Activities of Britta REIMERS related to 2011/2114(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
Farm input supply chain - Imbalances in the food supply chain (debate)
Amendments (26)
Amendment 7 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas high volatility in agricultural commodity and farm input prices hasmay increased insecurity in farm income and in long-term investments by farmers;
Amendment 12 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
B a. Whereas higher food prices do not automatically translate into higher farm incomes, mainly due to the speed at which farm input costs increase and the growing divergence between producer and consumer prices;
Amendment 36 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas increased costs for leased land and land prices also strongly influence the viability of farming and young entrants in farming and should be included in reflections on possible cuts in input costs; whereas this situation should be improved, especially for young farmers and if needed through better regulation;
Amendment 39 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H
Recital H
H. whereas the market concentration of farm input suppliers is very high, with six companies controlling nearly 75 % of the agrochemicals market and three companies controlling over 45 % of the seeds market; whereas this concentration contributes to maintaining high seed prices and has a substantial negative impact on crop diversity;
Amendment 47 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital I
Recital I
I. whereas certified and patented seeds and royalties for use of these seeds represent the mone of the factors which can explain increase in seed costs for farmers;
Amendment 71 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital N
Recital N
N. whereas crop rotation shcould be included in ‘greening’ measures as part of CAP reform where local conditions allow and with regard to its significant contribution to climate change mitigation and the potential for reducing the use of synthetic fertilisers and pesticides;
Amendment 73 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital O
Recital O
O. whereas production of leguminous protein crops in the EU as well as improved grass-fed production systems wcould reduce the EU’s protein deficit and its dependence on feed imports and would have major economic benefits for farmers;
Amendment 85 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital Q
Recital Q
Q. whereas farm saved seeds, when allowed by EU Regulation /EC) No 2100/94 on Community plant variety rights, can offer significant economic and environmental benefits, including cost reductions for farmers and less commodity dependence, thereby responding to specific agronomic conditions in farms; whereas improved infrastructure in this field can significantly reduce animal feed and seed production costs in the long term;
Amendment 91 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Calls on the Commission to include in its work programme a revision of legislation to improve the transparency of on-farm input prices and the price margins of industries upstream of farming;
Amendment 92 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. Asks for greater scrutiny and better analysis to be given at EU and global level to the economic fundamentals which explain rising food prices, predominantly interactions between supply and demand fluctuations, as well as increasing interactions between the price movements of energy, inputs, and food commodities;
Amendment 93 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
1b. Asks the Commission to refine its analysis on the reasons behind extreme market fluctuations and seek greater clarity on the interactions between speculation and agricultural markets, as well as energy markets and food commodities prices; stresses that this should be part of the efforts to better regulate, increase transparency and the quality of information on financial markets at global and EU level, including in the upcoming review of the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID) and the Market Abuse Directive (MAD);
Amendment 101 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Stresses in particular the need for a European Food Prices Monitoring Tool which wWelcomes the European Food Prices Monitoring Tool set up by Eurostat and the setting up of the High Level Forum for a better functioning of the food supply chain, which must include the input sector operating upstream and should deliver better transparency on input price development and allowcontribute to improved farm-gate prices to be linked to production costs; Insists that regular reporting of progress made and concrete proposals should be transmitted to and discussed with the European Parliament;
Amendment 109 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Considers that primary producers cannot fully benefit from increased output prices as they are being 'squeezed' between, on the one side, low farm-gate prices due to the strong positions of processors and retailers, and high input prices due to increased concentration of input companies on the other side;
Amendment 112 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Calls on national and European competition authorities to address robustly the abuses of dominant position of agribusiness traders and input companies, and to consider proposals for anti-trust legislationin particular in the fertilizers sector where farmers face tremendous difficulties to forward-buy essential fertilizers for their production; European competition authorities should therefore consider launching a full sector inquiry to challenge all potential anti-competitive practices applied by fertilizers and crop protection products companies so as to ensure a freely operating input market;
Amendment 154 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Considers that efficient measures for on-farm and local energy saving and management should be made available throughout the EU via rural development programmes and should becomeby creating new incentives and targeted support mechanisms at the heart of the CAP reform, including as part of farm extension services;
Amendment 161 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Calls on the Commission to analyse energy costs in the various existing farm systems and the associated input providers, processing industry and distribution systems, taking into account energy efficiency and use of sustainable energy sources to respond to the new challenges, and the necessary rebalancing of crop and animal production;
Amendment 166 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Repeats its call to include (non- mandatory) crop rotation and crop diversity in an EU-wide list of ‘greening’ measures to be rewarded within the CAP, given the positive effect the former have on climate change mitigation, soil and water quality and farmers’ finances (with significantly reduced use of fertilisers, soil improvers, plant protection products and pesticides which will reduce input costs for farmers);
Amendment 176 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15 a. Insists that, as part of the reform of the CAP, an EU-wide list of 'greening' measures should primarily reward increased resource efficiency, nutrient management including precision farming techniques for a competitive and less input intensive and fossil-fuel dependent EU agriculture;
Amendment 185 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Repeats its calls for the Commission to swiftly submit to Parliament and the Council a report on the possibilities and options for increasing domestic protein crop production in the EU by means of new policy instruments, thereby reducing the EU’s dependence on protein imports and the external input of mineral fertilisers and pesticides, and examining the potential effect of these options on farmers’ revenues;
Amendment 190 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Stresses again the need to introduce in the new CAP suitable measures and instruments to support those farmers cultivating protein crops in crop rotation systems, thereb, thereby potentially reducing the EU’s crop protein deficit and price volatility, while also improving agricultural practices, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving disease control and soil fertility;
Amendment 195 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to support efforts to maintain the use of farm saved seed in EU farming in view of its significantonly in cases where there are no intellectual property rights attached to the seeds used, in view of the economic and environmental benefits and contribution to agro- biodiversity this practice can bring;
Amendment 203 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Calls in particular on the Commission to propose the withdrawal of restriensure fair and balanced protections on the use of farm saved seed as laid down in Article 14(1) and (2)f plant breeding rights in the context of the forthcoming revision of Regulation (EC) No 2100/94 on Community plant variety rights, in the context of the forthcoming revision of this regulation;
Amendment 209 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Calls, in the light of the upcoming Rio+20 global conference, for a new EU initiative on the conservation, sustainable use and quality marketing of agro- biodiversity, in order to reduce seed purchase costs and increase added value from farming;
Amendment 211 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 – point 1 (new)
Paragraph 21 – point 1 (new)
(1) Calls on the Commission to use the findings of the three external reports drawn up on the subject of seed marketing, plant health and plant breeders’ rights in the EU and to propose changes to EU legislation with a view to encouraging the development of high- value plant species and seed to ensure they meet farmers’ requirements and contribute to the long-term development of the agricultural sector;
Amendment 223 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 – point a (new)
Paragraph 23 – point a (new)
(a) Calls on the Commission to work towards solutions to drainage problems which take account of factors such as heavy rainfall, low-lying areas and stagnant water;
Amendment 225 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 – point 1 (new)
Paragraph 24 – point 1 (new)
(1) Calls on the Commission to draw up a report on the impact of land use for infrastructure development, housing and buffer zones on agricultural holdings’ costs;