58 Amendments of Bas EICKHOUT related to 2011/2051(INI)
Amendment 11 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 22 a (new)
Citation 22 a (new)
Amendment 76 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas the incorporation of general objectives into the CAP, particularly relating to consumer protection, environmental protection, climate protection, animal welfare and regional cohesion, is in principle to be welcomed but this must not jeopardise the competitiveness of European farmersessential in order to balance society's expectations and competitiveness of European farmers; recognising that long term productivity and food security, especially resilience of agricultural systems to climatic disturbances, depends on due care for natural resources, particularly soil, water use and biodiversity,
Amendment 93 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H
Recital H
H. whereas at a time of rapid upheaval in agricultural markets and numerous new priority challenges (e.g. EU 2020), farmers urgently need reliability, particularly regarding the financial and political framework, andwhereas the European Parliament has already called for the appropriations allocated to agriculture in the 2013 budget to be maintained at least at the same level in the next financial planning period, in order to enable farmers to respond to the challenges, which will necessarily require a change in CAP priorities,
Amendment 108 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital K
Recital K
K. whereas a two-pillar CAP should be retained, in order to have a comprehensive framework for agricultural and for rural policy, pertaining to farmers, rural populations, as well as national and regional administrations,
Amendment 119 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital L
Recital L
L. whereas for the purpose of direct payments there should not be anybe a fair differentiation in the treatment of farmers according to size of holding and legal form for the purpose of direct payments, although the possibility of introducfarm size, sustainability of farm practices and employment on the farm, including a basic allowance for small farmers should not be excluded,
Amendment 136 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital M
Recital M
M. whereas effective measures should be taken to ensure transparency concerning price margins and a fair and equitable distribution of profits in the food chain,
Amendment 148 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital O
Recital O
O. whereas, because the world economy is becoming integrated more rapidly, trade systems are as rule being liberalised more by multilateral negotiations (the Doha Round)need to take into account the specificities of agriculture and food security and the impact of farming practices on natural resources; whereas bilateral and multilateral international trade negotiations need to take into account these conditions and related non- trade concerns in order to avoid direct and indirect forms of dumping; and whereas in relation to imports from third countries, environmental, animal welfare, plant protection and, consumer protection standards need to be raised to EU level and minimum employment standards should be complied withand minimum employment standards need to be respected at import into the EU,
Amendment 162 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital P
Recital P
P. whereas rural development is an important instrument of the CAP and whereas the new programmes should be geared even more strongly to the priority objectives of rural development and of farmers (employment, the agricultural environment, water, climate change, innovation and education), in the face of growing disparities, loss of social capital and cohesion, demographic imbalances and out-migration, is an important instrument of the CAP and should continue to provide multiannual support programmes and infrastructure to support farmers in creating added value for their rural communities, including environmental and cultural diversity, and whereas future rural development policies need to work towards a better territorial balance and offer less bureaucratic and more participatory governance of rural development programmes which effectively support the strengthening and diversifying of rural economies, and contribute to improve the quality of life in rural areas,
Amendment 198 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the communication from the Commission concerning a reform of agricultural policy; calls, however, for the principles set out below to be incorporated in the legislative proposalthe CAP, as it reflects the broad range of challenges which agriculture and rural regions face today: growing global food insecurity, climate change and disturbance to the water cycle, unsustainable management of natural resources, increased fossil fuel dependency, loss of biodiversity and soil fertility, inefficient water use, increased price volatility, downturn in farm incomes and growing weaknesses in rural economies;
Amendment 206 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
1b. Welcomes the effort of the Commission to involve a wide range of European citizens and stakeholders in the reform process; is aware that EU citizens demand a high quality and a wide choice of food products, including high environmental, public health and animal welfare standards and access to typical regional and local products;
Amendment 210 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 c (new)
Paragraph 1 c (new)
1c. Is aware that these expectations often clash with the current model of agriculture which defines competitiveness mainly through rationalisation and low production costs putting existing environmental and quality standards under stress; believes that competitiveness in farming and food production needs to be redefined, including environmental and social standards and the demands of specific local, regional, national and international markets;
Amendment 211 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 d (new)
Paragraph 1 d (new)
1d. Believes that the future CAP must strike a balance between society's expectations towards agriculture and a fair income for farmers; stresses that the goals of the CAP can only be achieved if farmers can rely upon a long term policy framework and efficient market regulation so that in the long term prices for farm products cover the costs of sustainable production, including a fair remuneration for their work.
