Activities of Rovana PLUMB related to 2020/2021(INI)
Shadow opinions (1)
OPINION on towards a sustainable single market for business and consumers
Amendments (20)
Amendment 3 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Calls on the Commission to include, in its economic recovery roadmap and financial support schemes,Stresses that the EU’s new recovery plan should ensure that EU funds for recovery are only used in a manner consistent with the Union’s climate and environmental objectives; calls on the Commission to also set out EU guidelines for the Member States on how to design their national investment plans so that they are consistent with the European Green Deal and, the Paris Agreement; stresses that and UN Sustainable Development Goals; stresses that the new recovery plan and such guidelines wshould enable the EU to save and transform its economy (i.e. take the EU out of the crisis and accelerate the transition towards climate neutrality) and circular economy), while leaving no one behind;
Amendment 8 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Calls on the Commission to carry on with the initiatives of the European Green Deal, including the actions identified in the Circular Economy Action Plan, in order to continue the fight against climate change, biodiversity loss and degradation of the environment; stresses the importance of opposing any proposals to postpone the introduction of stricter standards or compliance with already set obligations; considers that any such proposal should be critically examined, taking into account not only the commercial interests of companies concerned, but the wider social interests, pursuing objectives of full employment and social progress;
Amendment 12 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
1b. Emphasises that the transition to climate neutrality by 2050 at the latest and the transition to a truly circular economy and sustainable single market create new business opportunities and jobs and can therefore significantly contribute to a sustainable economic recovery;
Amendment 13 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 c (new)
Paragraph 1 c (new)
1c. In the transition to a circular economy and climate neutrality by 2050 at the latest, stresses that it is crucial that the Commission and Member States adequately assess employment needs, including education and training requirements, promote the development of the economy and do their utmost to achieve a fair and just transition;
Amendment 14 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 d (new)
Paragraph 1 d (new)
1d. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to engage with all parts of the society and stakeholders, including citizens/consumers, consumer and non- governmental organisations, business, trade unions and workers’ representatives to enable and empower them to take action towards a sustainable single market;
Amendment 19 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. 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, increasing uptake of secondary raw materials and cutting down on waste generation; stresses that a new economy comprising circular services should be developed;
Amendment 24 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Considers there to be good potential for increasing sustainability of the single market in the product-as-a- service models that should also be further developed;
Amendment 26 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 b (new)
Paragraph 2 b (new)
2b. Calls on all companies and organisations to register to the EMAS system in order to improve their environmental performance; looks forward to the upcoming review of the Non-financial reporting directive that should lead to a substantial improvement on the availability of information on the environmental performance of companies;
Amendment 28 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 c (new)
Paragraph 2 c (new)
2c. Stresses that stringent requirements should be established on the basis of due diligence to ensure no products are placed on the Union market that lead to degradation of the environment or violations of human rights;
Amendment 29 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 d (new)
Paragraph 2 d (new)
2d. Acknowledges it essential that the narrative in our industries changes “from cradle to grave” to “ cradle to cradle”, and that sustainability is strengthened in all steps of the supply chains, ensuing environmental and social sustainability in the end-product as well as in the manufacturing of all its components and the extraction of raw materials;
Amendment 30 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Considers that it is crucial to ensure that the ‘sustainable choice’ will be the default choice – which is attractive, affordable, accessible and sustainable – for all consumers in the EU as soon as possible; calls on the Commission to encouragstrongly welcomes in this regard the intention of the Commission to develop a sustainable product policy framework that will among other measures strengthen and extend eco- design in order to improve the sustainability of products through requirements before their placing on the market; calls on the Commission to promote the development, production and marketing of sustainable and safe products that are suitable for multiple use, technically durable and easily repairable, do not contain hazardous substances, and, after having become waste and having been prepared for reuse or recycling, suitable to be made available or placed on the market in order to facilitate the proper implementation of the waste hierarchy; calls on the Commission to also support and develop economic tools that give an economic advantage to the ‘sustainable choice’;
Amendment 37 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Underlines that a longer lifetime for products presupposes the adoption of measures banning programmed obsolescence; calls on the Commission to look into reports that products such as smartphones are deliberately being designed to have a very short useful life and to propose measures to ban this phenomenon;
Amendment 41 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Emphasises that consumers should be able to fully participate in the ecological transition; calls on the Commission to develop legislative proposals on the tools needed to achieve this goal, including improved product information through labelling, green claims, extended legal guarantees and definitions, as well as stringent measures against planned obsolescence and greenwashing; calls on the Commission to guarantee the right to repair for people in the EU to have their goods repairedwithout delay; highlights that all such tools must be based on the provision of simple and clear information and processes to consumers, as well as on sound environmental criteria, which enable consumers to assess accurately the climate and environmental impact of products on the basis of their life cycle, their environmental footprint, their lifespan and their quality; emphasises however that encouraging sustainable consumption is only one aspect of the coin and that the transition to circularity should start from production and eco- design;
Amendment 48 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Calls on the Commission to also adequately address the dual quality of products and ensure that people in all Member States have access to the same quality of foodstuffs and other products, and that they enjoy equal consumer rights, such as right to repair, no matter in which Member State they reside.
Amendment 53 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4b. Proposes the development of clear guidelines and standards for green claims and commitments that translate into ecolabels; looks forward to the planned legislative proposal on substantiating green claims; considers that by providing the consumers with transparency and guidance through accurate and accountable information and ecolabelling, consumers will have increased trust in products and markets, which will ultimately lead to sustainable consumption;
Amendment 56 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4b. Calls for review of the Ecolabel Directive in order to improve consumer information on reparability, availability and affordability of spare parts and DIY options.
Amendment 62 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Stresses the role of Green Public Procurement (GPP) to accelerate the shift towards a more sustainable and circular economy, and the importance of promoting the uptake of GPP during the EU’s economic recovery; recalls the commitments of the Commission to propose further legislation on GPP. and calls on the Commission to make an ambitious proposal that would significantly increase the use of Green Public Procurement;
Amendment 67 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Indicates that the global value chains need to be diversified, through the new rules for e-commerce, the conclusion of the Environmental Goods Agreement which has the potential to stimulate the use of environmental goods and the reform at international level of the Intellectual property rights aimed at improving competitiveness and more effective protection and reward of the creative work and innovation, towards a deep sustainable single market;
Amendment 68 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Paragraph 5 b (new)
5b. Highlights that all consumers should have the right to safe products that do not harm the environment or human health; calls for a rapid and effective phase out and ban of hazardous substances used in the single market; emphasises this to be particularly important when it comes to substances with endocrine disrupting properties; stresses that the development of a sustainable single market must be based on creating a non-toxic circular economy and environment whereby hazardous substances are not used or recycled;
Amendment 69 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 c (new)
Paragraph 5 c (new)
5c. Considers it important to raise the public awareness on the rights of consumers and importance of sustainable product and service consumption; calls on the Commission and Member States to facilitate this through a platform for exchange of best practices that includes citizens, and representatives of the public and private sector, local authorities, academia, non-governmental and civil society organisations and consumer organisations, ensuring all citizens have access to easily understandable and comprehensive information.