28 Amendments of Vicky FORD related to 2011/0280(COD)
Amendment 115 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 2 a (new)
Recital 2 a (new)
(2a) Whereas the Common Agricultural Policy conflicts with the principles of the single market and the principle of providing a level playing field for all across the entirety of the European Union and global markets. It stands at odds with EU competition rules and with rules pertaining to all other sectors regarding state aid. Therefore CAP spending on direct payments and market management tools should face a substantial reduction and exemptions from state aid and competition rules should be brought to an end, allowing European farmers to compete freely both within the EU and global markets.
Amendment 151 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 15
Recital 15
Amendment 155 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 15
Recital 15
(15) The distribution of direct income support among farmers is characterised primarily by the allocation of disproportionate amounts of payments to a rapayments relative to ther small number of large beneficiariesize of the farm. Due to economies of size, larger beneficiaries do not always require the same level of unitary support for the limited objective of income support to be efficiently achieved. Moreover, the potential to adapt makes it easier for larger beneficiaries to operate with lower levels of unitary support. It is therefore fair to introduce a system for large beneficiaries where the support level is gradually reduced and ultimately capped to improve the distribuHowever all of their eligible land needs to meet cross compliance regulations and relevant environmental regulations and larger farms tend to provide a greater contribution to the overall goal of food security. In addition, they are frequently involved in the innovation necessary to achieve both improved food security and sustainability. It is therefore inappropriate to reduce support for such farms. Any reduction ofin payments between farmers. Such system should however take into account salaried labour intensity to avoid disproportionate effects on large farms with high employment numbers. Those maximum levels should not apply to payments granted to agricultural practices beneficial for the climate and the environment since the beneficial objectives they pursue could be diminished as a result. In order to make capping effective, Member States should establish some criteria in order to avoid abusive operations by farmers seeking to evade its effects. Thefor larger farms should take into account active involvement in innovation or agri- environmental activities which can bring benefits both in terms of meeting food security objectives and environmental objectives. Any reduction in payments should not favour less efficient farms to the detriment of more efficient farms. Any proceeds of the reduction and capping of payments to large beneficiaries should remain in the Member States where they were generated and should be used for financing projects with a significant contribution to innovation or agri-environmental schemes under Regulation (EU) No […...] of the European Parliament and of the Council of….on support for rural development by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) [RDR].
Amendment 170 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 16
Recital 16
Amendment 224 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 26
Recital 26
Amendment 227 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 26
Recital 26
(26) One of theWhilst the main objectives of the new CAP is the enhancement of environmental performance through a mandatoo continue to pursue previous market orientated reforms, the enhancement of environmental performance and the recognition of the role public goods play in agriculture is an increasingly important element of the new CAP. Enhancement of environmental performance may be achieved through a negotiated and voluntary ‘'greening’' component of direct payments which willmay in certain cases be used to support agricultural practices beneficial for the climate and the environment applicable throughout the Union. For that purpose, Member States shouldmay use part of their national ceilings for direct payments to grant an annual payment, on top of the basic payment, for compulsorya menu of possible practices tohat may be followed by farmers addressing, as a priority, both climate and environment policy goals. Those practises shcould take the form of simple, generalised, non-contractual and annual actions that go beyond cross- compliance and are linked to agriculture such as crop diversification, mainten. These actions may include greening measures such as crop selection for wildlife, bird and insect forage, planned biodiversity corridors, climate chancge of permanent grassland and ecological focus areas. The compulsorymitigation measures, general environmental stewardship and research and innovation. The nature of those practises should also concern farmers whose holdings are fully or partly situated in ‘'Natura 2000’' areas covered by Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora and by Directive 2009/147/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 November 2009 on the conservation of wild birds, as long as these practises are compatible with the objectives of those Directives. Farmers who fulfil the conditions laid down in Council Regulation (EC) No 834/2007 of 28 June 2007 on organic production and labelling of organic products and repealing Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91 should benefit from the ‘'greening’' component without fulfilling any further obligation, given the recognised environmental benefits of the organic farming systems. Non-respect of the ‘greening’ component should lead to penalties on the basis of Article 65 ofThe same benefit should be afforded to farmers involved in agri-environmental stewardship schemes at national level under Regulation (EUC) No […] [HZR]. 1698/2005.
