13 Amendments of Paolo DE CASTRO related to 2021/2079(INI)
Amendment 6 #
Draft opinion
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas agriculture on islands is hampered by their remote location, insularity and environmental specificities, small holdings, limited diversity in production, dependence on local markets, the climate crisis, environmental degradation, biodiversity loss and a lack of energy, limitations in the access to fresh water and digital infrastructure;
Amendment 14 #
Draft opinion
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
B a. whereas insular territories in the Union account for 80% of European diversity and represent a landscape and environmental treasure that requires specific protection;
Amendment 16 #
Draft opinion
Recital B b (new)
Recital B b (new)
B b. whereas a substantial part of the socio-economic development of islands is based on sectors with a high temporary rate as it is the case for agriculture and tourism; whereas this socio-economic development is sometimes threatened by the islands’ own geological, geographical, climatic specificities, and diverse characteristics;
Amendment 20 #
Draft opinion
Recital B c (new)
Recital B c (new)
B c. whereas islands have faced specific difficulties during the COVID-19 pandemic due to their geographical isolation and difficulties in accessing basic supplies from mainland territories, such as fuel or water;
Amendment 28 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Calls on the Commission to maintain appropriate funding, including through thedequate levels of funding via POSEI programmes for the outermost regions and smaller Aegean islands in its entirety within the CAP and without budget cuts, to enhance agricultural competitiveness, ensure sustainable management of natural resources and support balanced territorial development on EU islands;
Amendment 33 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. Calls on the Commission to maintain the long-term co-financing rate for the outermost regions at 85% for the EAFRD in order to ensure the socio- economic development of these territories and thereby alleviate the problems arising from their remote location;
Amendment 34 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
1 b. Urges the Commission to increase the financial allocations for POSEI in the event of exceptional situations, such as the current one faced by the agricultural sector in the island of La Palma (Canary Islands) after the eruption of the volcano which began on 19 September 2021; calls for urgent action by the EU to ensure that the aid reaches the affected farmers in a rapid and effective manner; recalls that the eruption endangers a unique agricultural sector such as the Canary Islands banana industry, with estimated losses that exceed 100 million euros;
Amendment 35 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Stresses the need to strengthen both the integrated territorial development approach towards islands and initiatives such as those on smart villages and digital innovation hubs with regard to islands in order to support sustainable agriculture and food production; highlights the importance of promoting the smart use of energy and water in order to ensure that islands make the most out of their scarce resources available;
Amendment 49 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Amendment 57 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Calls on the Member States to utilise all available tools under cohesion policy to reinforce food sovereignty and the self-sustainability of islands and make them an integral part of the transition towards sustainable food systems, thus turning geographical handicaps into opportunities;
Amendment 58 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a. Calls on the Commission to take into account the specific problems faced by European islands during COVID-19; calls on the Commission to take into account their impact on agriculture and livestock farming in islands where the isolation and cessation of the economy put at risk the access to basic supplies as fuel and water from mainland territory;
Amendment 68 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Calls for the Commission to promote island policies during regional planning processes to support sustainable agriculture, food production and agro- tourism with funds complementary to those from the EAFRD; urges it also to assess the real cost of insularity.
Amendment 72 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5 a. Calls for the Long-Term Vision for Rural Areas to specifically integrate the particularities of outermost regions and Aegean islands; stresses that the Rural Observatory represents a unique opportunity for the production of adequate and updated high-quality data for island territories focused, amongst others, on access to land, establishing the grounds for the development of a holistic agricultural and economic development of islands;