need for comprehensive, harmonised regulation of all FCMs, which should be based on the precautionary principle, the principle of ‘no data, no market’, comprehensive safety assessments that address all the relevant safety and health endpoints and are based on the latest scientific data for all chemicals used in FCMs, effective enforcement and improved information to consumers;
Amendment 1745 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 b (new)
Paragraph 17 b (new)
17b. Notes that vast majority of chemicals in the EU is currently regulated on a case-by-case basis and for each specific use while ample evidence justifies that for the most harmful chemicals the generic approach to risk management becomes the default option, in particular as regards their use in consumer products; calls, therefore, on the Commission to extend the generic approach to risk management across legislation to ensure that substances used in agriculture, food production and processing do not contain chemicals that cause cancers, gene mutations, affect the reproductive or the endocrine system, or are persistent and bio-accumulative;
Amendment 1753 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Welcomes the fact that the strategy rightly recognises the role and influence of the food environment in shaping consumption patterns and the need to make it easier for consumers to choose healthy and sustainable diets; reiterates the importance of promoting sustainable diets by raising consumer awareness of the impacts of consumption patterns and providing information on diets that are better for human health and have a lower environmental footprint, such as products from short local and regional supply chains; underlines the important role which consumer organisations can play in this regard; underlines that food prices must send the right signal to consumers; welcomstresses, therefore, the strategy’s objective that the healthy and sustainable choice should become the most affordable one; at the shift to a more sustainable food system cannot rely solely on individual choices by consumers and that a range of actions, including regulation, is needed to make food production more sustainable by default;
Amendment 1757 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Welcomes the fact that the strategy rightly recognises the role and influence of the food environment in shaping consumption patterns and the need to make it easier for consumers to choose healthy and sustainable diets; reiterates the importance of promoting sustainable diets by raising consumer awareness of the impacts of consumption patterns and providing information on diets that are better for human health and have a lower environmental footprint; underlines that food prices must send the right signal to consumers; welcomes, therefore, the strategy’s objective that the healthy and sustainable choice should become the most affordable one, which should certainly encourage consumers to choose products involving little or no processing or only simple processing, which are better for their health and much more affordable;
Amendment 1773 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Welcomes the fact that the strategy rightly recognises the role and influence of the food environment in shaping consumption patterns and the need to make it easier for consumers to choose healthy and sustainable diets; reiterates the importance of promoting sustainable diets by raising consumer awareness of the impacts of consumption patterns and providing information on diets that are better for human health and have a lower environmental footprint and alerting consumer on the proliferation of ultra- processed products that are presented as healthy copies; underlines that food prices must send the right signal to consumers; welcomes, therefore, the strategy’s objective that the healthy and sustainable choice should become the most affordable one;
Amendment 1796 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Amendment 1804 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 c (new)
Paragraph 18 c (new)
18c. Welcomes the future legislative proposals to improve consumer information on food origin; highlights that origin is the most important factor for Europeans when buying food; reminds the Commission of the Parliament’s resolutions of 11 February 2015 and 12 May 2016, where Parliament called for mandatory origin labelling of drinking milk, dairy products and meat used as an ingredient in processed foods; adds furthermore that mandatory labelling of origin should also be extended to seafood products, not least those that are preserved or processed;
Amendment 1808 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 d (new)
Paragraph 18 d (new)
Amendment 1810 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 e (new)
Paragraph 18 e (new)
18e. Highlights that too many unsubstantiated and even misleading environmental claims are being used on food, creating confusion among consumers and making it difficult for them to identify the products that are more environmentally friendly; calls on the Commission to introduce a new regulatory framework establishing a clear, swift and efficient pre-approval procedure for all green claims and labels, taking into account the experience gained in the application of the system already in place for health and nutrition claims; stresses that such framework would protect consumers from untruthful green claims while ensuring that businesses who genuinely strive for more environmentally friendly operations are duly rewarded for their efforts;
Amendment 1813 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 f (new)
Paragraph 18 f (new)
18f. Stresses that Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 requires that where the origin of a food is given and is different from the one of its primary ingredient, the origin of the primary ingredient shall be given or at least indicated as being different to the origin of the food; points out that in practice that means that products whose primary ingredients are not locally or regionally sourced can be marketed as such if the origin of said non-local primary ingredients is indicated in small print; underlines that there is an imbalance between the visibility of marketing practices that use national, regional and local names and symbols for products whose primary ingredients are not nationally, regionally or locally sourced and EU labelling requirements; considers this to be detrimental to the consumers' right to be properly informed and potentially misleading; calls on the Commission to rectify that imbalance;
Amendment 1816 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 g (new)
Paragraph 18 g (new)
18g. Points out that Directive 2001/110 regulates that honey sold on European markets is either labelled as coming from a specific country, as ‘EU’ or as ‘non- EU’, or as both ‘EU and non-EU’ honey blends. In both non-EU cases, blended or not, the consumer is not aware whether the product is actually genuine EU standard quality honey, meaning without added sugar syrup, for example; calls on the Commission and Member States to support the EU beekeeping sector by reinforcing import inspections in order to prevent imports of adulterated honey; considers that the current rules are not fit for purpose as they provide ambiguous information to consumers and facilitate the import and sale of low quality or adulterated honey in the EU; calls on the Commission to propose legislative changes for honey labelling rules that will result in better consumer information and support the EU beekeeping sector;
