Activities of Gabriel MATO related to 2020/2273(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030: Bringing nature back into our lives (debate)
Opinions (1)
OPINION on EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030: Bringing nature back into our lives
Amendments (11)
Amendment 4 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Recalls that the damage to the planet’s biodiversity is almost at the point of no return and thate importance of halting biodiversity loss on a global level, since global biodiversity loss is also one of the drivers of zoonotic pathogens such as COVID-19; highlights the scientific evidence on the role of trade in global biodiversity loss, in particular with regard to trade in minerals, biomass and certainhe wildlife trade and to a certain extent trade in minerals, unsustainably sourced biomass and certain unsustainably produced agricultural commodities, and biodiversity loss due to the climate change, global land-use changes, invasive alien species, overunsustainable exploitation of resources and pollution;
Amendment 11 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Emphasises that, in order to allow level playing field on international stage, it is important that the EU and Global Biodiversity Framework under the CBD (Convention on Biological Diversity) have the same level of ambition, especially when it comes to the level of land and sea protection targets; underlines that the updated zero draft of the post-2020 global biodiversity framework, which takes into account the outcomes of the second meeting of the Open-ended Working Group on the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework, doesn’t include reference to a strict protection; therefore, calls the Commission to ensure that any land protection target in the EU is flexible enough to allow implementation to take into account the precise conditions and opportunities of each Member States and rights of land and forest owners, with strict protection being a voluntary option;
Amendment 19 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
1b. Recalls that trade agreements must ensure that the parties involved participate actively in promoting sustainable development principles; international standards that are in line with European environmental and climate ambitions for sustainable growth must also be guaranteed; in addition, in order to ensure a global transition to sustainable food systems, these agreements should make the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and compliance to this as essential and binding elements;
Amendment 20 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 c (new)
Paragraph 1 c (new)
1c. Stresses that the future Open Strategic Autonomy Strategy should help to develop fair competition across all operators in international trade and to ensure coherence between different EU policies and initiatives, including Biodiversity strategy, while promoting all aspects of sustainability and extend the benefits of trade to farm level;
Amendment 22 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Stresses the importance of systematically including a biodiversity dimension to all sustainable impact assessments (SIAs) that follow a robust methodology, as suggested by available Commission studies, and to consistently factor in biodiversity issut into all EU policies; requests that the Commission secure adequate funding for carrying out such analyses on biodiversity; calls for SIAs to be launched as and facilitate the deployment thereof for innovation in this field; calls for sustainability impact to be given more consideration as an important part of the scoping exercise phase on future free trade agreements and for them to be regularly updated as negotiations develop in order to adequately identify and address possible risks as early as possible, and to shape relevant bilateral commitments outlined in the negotiations; stresses the importance of systematically conducting regular ex post sustainable impact assessments to ensure consistency with the EU’s international commitments on biodiversity; calls for trade and sustainable development chapters to include time- bound roadmaps that provide verifiable commitments and objectives, which are to be regularly monitored by ex post SIAs and for the lowering of (non- )tariff barriers be made conditional thereon; invites the Commission to update existing chapters accordingly;
Amendment 47 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Considers that the EU’s trade policy and green diplomacy should aim to phase out fossil fuels andintroduce measures to phase in energy transition, encouraging the use of low or zero-emission technologies and eliminating environmentally harmful subsidies as a matter of urgency in accordance with the commitments taken at the G20 Summit in Pittsburgh in 2009; invites the Commission to agree on a roadmap with each trade partner covered by a trade agreement, with milestones in place, and to show leadership in relevant international forums;
Amendment 63 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Urges the EU to adopt a whitelist of endangered species to efficiently combat the illegal trade thereof, to improve the training of its customs officialsand other officials with regard to biodiversity in and to support the establishment of a mechanism to prohibit the export of nationally protected endangered species in their countries of origin;
Amendment 87 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Calls on the Commission to create a centralised system of data and statistical analysis supported by Eurostat and EU statistical agencies in order to be able to obtain more detailed ecosystem inventories;
Amendment 92 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Stresses that access to up-to-date technologies is a key factor in keeping European agriculture competitive on a global market and in maintaining European high standards;
Amendment 93 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9 b (new)
Paragraph 9 b (new)
9b. Notes that the EU internal market is the world’s biggest importer and exporter of agri-food products; is convinced that the EU should use this position to set the benchmark in terms of standards for sustainable food systems, based on the precautionary principle, environmental protection and animal welfare; an EU Promotion Policy including all EU agricultural products can actively contribute to this benchmark setting on the sustainability of agricultural products;
Amendment 96 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9 b (new)
Paragraph 9 b (new)
9b. Emphasizes that the limitations and obligations that European producers must adhere to should also apply and be regularly monitored for the imports coming into the EU; in this sense, considers it should become a non- negotiable factor in free trade negotiations;