Activities of Maria do Céu PATRÃO NEVES related to 2012/2077(INI)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on promotion measures and information provision for agricultural products: what strategy for promoting the tastes of Europe PDF (181 KB) DOC (130 KB)
Amendments (45)
Amendment 1 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 11 a (new)
Citation 11 a (new)
- having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on the green paper on promotion measures and information provision for agricultural products: a reinforced value-added European strategy for promoting the tastes of Europe (NAT/525),
Amendment 2 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 11 b (new)
Citation 11 b (new)
- having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on the Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions - promotion measures and information provision for agricultural products: a reinforced value- added European strategy for promoting the tastes of Europe (NAT/560),
Amendment 5 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas promoinformation and informapromotion measures were introduced in the 1980s with the objective of absorbing agricultural surpluses and were later also used as an instrument for dealing with crises in the food industry, such as the 1996 bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) – better known as ‘mad cow disease’ – outbreak, and the 1999 dioxins in eggs scandal;
Amendment 6 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas information and promotion measures now need to play a wider and more constant role and should help make products more profitable, bring about greater competitive equity in external markets and provide more and better information for consumers;
Amendment 8 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas spending on the horizontal promotion scheme in the 2012 budget is expected to amounts to approximately EUR 556 million, cor roughlyresponding to around 0.1 % of total CAP spending of roughly EUR 55 880 million;
Amendment 9 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
Ea. whereas the most recent objectives of information and promotion policy should also be taken into account for budgetary purposes, and these objectives are not confined to restoring consumer confidence following crises but extend to making products more profitable, bringing about greater competitive equity in external markets and providing more and better information for consumers;
Amendment 10 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas spending on all other CAP promotion and information measures, notably under the SCMO and rural development policy, amounts tois put at between EUR 400 and EUR 500 million annually, still less than 1 % of total CAP spending, which is clearly insufficient, particularly to boost the competitiveness of European products on the world market;
Amendment 11 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
Amendment 12 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H
Recital H
Amendment 16 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital I
Recital I
I. whereas one of the Union’s strengths in food production lies in its varied geography, quality products and traditions, which can provide the taste, diversithe diversity and specificity of its products, linked to different geographical areas and different traditional methods, providing unique tastes with the variety and authenticity that consumers increasingly look for, both in the EU and outside;
Amendment 17 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital I a (new)
Recital I a (new)
I a. Whereas the EU promotion policy is an important tool of the CAP which can contribute to the competitiveness and long-term viability of the agricultural and food sectors,
Amendment 20 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital J
Recital J
J. whereas the EUnion has recently published a list of approved nutrition and health claims – which enters into force in December 2012 – ending years of uncertainty for the food industry, providing marketing tools that are essential in order to attract consumers' attention and enabling consumers to make more informed choices;
Amendment 23 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital K
Recital K
K. whereas the EU farming and food sector can become even more competitive at the global level if it is successful in exporting good examples of sustainable farming practices, as well as its productable to promote European food diversity, as well as the European model of production, which is subject to high standards with regard to quality, safety, animal welfare and environmental sustainability, etc., thus encouraging other farming powers to adopt this model with a view to establishing equitable production conditions and fair commercial competitiveness;
Amendment 25 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital L
Recital L
L. whereas the Council, in its December 2011 conclusions on agricultural promotion policy, states that ‘promotion actions should also be carried out to promote the potential of local farming and short-chain distribution’ and that these actions should be included in rural development programmes, as already proposed by the Commission;
Amendment 26 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital L a (new)
Recital L a (new)
La. whereas it is necessary and important to provide sufficient instruments for a policy that will foster European farming and food promotion and contribute to the competitiveness of the farming and food sector, deriving benefits from the diversity, value-added and quality of its products;
Amendment 27 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital L b (new)
Recital L b (new)
Lb. whereas there is an indissoluble link between European farming and the food industry that processes 70% of agricultural raw materials and sells food products, in which 99% of European food and drink businesses are SMEs and more than 52% are located in rural areas, making them economic and social drivers in Europe's rural environment;
Amendment 32 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital O
Recital O
O. whereas the School Fruit Scheme also has educational objectives, which should include providing pupils with a better idea of how food is produced and of life on a farm, as well as explaining why costs for improved environmental and animal welfare performance of farming must be paid to EU farmers for reasons of fairness;
Amendment 34 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital P
Recital P
