8 Amendments of Elisabeth KÖSTINGER related to 2015/2353(INI)
Amendment 64 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Stresses that the fixed ceilings for the CAP until 2020 entail much lower margins than in the previous MFF, while the sector faces more challenges; stresses, in this regard, that any use of the margin must be exclusively to address the needs of the agricultural sector, given that long-term planning and investment security are essential for EU farmers; points out that agriculture should not be the only sector to bear the brunt of political decisions, as is currently the case with the Russian embargo; calls on the Commission to provide the European Parliament with an assessment of the impact of the Russian embargo on the EU agricultural sector;
Amendment 72 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Stresses that price volatility is increasing and that it is therefore erroneous to believe that farm subsidies are no longer needed; strongly disagrees, in this context, with the notion that a rise in food prices and sales of produce in recent years have provided farmers with a stable income allowing business planning or security; recalls also that European consumers are not ready to pay their food at a price which would be undeniably higher if the agricultural sector was not receiving public support;
Amendment 80 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Points out that the objectives of the CAP remain unchanged under the Lisbon Treaty, namely increasing agricultural productivity, ensuring a fair standard of living for the agricultural community, stabilising markets, ensuring the availability of supplies and ensuring that supplies reach consumers at reasonable prices; notes, however, that the successive reforms of the CAP have assigned new tasks to agriculture in terms of product quality, environmental protection, climate change, consumer health, land use issues and modes of production and productivity; takes the view, therefore, that the impact of the CAP on overall EU strategies (EU 2020 and the Climate and Energy Goals) must be analysed so that conclusions for the period after 2020 can be found; stresses that the objectives laid down as part of the EU’s sustainability strategy must also be taken into account in the EU’s agricultural policy;
Amendment 93 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Stresses that agricultural production has an extremely high added value, since it also supplies the processing sector, thereby contributing to economic and social cohesion in regions and to the EU’s balanced regional development; points out that it is therefore necessary to maintain and, where appropriate, step up the support received by farmers, since this provides an incentive to increase agricultural production; stresses that the CAP contributes significantly to growth and employment in rural areas, more so than other Union policies; recalls that, in statistical terms, one farmer provides seven additional jobs in related sectors; points to the importance of maintaining the CAP’s focus on supporting small-scale and family farming businesses as the cornerstone of agricultural production in the EU and of life in the EU’s rural areas; underlines how essential is to maintain specific measures in the framework of the CAP towards areas suffering from severe and permanent natural handicaps, notably mountainous areas and outermost regions, and other specific handicaps;
Amendment 108 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Stresses that the success of the CAP and acceptance thereof also depends on further reducing bureaucracy and limiting regulatory administrative provisions to an acceptable level; , and a practical implementation of the CAP and simplification measures should therefore have priority;
Amendment 124 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20a. Stresses that the fixed ceilings for the CAP until 2020 entail much lower margins than in the previous MFF, while the sector faces more challenges; stresses in this regard, that any use of the margin must be exclusively to address the needs of the agricultural sector; warns that the current margin within the agriculture budget may prove insufficient, with market volatility, veterinary and phytosanitary risks and other unforeseen events making increasing demands on the budget to such an extent that the margin is expected to be depleted at the end of this planning period;
Amendment 164 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 a (new)
Paragraph 27 a (new)
27a. Insists that the amounts for direct payments in Heading 2 should be left untouched; points out that this is crucial for the income situation of many farmers, particular in times of crises, and that the absorption rate per year is almost 100%;
Amendment 180 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29 a (new)
Paragraph 29 a (new)
29a. Insists that the current amount in Heading 2 as foreseen in the current MFF remains at least at the same level; refers in this respect to Art.2 of the MFF regulation, which clearly states that allocated national envelopes may not be reduced by the midterm revision; considers furthermore that other Union policies must have the necessary financial means to allow the Union to honour its legal obligations in accordance with the corresponding sectoral legislation;