Amendment 212 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 e (new)
Paragraph 1 e (new)
1e. Highlights the fact, that - as opposed to the sectors upstream and downstream of primary agricultural production - average incomes of farmers and rural households have continuously decreased over the past decades compared to the rest of the economy, reaching only half of urban households incomes, while processors, traders and retailers have substantially increased market power and margins in the food chain;
Amendment 213 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 f (new)
Paragraph 1 f (new)
1f. Takes the view that farm income is related to active farmers as opposed to turnover which relates to capital and land ownership; calls for a new transparency initiative of the Commission which obliges not only farmers but also farm input industries and food industries to publish their market shares, stocks and profit margins;
Amendment 214 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 g (new)
Paragraph 1 g (new)
1g. Calls for changes in EU competition law which allows and supports farmers in organising themselves in producer groups so as to increase their bargaining power and to establish new forms of supply management;
Amendment 215 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 h (new)
Paragraph 1 h (new)
Amendment 216 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 i (new)
Paragraph 1 i (new)
1i. Believes that future rural development policies must work towards a better territorial balance and that rural regions need less bureaucratic and more participatory governance of rural development programs and enhanced support for strengthening and diversifying the rural economy, especially for regional and local processing and marketing of food;
Amendment 217 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 j (new)
Paragraph 1 j (new)
1j. Takes the view that in the light of these challenges common action is also needed to adapt extension services, education and capacity building, so as to enable farmers and rural communities to contribute to an economically, environmentally and socially sustainable agriculture and rural development in the EU.
Amendment 458 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. StressWelcomes the need for an adequate basic allowance for small farmers, which Member States can optionally determine in those Member States where these farms help to stabilise rural development; calls for these Member States to decide, in accordance with subsidiarity, what percentage of the direct payments to be incorporated in the new subsidy system should be made available to their small farmers; stresses, however, that this must not hamper the necessary structural changerecognition of the role of small farmers in European agriculture and rural development; stresses the need for an adequate allowance for small farmers including subsistence or semi- subsistence farmers, which Member States should determine based on criteria which take into account the specific contribution of these farms to local food security, employment and rural livelihood;
Amendment 475 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13a. Calls for Member States to specify, in accordance with the goals of the reform and national rural development programmes, a specific percentage of the direct payments to be directed to small farmers; stresses, however, that support of these farms should not just preserve a status quo but support farmers to improving production and income;
Amendment 503 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Considers that decoupling has essentially proved its worth, given the increased effect on income and greater autonomy in decision-making on the part of farmers and the associated simplification of the CAP, and calls for this also, in general, to apply to suckler cow and sheep premiums; recognises, however, that in certain sectors and regions such as mountain regions, where there are no alternatives to relatively labour-intensive livestock farming, there may be considerable economic and environmental drawbacks which cannot be reconciled with the aims of the Treaty; acknowledges, therefore, that production- based premiums might be defensible within a narrowly defined framework for a limited period even after 2013the suckler cow and sheep premiums should be coupled in order to maintain pastoral activities in mountainous, remote and Less Favoured Areas;
Amendment 542 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Calls – without casting any doubt on the results of the 2008 Health Check of the CAP – for appropriations under Article 68 of Regulation (EC) No 73/2009 primarily to be allocated for measures to promote territorial coherence and boossupport key sectors (e.g. thespecific dairy and sheep sectors and suckler cows), forpermacrops or crops specific to certain areas), through area-based agri- environmental measures (e.g. organic farming) which to date have not been included in the second pillar; considers that the budget for Article 68 could – subject to contrary results of an impact assessment – cover up to 10% of direct payments;
