Activities of Radvilė MORKŪNAITĖ-MIKULĖNIENĖ related to 2011/0280(COD)
Shadow opinions (1)
AVIS sur la proposition de règlement du Parlement européen et du Conseil établissant les règles relatives aux paiements directs en faveur des agriculteurs au titre des régimes de soutien relevant de la politique agricole commune FR
Amendments (34)
Amendment 47 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 10 a (new)
Recital 10 a (new)
(10a) Member States should be given the option of transferring the sum in question from the first to the second pillar. The maximum amount which may be transferred should be fixed by the Commission, after consulting the Member States, by early 2014 at the latest.
Amendment 53 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 26
Recital 26
(26) One of the objectives of the new CAP is the enhancement of environmental performance through a mandatory ‘"greening’" component of direct payments which will support agricultural practices beneficial for the climate and the environment applicable throughout the Union. For that purpose, Member States should be able to use part of their national ceilings for direct payments to grant an annual payment, on top of the basic payment, for compulsory practices to be followed by farmers addressing, as a priority, both climate and environment policy goals. Those practises should take the form of simple, generalised, non- contractual and annual actions that go beyond cross- compliance and are linked to agriculture such as crop diversification, maintenance of permanent grassland and ecological focus areas. The compulsory nature of those practises should also concern farmers whose holdings are fully or partly situated in ‘"Natura 2000’" areas covered by Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora and by Directive 2009/147/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 November 2009 on the conservation of wild birds, as long as these practises are compatible with the objectives of those Directives. Farmers who fulfil the conditions laid down in Council Regulation (EC) No 834/2007 of 28 June 2007 on organic production and labelling of organic products and repealing Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91 should benefit from the ‘"greening’" component without fulfilling any further obligation, given the recognised environmental benefits of the organic farming systems. Non-respect of the ‘"greening’" component should lead to penalties on the basis of Article 65 of Regulation (EU) No […] [HZR]have an effect on the amount of the direct payments allocated.
Amendment 54 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 26 a (new)
Recital 26 a (new)
(26a) Because of the different environmental situations in the Member States, "greening" objectives are possibly better achieved at the national or regional level. Therefore, Member States should have more flexibility in applying the "greening" component of direct payments.
Amendment 58 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 29 a (new)
Recital 29 a (new)
(29a) The "greening" component of the direct payments must be understood as the incentive and not as a burden. Therefore, no additional administrative requirements should be imposed on farmers. Moreover, no additional requirements or restrictions should be imposed in regard to areas where the cross compliance requirements are already applicable;
Amendment 105 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 29 – paragraph 1 a (new)
Article 29 – paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. If farmers do not comply with the requirements outlined in this Chapter, they may lose the amount of their payment referred to in Article 33(1) of this Regulation.
Amendment 111 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 29 – paragraph 5 a (new)
Article 29 – paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. The provisions of this Chapter shall not apply to farms with a surface area of less than 15 hectares, which, as a result of economic and historical circumstances, employ environmentally sound farming practices which foster biodiversity.
Amendment 134 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 9
Recital 9
(9) In order to take into account specific new elements and to guarantee the protection of the rights of beneficiaries, the power to adopt acts in accordance with Article 290 of the Treaty should be delegated to the Commission for the purpose of laying down further definitions regarding the access to support under this Regulation, establishing the framework within which Member States shall define the minimum activities to be carried out on areas naturally kept in a state suitable for grazing or cultivation as well as the criteria to be met by farmers in order to be deemed to have respected the obligation of maintaining the agricultural area in the state suitable for production and the criteria to determine the predominance of, that means any area taken up by arable land, permanent grasses land other hperbaceous forage as regards permanent grasslandmanent crops, in the state suitable for production.
Amendment 141 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 32 – paragraph 1
Article 32 – paragraph 1
1. Farmers shall ensure that at least 7 %A certain area of their eligible hectares as defined in Article 25(2), excluding areas under permanent grassland, ishall be an ecological focus area such as land left fallow, terraces, landscape features, buffer strips and afforestedas referred to in Article 25(2)(b)(ii). This area shall be at least: a) 2,5 % of the eligible hectares, or; b) 7% of the eligible hectares, excluding areas under permanent grassland, and areas such as terraces, buffer strips, or landscape features, or other areas, as referred to in article 25(2)(b)(ii)lready covered by the requirements of cross compliance.
Amendment 148 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 33 – paragraph 1
Article 33 – paragraph 1
1. In order to finance the payment referred to in this Chapter, Member States shall usemay use up to 30 % of the annual national ceiling set out in Annex II.
