Activities of Verónica LOPE FONTAGNÉ related to 2009/2151(INI)
Shadow opinions (1)
OPINION on a Community approach on the prevention of natural and man-made disasters
Amendments (18)
Amendment 5 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1a (new)
Paragraph 1a (new)
1a. Highlights the EU’s increasing vulnerability to disasters and considers that this must be addressed by adopting an integrated risk management approach covering all the various phases of the disaster management cycle – prevention and early warning, preparedness, response, recovery and rehabilitation – in the form of an EU directive also addressing drought prevention and management, similar to one already existing for floods.
Amendment 6 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1b (new)
Paragraph 1b (new)
1b. Stresses that it is the regions and local communities that bear the brunt of natural disasters and that, generally speaking, neither their material and human resources or their know-how or financial resources are sufficient to cope with these disasters under a purely national and/or regional approach, and that these disasters call for an effective European-level solidarity-based response.
Amendment 7 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
Amendment 10 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas the balanced occupation of land, and economic and social development that are in harmony with nature, and reinforced cohesion across the EU ar, combating rural depopulation and maintaining agricultural activity that is economically and environmentally sustainable are some of the fundamental elements of disaster prevention;
Amendment 11 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2a (new)
Paragraph 2a (new)
2a. Advocates a global strategy for the whole EU under which a protocol for uniform action is introduced for each type of disaster, including forest fire; considers that this strategy must ensure total solidarity between countries and award special attention to the European regions which are most isolated, most scarcely populated, are mountain or border areas or island or outermost areas, or are the most economically disadvantaged.
Amendment 15 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Stresses that the effects of disasters are not confined within the formal and administrative boundaries of regions and Member States; believes, therefore, that the identification of particularly risk-prone areas, specifying the type of risk concerned, should go hand in hand with establishing priority objectives and cooperation mechanisms in such areas; calls on regions to build on already existing territorial cooperation networks in order to develop cooperation focusing more specifically on disaster prevention; believes that the macro-regions, with their functionally-oriented cooperation independent of administrative boundaries, can become effective platforms for cooperation in the field of disaster prevention;
Amendment 18 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Advocates a single EU-wide strategy through the introduction of a uniform action plan for each type of disaster, ensuring complete solidarity between countries in tackling disasters; urges that particular attention be paid within the strategy to the most isolated, most sparsely populated, mountainous and border regions of Europe, and the most economically disadvantaged European regions.
Amendment 18 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3a (new)
Paragraph 3a (new)
Amendment 25 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4a (new)
Paragraph 4a (new)
4a. Urges the Commission to ensure that the current budgetary pressures arising from the crisis do not lead to a reduction in the resources allocated to existing disaster prevention policies and, as part of the current budget review, to carefully assess any gaps in the field of prevention and whether each type of disaster is covered by the instruments available.
Amendment 26 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4b (new)
Paragraph 4b (new)
4b. Considers that, as part of the current budget review, the Commission should explore every possibility as regards instruments to improve the existing disaster prevention systems, including the possibility of using the early warning and satellite observation resources currently available to assess the risks of drought and desertification arising from climate change.
Amendment 27 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4c (new)
Paragraph 4c (new)
4c. Urges the Commission not to forget that better management and conservation of woodlands is key among its priorities in the area of combating climate change; considers that the provision of a genuine forestry policy would make a major contribution not just to combating climate change, but also to preventing natural disasters.
Amendment 28 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Therefore calls on the European Commission to examine the feasibility of creating a climate change adaptation fund in the context of the next financial perspective, in order to help finance preventive measures relating to natural disasters in specific economic sectors.
Amendment 41 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Highlights the role played by farmers as custodians of the countryside in the European Union; therefore considers it necessary to promote the maintenance of agricultural activities in an economically and environmentally viable manner, with the aim of curbing the abandonment of production and the depopulation of rural areas, a phenomenon which further increases the risk of forest fires and desertification.
Amendment 48 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Advocates a single EU-wide strategy through the introduction of a uniform action plan for each type of disaster, ensuring complete solidarity between countries in tackling disasters; urges that particular attention be paid within the strategy to the most isolated, most sparsely populated, mountainous and border regions of Europe, and the most economically disadvantaged European regions.
Amendment 49 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 b (new)
Paragraph 9 b (new)
9b. Highlights the fact that persistent droughts have in recent years encouraged the proliferation of forest fires in Europe, at the same time worsening the desertification of a large number of regions.
Amendment 50 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 c (new)
Paragraph 9 c (new)
9c. Advocates the creation of a genuine forest policy designed to improve the management and conservation of forests, taking into account the fundamental role that they play in combating climate change, which is having an increasing impact in natural disasters; such a policy should be directed both towards forest protection and the sustainable use of timber resources.
Amendment 53 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Calls on the Commission to carry out, together with the Member States, within the context of a genuine European forest policy, a specific initiative in the area of forest protection and fire prevention; considers that forestation and reforestation projects should be supported, with preference given to native species and mixed forests, to encourage biodiversity and greater resistance to fire, storms and disease;
Amendment 64 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Stresses that the natural characteristics and constraints of sparsely populated regions and outermost regions need to be acknowledged and taken into due account; draws attention to the added difficulties faced by these regions in tackling disasters; asks for special attention to be paid to those regions through the various financial instruments available and, specifically, calls for the conditions for mobilising the Solidarity Fund for those areas to be made more flexible.