P. whereas Regulation 814/2000 aims to help citizens understand the European model of agriculture and raise public awareness of the issues; whereas ignorance and misunderstandings about farming and rural life are probably stronger today than during any other period in Europe’s history, and one of the relevant factors of which public opinion is least aware is a significant rise in the cost of agricultural production resulting from the obligations imposed by the EU in terms of food security and hygiene, social welfare for workers, environmental conservation and animal welfare, which are often not practised by the EU's direct agricultural competitors; whereas one of the relevant factors that is most misunderstood by public opinion concerns the lack of awareness of the significant contribution that agriculture makes to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and the long list of public assets it provides;
Amendment 35 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the Commission’s ‘promotion measures and information provision for agricultural products: a reinforced value- added European strategy for promoting the tastes of Europe’ Communication, which must constitutes a step first step towards enhancing the right directionvalue of European production among both Europeans and others and increasing its profitability;
Amendment 41 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Believes, however, that the rationale forobjectives of EU promotion policy needs to be better defined in order to provide it with a clearer identity; stresses that promotion activities should focus omust be clearer and adequately defined; stresses that promotion activities should cover all agri-food products that meet European quality stand highly localised food products, rather than on basic agricultural productards, since this will contribute to the efficiency of promotion activities and respond to consumer demands;
Amendment 45 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Considers that defining a clearer identity and introducing greater selectivity is a necessary first step towards increasing policy coherence and synergies between different promotion instrumentsa clear definition by the Commission of the objectives of EU promotion policy, alongside the setting of objective guidelines for the Member States, constitute a necessary first step towards increasing policy coherence and synergies between different promotion instruments as well as being absolutely essential in order to ensure greater transparency in the selection of programmes at national level; points out that Union activities in this field must complement national, as well as private sector initiatives;
Amendment 47 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Considers that the budget for improved information and promotion measures should be significantly increased, notably for the horizontal promotion scheme, and stresses that the latter should not be used in future to manage food crisestaking account of the most recent objectives of information and promotion policy, notably for the horizontal promotion scheme; considers, further, that this scheme should be provided with a separate heading in the general budget;
Amendment 48 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
Amendment 55 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Stresses that horizontal promotion measures under Regulation 3/2008 should contribute to developing local markets and short supply chains, and to revitalising the internal market and intensifying the marketing of European products on external markets;
Amendment 59 #
Motion for a resolution
New chapter – paragraph 7 a (new)
New chapter – paragraph 7 a (new)
Local, regional, internal and external markets 7 a. Notes that EU information and promotion policy should have three main objectives: in local and regional markets it should highlight the diversity and freshness of products and the proximity between producers and consumers, with a view to the economic revitalisation and social enhancement of rural life; in the internal market it should reap the full benefits of the European area without borders and 500 million consumers, with a view to boosting production and stimulating the consumption of European products; in external markets it should exploit the high standards followed by the European production model in order to obtain greater value-added for the agri- food sector;
Amendment 60 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 b (new)
Paragraph 7 b (new)
7 b. Proposes that the Commission should develop short supply chains in local and regional markets, thereby creating new opportunities for farmers and other producers in rural areas and for associations of farmers and/or farmers and other operators in rural areas, and that it should design a wide set of instruments to promote the development of rural areas; considers it desirable, further, for the Commission to produce guides that will help farmers make more and better investments in the quality and specific value of their products; considers that consideration should also be given to investment in dissemination through the media (notably the internet);
Amendment 61 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 c (new)
Paragraph 7 c (new)
7 c. Proposes that the Commission should do more on the internal market to support efforts being made by European producers to acquire the capacity to meet higher consumer demands in terms of quality and food hygiene, as well as knowledge of the origin of fresh products and when they should best be consumed, promoting the diversity of products and food and providing an opportunity to become acquainted with new products or new ways of presenting or using traditional products;
Amendment 62 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 d (new)
Paragraph 7 d (new)
7 d. Calls, therefore, for the expansion of programmes geared to either markets or target products, whereby promotion tools should focus on the specific characteristics of production standards, always highlighting the European production model and European quality systems in particular; also considers it important to encourage multi-country programmes covering various products, which on the one hand bring a genuine European dimension to the programme and on the other hand are more specifically in need of European support; takes the view, in this context, that priority should be given to countries implementing production programmes that take account of market conditions and potential and at the same time allow the Commission to adjust support in line with the designated area;