Amendment 163 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 15
Recital 15
(15) The distribution of direct income support among farmers is characterised by the allocation of disproportionate amounts of payments to a rather small number of large beneficiaries. Due to economies of size, larger beneficiaries do not require the same level of unitary support for the objective of income support to be efficiently achieved. Moreover, the potential to adapt makes it easier for larger beneficiaries to operate with lower levels of unitary support. It is therefore fair to introduce a system for large beneficiaries where the support level is gradually reduced and ultimately capped to improve the distribution of payments between farmers. Such system should however take into account salaried labour intensity to avoid disproportionate effects on large farms with high employment numbers. Those maximum levels should not apply to payments granted to agricultural practices beneficial for the climate and the environment since the beneficial objectives they pursue could be diminished as a result. In order to make capping effective, Member States should establish some criteria in order to avoid abusive operations by farmers seeking to evade its effects. The proceeds of the reduction and capping of payments to large beneficiaries should remain in the Member States where they were generated and should be used for financing projects with a significant contribution to innovation under Regulation (EU) No […] of the European Parliament and of the Council of….on support for rural development by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) [RDR].
Amendment 184 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 21
Recital 21
(21) Due to the successive integration of various sectors into the single payment scheme and the ensuing period of adjustment granted to farmers, it has become increasingly difficult to justify the presence of significant individual differences in the level of support per hectare resulting from use of historical references. Therefore direct income support should be more equitably distributed between Member States, by reducing the link to historical references and having regard to the overall context of the Union budget. To ensure a more equal distribution of direct support, while taking account of the differences that still exist in wage levels and input costs, the levels of direct support per hectare should be progressively adjusted. Member States with direct payments below the level of 9a current level of direct payments per hectare below 80 % of the EU average should close one third of the gap between their current level and this level. This convergence should be financed proportionally by all Member States with direct payments above the UnionMember States with a level of direct payments above 80% but below the EU average should close this gap by 10 %. This convergence should be financed proportionally by all Member States with direct payments above the Union average. However, the maximum level of direct payments per hectare in the Member States should not exceed 120% of the EU average. In addition, all payment entitlements activated in 2019 in a Member State or in a region should have a uniform unit value following a convergence towards this value that should take place during the transition period in linear steps. However, in order to avoid disruptive financial consequences for farmers, Member States having used the single payment scheme, and in particular the historical model, should be allowed to partially take historical factors into account when calculating the value of payment entitlements in the first year of application of the new scheme. The debate on the next Multiannual Financial Framework for the period starting in 2021 should also focus on the objective of complete convergence through the equal distribution of direct support across the European Union during that period.
Amendment 238 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 26
Recital 26
(26) One of the objectives of the new CAP is the enhancement of environmental performance through a mandatory ‘"greening’" component of direct payments which will support agricultural practices beneficial for the climate and the environment applicable throughout the Union. For that purpose, Member States should use part of their national ceilings for direct payments to grant an annual payment, on top of the basic payment, for compulsory practices to be followed by farmers addressing, as a priority, both climate and environment policy goals. Those practises should take the form of simple, generalised, non-contractual and annual actions that go beyond cross- compliance and are linked to agriculture such as crop diversification, maintenance of permanent grassland, of perennial crops associated with appropriate agronomic practices and of ecological focus areas. The compulsory nature of those practises should also concern farmers whose holdings are fully or partly situated in ‘"Natura 2000’" areas covered by Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora and by Directive 2009/147/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 November 2009 on the conservation of wild birds, as long as these practises are compatible with the objectives of those Directives. Farmers who fulfil the conditions laid down in Council Regulation (EC) No 834/2007 of 28 June 2007 on organic production and labelling of organic products and repealing Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91 should benefit from the ‘"greening’" component without fulfilling any further obligation, given the recognised environmental benefits of the organic farming systems. Non-respect of the ‘"greening’" component should lead to penalties on the basis of Article 65 of Regulation (EU) No […...] [HZR].
Amendment 646 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 2
Article 9 – paragraph 2
2. Paragraph 1 and 2a shall not apply to farmers who received less than EUR 5 1000 of direct payments for the previous year.
Amendment 657 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 2 a (new)
Article 9 – paragraph 2 a (new)
2 a. Member States shall establish appropriate objective and non- discriminatory criteria to ensure that no direct payments are granted to a natural or legal person whose agricultural activities form only an insignificant part of its overall economic activities, and whose income from agricultural activities form less than a certain percentage of total incomes of the beneficiary.
