14 Amendments of Paolo DE CASTRO related to 2017/2044(BUD)
Amendment 2 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the proposed EUR 59,5 billion in commitments which represent a 1,7 % increase compared to 2017, and a 2,6 % increase in payments amounting to EUR 56,3 billion under the Draft Budget (DB) 2018 for Heading 2; notes, however, that the increase is mainly attributable to the lower amount of assigned revenue estimated to be available to the EAGF in the DB 2018 compared to the 2017 budget, and that commitment appropriations for the EAFRD basically remain at the same level as in the 2017 budgetmongst others as last instalments of significant past clearance decisions are due in 2017;
Amendment 5 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. Welcomes that commitment appropriations for the EAFRD basically remain at the same level as in the 2017 budget, while the requested payment appropriations are actually increasing;
Amendment 7 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
1 b. Notes that the main reason for no significant changes in the DB 2018 compared to Budget 2017 is that the majority of CAP expenditure concerns pre-allocated MS envelopes which show a relatively stable level of execution of the support over the years;
Amendment 8 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 c (new)
Paragraph 1 c (new)
1 c. Notes that the 2017 budget includes the financing for the EUR 500 million solidarity package for the dairy and other livestock sectors, while the decrease of this market measure will not have an impact on the 2018 budget;
Amendment 13 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Highlights that administrative costs have to be secured for the Common Agricultural Policy, especially to guarantee timely payments and to maintain adequate levels of effective control; insists that further cuts in administrative staff numbers can lead to higher delays and risks of error and should not jeopardise the implementation of the CAP;
Amendment 15 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3 a. Asks the Commission to ensure uniform application of the criteria of the active farmers clause with a view to the simplified but more reliable identification of these farmers;
Amendment 18 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Highlights the importance of the rural development commitments and spending and their potential for the creation of jobs in areas of higher unemployment, especially for the younger generations; insists that the initiatives targeting young farmers, which support innovation and generation renewal, should be maintained;
Amendment 21 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to monitor, in a timely manner, the price volatility of agricultural products, which has adverse effects on farmers' incomes, and to react promptly and effectively when needed;
Amendment 22 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4 b. Welcomes that the reserve for crises in the agricultural sector is part of the DB 2018;calls on the Commission to reconsider the existing crisis reserve system, and to create a new instrument that enables rapid political intervention in the event of a crisis and does not rely on an annual financial discipline mechanism for its funding;
Amendment 23 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
Amendment 32 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Highlights the importance of pilot projects to the agricultural and rural development sectors in recent years; therefore asks for continued support for ongoing and new pilot projects; calls on the Commission to carry out an ex-post evaluation of the efficiency and benefits of pilot projects and preparatory actions;
Amendment 37 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Calls on the Commission to take into consideration the modifications put forward in the Omnibus proposal for modernising and simplifying the CAP and to secure finance for them in the 2018 budget;
Amendment 39 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Stresses that it is essential that funds earmarked for research in the agri- food sector, in particular from the Horizon 2020 budget, remain fully available as such in order to stimulate innovation and smart solutions in the agricultural and rural development sectors; highlights the fact that these 'smart' solutions should maintain coherence with environment, climate and biodiversity policy objectives, ensure close cooperation with relevant stakeholders from all Member States, and incentivise and support initiatives tailored to the needs of smallholdings without economies of scale so that they may benefit from new technologies; notes that integrated 'smart' solutions – such as smart villages, precision farming, digitalisation, the shared and circular economy, and social initiatives – can contribute to agriculture and overall well- being in rural areas; urges the Commission to plan funding for 'smart' approaches in the light of the CAP reform and the Cork 2.0 Declaration;
Amendment 50 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9 a. Notes that Brexit has no direct impact on the 2018 Draft Budget; regrets however that the Reflection paper on the future of EU finances1a is drawing up some critical scenarios for agriculture and rural development partly due to the departure of the UK; therefore calls on the Commission and the Member States to show responsibility towards the CAP budget during the ongoing discussions. _________________ 1a https://ec.europa.eu/commission/publicati ons/reflection-paper-future-eu- finances_en