Amendment 560 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Observes that, for historical reasons, farms in the European Union have a very diverse structure as regards size, employment arrangements and legal form; is awarewelcomes that direct payments are moving away from a historical basis to area-based payments and; takes the view that the provision of public goods is independent of farm size; rejects, therefore, measures which discriminate against particular types of farm but should preferably reflect an integrated approach to sustainable agricultural practices, natural resource management, and rural employment; rejects, therefore, measures which are not contributing to respond to the new challenges of agriculture;
Amendment 570 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17 a. Believes that second pillar should strengthen the economy and vitality of rural regions as well as support the transition process towards sustainable farming systems including the improvement of local infrastructure for processing and marketing, so that added value no longer leaks away from rural regions;
Amendment 571 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 b (new)
Paragraph 17 b (new)
17 b. Believes that the European framework for rural development programmes should improve and decentralise research, training, exchange of agricultural knowledge and extension services; build capacity in programming and running rural development programmes etc.; programming and implementation should focus on local and sub-regional partnerships following the LEADER method; Member States should be obliged to set minimum percentages of rural development money for specific measures (as was the case in the axes approach);
Amendment 601 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Considers that direct payments should be made only to active farmers; realises that, under the system of decoupled direct payments, each farmer who uses farmland for production or who tends it in order to maintain GAEC should receive direct paymentswhere farmers are tenants direct payments should not be paid to landowners, unless they farm themselves; direct payments should also be made to farmers or land managers who actively keep the land in good environmental condition or cultivation; calls on the Commission therefore to devise aoffer this core definition of ‘active farmer’ which the Member States can administerpply without additional administrative effort, while it should be ensured that traditional farming activities (full-time and various degrees of part-time) are classified as active farming;
Amendment 618 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 c(new)
Paragraph 19 c(new)
19c. Believes that agriculture and rural development need distinct policies; therefore agrees that two funds are necessary to distinguish instruments and measures for agriculture and for rural development;
Amendment 619 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 d(new)
Paragraph 19 d(new)
19d. Calls for a fair distribution of CAP funding for the first and second pillars both among Member States and among farmers within a Member State; deplores major disparities in the distribution of these funds among Member States; calls for a system of direct payments which assures equity in levels of payments between farmers and member states tracked in relation to national purchasing power parity; Considers that preserving the diversity of farming and of its production locations in the EU is a central objective and therefore advocates taking account of the specific conditions in the Member States;
Amendment 620 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 e(new)
Paragraph 19 e(new)
19e. Considers that meeting the environmental challenges and providing full legitimacy for public support to farmers requires a comprehensive approach to rewarding public goods. Calls for a coherent system of environmental incentives comprising of: - a solid cross compliance baseline, based on the polluter pays principle; - a farm level mandatory greening component within pillar 1 which consists of a simple package of meaningful good agronomic practices such as crop rotation, farm level green infrastructures, soil cover and nutrient balance; - specific pillar 1 top ups for farmers in Natura 2000 sites, organic farms and for extensively managed pasture and meadows; - a well targeted and well resourced Pillar 2, which should include effective, voluntary, multi-annual schemes to support farmers going beyond basic good practice and contributing to the achievement of EU objectives on climate change, biodiversity and water.
Amendment 622 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 g (new)
Paragraph 19 g (new)
19g. Considers that meeting the environmental challenges and providing full legitimacy for public support to farmers requires a comprehensive approach to rewarding public goods. Calls for a coherent system of environmental incentives comprising of: - a solid cross compliance baseline, based on the polluter pays principle; - a farm level mandatory greening component within pillar 1 which consists of a simple package of meaningful good agronomic practices such as crop rotation, farm level green infrastructures, soil cover and nutrient balance; - specific pillar 1 top ups for farmers in Natura 2000 sites, organic farms and for extensively managed pasture and meadows; - a well targeted and well resourced Pillar 2, which should include effective, voluntary, multi-annual schemes to support farmers going beyond basic good practice and contributing to the achievement of EU objectives on climate change, biodiversity and water.