Amendment 908 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 19 – paragraph 1
Article 19 – paragraph 1
1. The Commission shall, by means of implementing acts, set, for each Member State, the annual national ceiling for the basic payment scheme by deducting from the annual national ceiling established in Annex II the annual amounts to be usetd in accordance with Articles 33, 35, 37 and 39. Those implementing acts shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 56(2).
Amendment 937 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 21 – paragraph 1
Article 21 – paragraph 1
1. Subject to paragraph 2, payment entitlements shall be allocated to farmers if they apply for allocation of payment entitlements under the basic payment scheme by 15 May 2014 the date to be set in accordance with Article 78(d) of Regulation (EU) No [HZR] except in case of force majeure and exceptional circumstances.
Amendment 1415 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 29 – paragraph 4 – subparagraph 1
Article 29 – paragraph 4 – subparagraph 1
Farmers shall be entitled ipso facto to the payment referred to in this Chapter when they fall within the following categories: - farmers complying with the requirements laid down in Article 29 (1) of Regulation (EC) No° 834/2007 as regards organic farming shall be entitled ipso facto to the payment referred to in this Chapter. , or - beneficiaries of agri-environment- climatic payments established pursuant to Article 29 of Regulation (EU) N° [...] [RDR]. - farms situated in Natura 2000 areas; - farms where grassland and pastures are dominant; - farmers certified under national or regional environmental certification schemes; - specific national territories (e.g., karst areas, water-meadow/floodplain meadow).
Amendment 1418 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 29 – paragraph 4 – subparagraph 1
Article 29 – paragraph 4 – subparagraph 1
Farmers complying with the requirements laid down in Article 29(1) of Regulation (EC) No 834/2007 as regards organic farming shall be entitled ipso facto to the payment referred to in this Chaptershall be entitled ipso facto to payment referred to in this Chapter when they fall within the following categories: - farmers which have at least 20 % of forest areas; - farmers with more than 50 % of the eligible agricultural area covered by grassland; - farmers which are 100 % certified as using sustainable farming methods, including of integrated farming.
Amendment 1450 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 29 – paragraph 4 – subparagraph 2
Article 29 – paragraph 4 – subparagraph 2
The first subparagraph shall apply only to the units of a holding that are used for organic production in accordance with Article 11 of Regulation (EC) No 834/2007 or are covered by agri-environment- climate measures in accordance with Article 29 of Regulation (EU) N° [...] [RDR]; certified under national or regional environmental certification schemes; situated in NATURA 2000 areas; specific national territories.
Amendment 1550 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 30 – paragraph 1 a (new)
Article 30 – paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. The first paragraph shall not apply to farms: - where the arable land is entirely used for grass production or other herbaceous forage, entirely left fallow, entirely cultivated with crops under water for a significant part of the year or a combination of these, or; - where the arable land of the farmer covers up to 50 hectares and more than 50% of the eligible agricultural area of the holding is covered by permanent crops.
Amendment 1554 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 30 – paragraph 1 a (new)
Article 30 – paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. The first paragraph shall not apply to farms: - where the arable land is entirely used for grass production or other forage, entirely left fallow, entirely cultivated with crops under water for a significant part of the year or a combination of these, or; - where the arable land of the farmer covers up to 50 hectares and more than 80% of the eligible agricultural area of the holding is covered by permanent grassland, or permanent crops.
Amendment 1625 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 31 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 a (new)
Article 31 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 a (new)
Member States shall ensure the maintenance of the ratio of the land under permanent grassland in relation to the total agricultural area. That obligation shall apply at national or regional level. The reference ratio shall be established as relation between the land under permanent grassland and total agricultural area declared by the farmers in 2014.
Amendment 1643 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 31 – paragraph 2
Article 31 – paragraph 2
2. Farmers shall be allowed to convert a maximum of 5 % of their reference areas under permanent grassland. That limit shall not appMember States shall ensure that the ratio under this Article shall not decrease to the detriment of land under permanent grassland by more than 10 % relatively into the case of force majeure or exceptional circumstancesratio for the relevant reference year.
Amendment 1655 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 31 – paragraph 2
Article 31 – paragraph 2
2. FarmerMember States shall be allowed to convert a maximum of 5 % of their reference areas under permanent grassland. That limit shall not apply in the case of force majeure or exceptional circumstances.