Amendment 63 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 e (new)
Paragraph 7 e (new)
7 e. Urges that information and promotion measures should be made more attractive for professional organisations through greater cooperation between ongoing national and sectoral activities and better coordination with political activities, with particular regard to free- trade agreements;
Amendment 64 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 f (new)
Paragraph 7 f (new)
7 f. Highlights the need to make programmes more flexible so that they can be adjusted in line with fluctuating market conditions during the implementation phase; believes that the level of detail required when presenting programmes should therefore also be reduced;
Amendment 65 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 g (new)
Paragraph 7 g (new)
7 g. Calls for the improved assessment of programmes using a rigorous assessment system with specific indicators such as an increase in market share and job creation; takes the view that the selection process should be shorter and that consideration should be given to the possibility of advance payments for organisations;
Amendment 66 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 h (new)
Paragraph 7 h (new)
7 h. Congratulates the Commission on the good results achieved with the current information and promotion policy for agricultural products but calls for that policy to be simplified and improved, whereby it is particularly important to reduce administrative burdens, above all by reducing the number of reports that the Commission requires; considers that it would be desirable for the Commission to produce a simple and comprehensive manual that would help potential beneficiaries to comply with the rules and procedures linked to this policy;
Amendment 67 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 i (new)
Paragraph 7 i (new)
7 i. Draws the Commission's attention to the fact that, as regards external markets, the production of quality food is not in itself sufficient to guarantee a good market position, and it is therefore vital to invest in promotion programmes; considers that these programmes should be preceded by market studies in third countries, for which co-financing should be available; believes that consideration should also be given to the possibility of supporting pilot projects in third countries that have been identified as potential new markets;
Amendment 68 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 j (new)
Paragraph 7 j (new)
7j. Calls for action to boost the development of European associations and businesses and encourage them to participate in world forums, competing in terms of quality and giving priority to specialisation and diversity, which will require assistance for farmers and cooperatives in implementing their own strategies and export capacity, including technical assistance for producers;
Amendment 69 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 k (new)
Paragraph 7 k (new)
7k. Calls for it to be possible to promote the origin of products that are not covered by quality denominations, highlighting their characteristics and qualities;
Amendment 70 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 l (new)
Paragraph 7 l (new)
7l. Believes that information and promotion policy for European products should be provided with its own label that will identify such products inside and outside the EU;
Amendment 71 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 m (new)
Paragraph 7 m (new)
7m. Calls on the Commission to raise consumer awareness of the fact that European agricultural standards are the most demanding in the world in terms of quality, safety, animal welfare and environmental sustainability, etc., which affects the final price of the product; believes that consumers should be provided with transparent information on how European products and their characteristics can be identified, in order to avoid the risk of purchasing counterfeit products and enable them to decide what they wish to purchase;
Amendment 73 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Believes that (without leading to discrimination against other products) it would be useful to take into account and foster quality products are those that are linked to specific production methods, geographical origins, traditions or cultural contexts, and notes thatfor which schemes to protect thesem already exist in the form of PDOs, PGIs, organic products or TSGs; calls for a new ‘local farming and direct sale’ scheme to cover local quality products intended for consumption in the region where they are produced;
Amendment 75 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Takes the view that the indication of European origin should prevail as the main identity in all promotion and information activities, both in the internal market and in third countries; takes the view that an additional indication of national origin could be considered in third countries where that identity is strong and where it helps to highlight diversity in the supply of food products;
Amendment 77 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 b (new)
Paragraph 8 b (new)
8b. Stresses that, as regards private brands, it is vital to seek a balance between generic promotion and brand promotion that will help make promotional campaigns in third countries more efficient; supports the Commission's view that brand names can have a leveraging effect on this type of activity, where it is natural to complement generic promotion by bringing together economic players through the promotion of products and brands, thus having a greater impact on importers and consequently on consumers; considers, further, that including private brands in promotion activities will result in businesses being more interested in participating, and it should be borne in mind that, in the end, it is these businesses that co-finance such measures;
Amendment 78 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Points out that, to the extent that farmers are organised, quality schemes allow farmers to apply supply management and price stabilisation measures, increasing their chances of earning a decent living from farming, and are therefore best placed to increase “European added value”, in line with the Commission’s priorities;
Amendment 88 #
Motion for a resolution
Heading
Heading
Amendment 89 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
Amendment 93 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
Amendment 96 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14