Amendment 767 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading before paragraph 27
Subheading before paragraph 27
Amendment 777 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Considers that direct payments are no longer justified without cross compliance (CC) and therefore that the CC system should apply to all recipients of direct payments19;
Amendment 780 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 a (new)
Paragraph 27 a (new)
27 a. Affirms that direct payments or support through rural development measures are not justified without cross compliance (CC) and that the CC system should apply to all recipients of CAP payments;
Amendment 783 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 b (new)
Paragraph 27 b (new)
27b. Considers that simplification should already be built into the basic approach to the future CAP and that clear legal bases are needed, which must be submitted at an early stage;
Amendment 790 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Calls, in view of the greater concentration of direct payments on resource protection and environmental measures, for a substantial reduction of the scope of CC; calls on the Commission to make significant progress in simplifying and harmonising rules ononsiders that better resource protection and management should be a basic element in farming within Cross Compliance (CC) as a result of which greater environmental benefits can be attained; calls for CC controls to become streamlined, effective and efficient, exchanging and mainstreaming best practice systems between paying agencies and control bodies, e.g. interoperability of databases and best use of appropriate technology, in order to reduce as much as possible the bureaucratic burden to farmers and administrations; considers that CC should be restricted to standards related to farming, which lend themselves to systematic monitoring;
Amendment 806 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
Paragraph 30
30. Calls for an end to disproportionate burdens imposed on livestock farming by CC, critical review of certain hygiene and animal marking standards; calls on the Commission to consider simplification for hygiene, slaughter and other regulations applied to SMEs, local processors and pmarticularly for a critical review of certain hygiene and animalketing; calls on the Commission to create a European framework for public tendering rules, public procurement and catering systems so as to support local direct marketing standard short food chains;
Amendment 823 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32
Paragraph 32
32. Considers that the general market orientation of the CAP should be maintained and that the general structure of market management instruments should likewise be retained; be made more efficient; takes the view that market intervention including public stocks, should only be used as a safety net in case of price crises and potential market disruption; Considers that, in view of the completely different conditions which exist in the individual sectors, differentiated sectoral solutions are preferable to across-the-board approaches;
Amendment 884 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36
Paragraph 36
36. Considers that a multi-stage safety net comprising private storage, public intervention, market disruption instruments and an emergency clause would confer the greatest possible benefit; calls foralls for public and private storage and public intervention to be permitted for specific sectors where market disruptions are of limited duration; calls furthermore for a market disruption instrument and an emergency clause to be established for all sectors in common, making it possible for the Commission, under certain circumstances, in the event of crises to take action over a limited period which goes beyond the existing instruments, as a wider application of articles 186 and 187 of the CMO regulation (R.1234/2007);
Amendment 891 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36 a (new)
Paragraph 36 a (new)
36 a. Highlights the need for improved market regulation in order to avoid further extremes in volatility of food and agricultural commodity prices;
Amendment 892 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36 b (new)
Paragraph 36 b (new)
36 b. Calls upon the Commission to improve transparency about the real costs and benefits of different kinds of agricultural models of production, and to assess their global and direct impact, either positive or negative, on other sectors of the economy (health, tourism, water, etc);
Amendment 893 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36 c (new)
Paragraph 36 c (new)
36 c Calls for legislative proposals which include flexible supply management measures in order to prevent permanent surplus production which has repeatedly provoked price shocks and crisis in many farm sectors, such as in meat and milk production, which in some regions has caused massive concentration of production, with severe environmental and social costs;
Amendment 962 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 41 a (new)
Paragraph 41 a (new)
41 a. Calls for the creation of strategic food security stocks on local regional and national level which should be used to counter speculation;
Amendment 963 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 41 b (new)
Paragraph 41 b (new)
41 b. Calls for legislative changes in competition law which allows farmers to increase bargaining power and to better manage supply, as well as changes public procurement rules which should include criteria of sustainable production measures, regional products and local food chains;
Amendment 981 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 42 a (new)
Paragraph 42 a (new)
42 a. Expresses support for fair contractual practices in the food chain and effective legislative measures to reduce food waste;
Amendment 1009 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 45
Paragraph 45
45. AdvocatBelieves that the 2006 sugar market reform be extended to 2020 in its existing form in order to develop a system for the subsequent period which can operate without quotaneeds to be revised as part of the CAP reform in order to integrate the sector into the overall efforts of better crop rotation and more sustainable production schemes;
Amendment 1034 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 46
Paragraph 46
46. Calls on the Commission to investigate whether the current arrangement whereby the wine market organisation ban on planting is to expire should be maintained, in view of anticipated market trendsalso make legislative proposals in order to revise the wine market organisation so as to definitely end the unsustainable and inefficient support for planting and distillation of surplus production;
Amendment 1060 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 48
Paragraph 48
48. Is aware of the importance of the second pillar, in view of its environmental, modernisation and structural improvement achievements, but also for attaining political objectives, which should also benefit farmerrural development policies as defined and financed in the second pillar which should continue to work towards more economic, social and territorial cohesion, diversification of rural economies, the enhancement of human, cultural and physical resources and quality of life in rural areas; calls therefore for second- pillar measures to be better suited to their objectives, so that the effectiveness of growth, employment and climate measures and meassupport sustainable farming practices and income generation whilst paying special attention to assisting young farmers, moreover to support appropriate infrastructure for capacity building and communication, as well as processing and marketing of food and other value chains harnessing rural resources for the benefit of rural areas ; supports the provision of affordable services to the rural population and for locanl be increausinesseds; considers that, in tadvocates therefore the fostering of subregional partnerships context, particular attention should be devoted to assisting young farmersand networking to enhance local cooperation and institutions and civil society’s role in local and regional governance, based on participatory and inclusive approaches in planning, decision-making and evaluation;
Amendment 1086 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 48 a (new)
Paragraph 48 a (new)
48 a. Highlights the importance of rural development to complement the basic good practices supported under the first pillar, with multi-annual programmed measures. These should support the orientation of European farming towards the production of quality food, sustainable management of natural resources and balanced territorial development. In particular, it should address the pressing global challenges such as biodiversity loss, climate change, depletion of water resources and soil degradation. A priority should be given to holistic farm practices that deliver multiple benefits, such as high nature value farming and organic farming;
Amendment 1103 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 48 b (new)
Paragraph 48 b (new)
48 b. Suggests - given the imperative of those new challenges - to broaden the scope of the current farm advisory system objectives through the rural development policy by integrating a knowledge and innovation system to disseminate innovative farming practices that support the changes towards more sustainable and agroecological production systems;.