Amendment 1667 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 31 – paragraph 3
Article 31 – paragraph 3
3. The Commission shall be empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 55 laying down rules concerning the increase of reference areas under permanent grassland as laid down in the second subparagraph of paragraph 1, the renewal of permanent grassland, the reconversion of agricultural area into permanent grassland in case the authorised decrease referred to in paragraph 2 is exceeded, as well as the modification of the reference areas under permanent grassland in case of transfer of land. For the purposes of paragraph 2, the Commission shall be empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 55 laying down rules on maintenance of permanent grassland, in particular to ensure that measures are taken to maintain the ratio, including individual obligations to be respected such as obligation to reconvert areas into permanent grassland where it is established that the ratio of land under permanent grassland is decreasing.
Amendment 1715 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 32 – paragraph 1
Article 32 – paragraph 1
1. Farmers shall ensure that at least 74 % of their eligible hectares as defined in Article 25(2), excluding areas under permanent grassland, is ecological focus area such as land left fallow, terraces, landscape features, buffer strips and afforested areas as referred to in article 25(2)(b)(ii).
Amendment 1728 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 32 – paragraph 1
Article 32 – paragraph 1
1. FWhere the arable land and area covers more than 20 hectares, farmers shall ensure that at least 7 % of their eligible hectares as defined in Article 25(2), excluding areas under permanent grassland and permanent crops, is ecological focus area such as land left fallow, terraces, landscape features, buffer strip like hedges or stone walls, buffer strips, land planted with nitrogen-fixing crops, land cultivated according to environmentally friendly methods and afforested areas as referred to in article 25(2)(b)(ii).
Amendment 1763 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 32 – paragraph 1 a (new)
Article 32 – paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. By way of derogation from paragraph 1, the minimum percentage indicated in paragraph 1 is reduced to: - 5% in cases of joint undertakings of groups of farmers putting in place continuous, adjacent ecological focus areas; - 1,5% in the Member States with at least 45% of their total terrestrial area covered by forests or; - 1,5% in the Member States where utilised agricultural area constitute is less than 35% of the total terrestrial area.
Amendment 1999 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 37 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2
Article 37 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2
Member States may, by 1 August 2016of each year, review their estimated percentage with effect from 1 January 2017the subsequent year. They shall notify the Commission of the reviewed percentage by 1 August 2016of the year before the revised percentage applies.
Amendment 2042 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 38 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2
Article 38 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2
Coupled support may be granted to the following sectors and productions: cereals, oilseeds, protein crops, grain legumes, flax, hemp, rice, nuts, starch potato, milk and milk products, seeds, sheepmeat and goatmeat, beef and veal, other branches of animal husbandry sector (e. g., pigmeat), olive oil, silk worms, dried fodder, hops, sugar beet, cane and chicory, fruit and vegetables and short rotation coppice.
Amendment 2046 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 38 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2
Article 38 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2
Coupled support may be granted to the following sectors and productions: cereals, oilseeds, protein crops, grain legumes, flax, hemp, rice, nuts, starch potato, milk and milk products, seeds, sheepmeat and goatmeat, pigmeat, beef and veal, olive oil, silk worms, dried fodder, hops, sugar beet, cane and chicory, fruit and vegetables and short rotation coppice.
Amendment 2112 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 39 – paragraph 2 – introductory part
Article 39 – paragraph 2 – introductory part
2. By way of derogation from paragraph 1, Member States may decide to use up to 10 % of the annual national ceiling set out in Annex II provided that:
Amendment 2118 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 39 – paragraph 2 – point a
Article 39 – paragraph 2 – point a
(a) up to 20% provided that they applied, until 31 December 2013, the single area payment scheme as laid down in Title V of Regulation (EC) No 73/2009, or financed measures under Article 111 of that Regulation, or are concerned by the derogation provided for in Article 69(5), or, in the case of Malta, in Article 69(1) of that Regulation; and/or
Amendment 2123 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 39 – paragraph 2 – point b
Article 39 – paragraph 2 – point b
(b) up to 10% provided that they allocated, during at least one year in the period 2010- 2013, more than 5 % of their amount available for granting the direct payments provided for in Titles III, IV and V of Regulation (EC) No 73/2009, with the exception of Section 6 of Chapter 1 of Title IV, for financing the measures laid down in Section 2 of Chapter 2 of Title III of Regulation (EC) No 73/2009, the support provided for in points (i) to (iv) of paragraph 1(a) and paragraphs 1(b) and (e) of Article 68 of that Regulation, or the measures under Chapter 1, with the exception of Section 6, of Title IV of that Regulation.