Amendment 1873 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Highlights the recognition in the strategy that Europeans’ diets are not in line with recommendations for healthy eating, and that a population-wide shift in consumption patterns is needed towards more healthy and plant-based foods and less red and processed meat, sugars, salt, and fats, which will also benefit the environment; emphasises that EU-wide guidelines for sustainable and healthy diets would bring clarity to consumers on what constitutes a healthy and sustainable diet and inform Member States’ own efforts to integrate sustainability elements in national dietary advice; calls on the Commission to develop such guidelines and specific actions to effectively promote healthy plant-based diets; reaffirms, however, that quality food goes hand in hand with taste, and that taste, together with the texture of food and flavour of spices, should be embraced once more;
Amendment 1921 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Considers that the further development of plant protein production and alternative sources of protein in the EU is a way of effectively addressing many of the environmental and climate challenges that EU agriculture is facing, as well as preventing deforestation in countries outside the EU; considers, therefore, that it would make sense to gradually reduce our dependence on the American continent (North and South) for our supply of plant proteins, including the soya used to feed our cattle, by developing a European strategy, including with our neighbourhood;
Amendment 1944 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Considers that the further development of plant protein production and alternative sources of proteincomplementary sources of nutrition for human food and animal feed such as insects or algae, in the EU is a way of effectively addressing many of the environmental and climate challenges that EU agriculture is facing, as well as preventing deforestation in countries outside the EU;
Amendment 1953 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21a. Recalls its resolution of 15 January 2020 on the European Green Deal and its resolution of 22 October 2020 on an EU legal framework to halt and reverse EU-driven global deforestation and its repeated demand to the Commission to present, without delay, a proposal for an EU legal framework based on mandatory due diligence to ensure sustainable and deforestation-free supply chains for products placed on the Union market, with a particular focus on tackling the main drivers of imported deforestation and instead encouraging imports that do not create deforestation and ecosystem degradation abroad;
Amendment 1964 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Calls for a revision of public procurement legislation, including minimum mandatory criteria in schools and other public institutions to encourage organic and local food production and to promote more healthy diets by creating a food environment that enables consumers to make the healthy choice; points out that Directives 2014/24/EU and 2014/25/EU on public procurement allow and encourage better choices, having favoured using the most economically advantageous tender as the main award criterion, and regrets that Member States still too often choose the lowest price over quality;
Amendment 2013 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
Amendment 2035 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Reiterates its call to take the measures required to achieve a Union food waste reduction target of 30 % by 2025 and 50 % by 2030 compared to the 2014 baseline; underlines that binding targets and common criteria for measuring food waste in the different links of the food chain are needed to achieve this;
Amendment 2079 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
24a. Expresses its concern on the dynamics resulting from the process of concentration and the increasing dominant power of financial investors in the food supply chain, which lead to lower food quality and worsening of working conditions;
Amendment 2179 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 c (new)
Paragraph 25 c (new)
25c. Considers the allocated budget to achieve the ambitions of the EU Green Deal and the Just transition mechanism to be insufficient to deal in a socially sustainable manner with the consequences of the expected transformation; calls for the Just transition mechanism to cover as well agricultural regions that may be adversely affected and underlines the need to ensure the proper involvement of social partners in the definition and implementation of future initiatives of the strategy;
Amendment 2243 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 a (new)
Paragraph 26 a (new)
26a. Underlines that approximately 80% of global deforestation is caused by the expansion of land used for agriculture1a; stresses in this context that the Commission Communication on Stepping up EU Action to Protect and Restore the World’s Forests of July 2019 recognises that Union demand for products such as palm oil, meat, soy, cocoa, maize, timber, rubber, including in the form of processed products or services, is a large driver of deforestation, forest degradation, ecosystem destruction and associated human rights violations across the globe and represents around 10 % of the global share of deforestation embodied in total final consumption1b; in addition notes that EU consumption of other commodities, such as cotton, coffee, sugar cane, rapeseed and mangrove- farmed shrimps also contributes to global deforestation; _________________ 1aFAO. 2016. State of the World’s Forests 2016. Forests and agriculture: land-use challenges and opportunities. Rome. http://www.fao.org/3/a-i5588e.pdf 1bEuropean Commission, 2013. The impact of EU consumption on deforestation: Comprehensive analysis of the impact of EU consumption on deforestation. Final report. Study funded by the European Commission and undertaken by VITO, the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, HIVA-Onderzoeksinstituut voor Arbeid en Samenleving and International Union for the Conservation of Nature NL.
Amendment 2262 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 a (new)
Paragraph 26 a (new)
26a. Welcomes the explicit reference to the risk of asymmetries between the new requirements for European producers and those for imported products and calls once again on the European Commission to demand effective reciprocity in the negotiation of agreements with third countries;
Amendment 2272 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 b (new)
Paragraph 26 b (new)
26b. Considers that trade and international cooperation are important tools for consolidating higher standards of sustainability, especially with regard to sectors that are linked to agriculture, forests and their derived value chains; stresses that Union trade and investment agreements should include binding and enforceable sustainable development chapters that fully respect international commitments, in particular the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development;
Amendment 2278 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 b (new)
Paragraph 26 b (new)
26b. Calls on the Commission and Member States to strengthen control mechanisms both at origin and at the border in trade with third countries to safeguard the animal and plant health of European agriculture and prevent the entry of pests and diseases from outside the EU;
Amendment 2284 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 c (new)
Paragraph 26 c (new)
26c. Recommends, in the context of the ‘do no harm’ principle as highlighted in the communication on the European Green Deal, that the Commission better and regularly assess the impact of existing trade and investment agreements on deforestation, forest and ecosystem degradation, land grabbing and human rights and ensure that more ambitious binding and enforceable provisions on forest and ecosystem protection, biodiversity, on ending land grabbing and sustainable forestry are included in the trade and sustainable development chapters of all free trade and investment agreements;