Amendment 1122 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 49 a (new)
Paragraph 49 a (new)
49 a. Despite the importance of an overall European framework, insists that Member States and regional authorities are best placed to decide on the programmes which, locally, can make the greatest contribution to European targets; calls, therefore, for maximum subsidiarity and flexibility to apply for the creation of rural development programmes, organised around the four existing axes; stresses the need for a strong bottom-up local partnership approach in the design and implementation of the future rural development programmes, with additional encouragement for local action groups to take ownership of rural development under LEADER;
Amendment 1144 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 50
Paragraph 50
50. Advocates in this connection that the compensatory allowance for disadvantaged areas be retained in the second pillar; considers that it should be ascertained what cofinancing rate appears to be appropriate; calls on the Commission to retain the existing criteria for demarcation of disadvantaged areas taking into account performance of Member States in achieving their own objectives as laid down in pluri-annual rural development programmes; calls on the Commission to carefully adapt criteria for demarcation of disadvantaged areas; recognises that strict and purely biophysical criteria may not be suitable for all areas of Europe, and may lead to unintended consequences in terms of areas which qualify; therefore recommends that the case for socio- economic criteria such as distance from markets, lack of services and depopulation be re-examined, on an objective basis; emphasises that the fine- tuning of criteria must lie with Member States, and regional and local authorities, within the EU framework;
Amendment 1195 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 52
Paragraph 52
52. Advocates that, in the case of measures which are of particular importance to Member States, an optional increase of 25% in national financing in the second pillar (top-up) should be possible; notes that this money should be additional to EAFRD funds, and not a replacement;
Amendment 1202 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 53
Paragraph 53
53. Calls for abrupt changes in the allocation of appropriations in the second pillar to be avoided, as Member States require certainty to enable them to plan and continuity of financing; nevertheless, acknowledges the need for a fairer and more equal distribution of Pillar II funds between Member States;
Amendment 1210 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 54
Paragraph 54
54. Advocates that it should not be compulsory for national cofinancing to come from public funds; considers that at least 10 percentage points of any national cofinancing should come from public funds;
Amendment 1233 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 56
Paragraph 56
56. Welcomes greater coordination at EU level of EU funds; advocates, however, that the funds be preserved as politically autonomous instruments; and calls for the new Common Strategic Framework to ensure full synergy between the other related EU funds, particularly the Structural Funds;
Amendment 1258 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 57 a (new)
Paragraph 57 a (new)
57 a. Calls on the EU to play an important role in promoting international agreements for a paradigm shift in agriculture and food systems including action on climate change, biodiversity loss, including crop rotation, soil and water management and animal welfare; this should also be applied to imports from third countries (qualified market access), with due attention to the uneven playing field between the EU and less developed countries and in the framework of fair trade agreements which do not exploit less developed partners;
Amendment 1262 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 57 b (new)
Paragraph 57 b (new)
57 b. Calls for the EU to ensure consistency between the CAP and its development and trade policies; in particular urges the EU to be attentive to the situation in the developing countries and not jeopardize the self-supply of food in these countries and the ability of those populations to feed themselves, while respecting the principle of Policy Coherence for Development (PCD);
Amendment 1263 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 57 c (new)
Paragraph 57 c (new)
57 c. Welcomes the EU offer in the WTO negotiations to abolish export refunds; calls for the EU to fully abandon export refunds, considering that they cause distortion of external markets while providing no additional benefits for EU domestic farm gate prices; recognises the importance of abolishing export refunds internationally for ensuring food security and sustainable economic development in developing countries;