Amendment 230 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 26
Recital 26
(26) One of the objectives of the new CAP is the enhancement of environmental performance through a mandatory ‘'greening’' component of direct payments which will support agricultural practices beneficial for the climate and the environment applicable throughout the Union. For that purpose, Member States shouldmay use part of their national ceilings for direct payments to grant an annual payment, on top of the basic payment, for compulsory practices to be followed by farmers addressing, as a priority, both climate and environment policy goals. Those practises should take the form of simple, generalised, non-contractual and annual actions that go beyond cross- compliance and are linked to agriculture such as crop diversification, maintenance of permanent grassland and ecological focus areas. The compulsory nature of those practises should also concern farmers whose holdings are fully or partly situated in ‘Natura 2000’ areas covered by Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora and by Directive 2009/147/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 November 2009 on the conservation of wild birds, as long as these practises are compatible with the objectives of those Directives. Farmers who fulfil the conditions laid down in Council Regulation (EC) No 834/2007 of 28 June 2007 on organic production and labelling of organic products and repealing Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91 should benefit from the ‘greening’ component without fulfilling any further obligation, given the recognised environmental benefits of the organic farming systems. Non-respect of the ‘greening’ compThe same should apply to farmers who sign up for agro-environmental programmes as an aspect of rural development or who take part in a national certification scheme of recognised environment should lead to penalties on the basis of Article 65 of Regulation (EU) No […] [HZR]al value. Farmers should also be able to co-operate with other nearby farms to collectively meet these greening obligations and to allow crop diversification to occur in co- ordination across combined farms, and to ensure that productive agricultural land is not taken out of production solely to meet artificial targets.
Amendment 261 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 29
Recital 29
Amendment 262 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 29
Recital 29
Amendment 518 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 2
Article 7 – paragraph 2
Amendment 519 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 2
Article 7 – paragraph 2
Amendment 702 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 11
Article 11
Amendment 708 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 11 – title
Article 11 – title
Amendment 715 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 11 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
Article 11 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
1. The amount of direct payments to be granted to a farmer under this Regulation in a given calendar year shall be reduced as follows:by 4 percentage points for amounts exceeding EUR 300 000.
Amendment 717 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 11 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
Article 11 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
1. TMember states can choose to reduce the amount of direct payments to be granted to a farmer under this Regulation in a given calendar year shall be reduced as follows:in the following manner:-
Amendment 771 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 11 – paragraph 1 a (new)
Article 11 – paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. Notwithstanding what is referred to in the first paragraph, Member States shall ensure that reductions in direct payments do not result in less efficient farms being favoured versus more efficient farms and should reduce the size of such reductions in this article accordingly.
Amendment 772 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 11 – paragraph 2
Article 11 – paragraph 2
Amendment 1279 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 29 – paragraph 1 – point a
Article 29 – paragraph 1 – point a
(a) to have three different crops on their arable land where the arable land of the farmer covers more than 3 hectares and is not entirely used for grselect crops on a rotational basis production (sown or natural), entirely left fallow or entirely cultivated with crops under water for a significant part of the yearsuitable for wildlife, bird and insect forage;
Amendment 1283 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 29 – paragraph 1 – point a
Article 29 – paragraph 1 – point a
(a) to have threewo different crops on their arable land where the arable land of the farmer covers more than 3 hectaresexceeds the area corresponding to the average size of agricultural holdings as set out in Annex VI and is not entirely used for grass production (sown or natural), entirely left fallow or entirely cultivated with crops under water for a significant part of the year;
Amendment 1303 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 29 – paragraph 1 – point a
Article 29 – paragraph 1 – point a
(a) to have three different crops on their arable land or in cooperation with neighbouring farms where the arable land of the farmer or farmers covers more than 315 hectares and is not entirely used for grass production (sown or natural), entirely left fallow or entirely cultivated with crops under water for a significant part of the year; or is unsuitable for crop rotation. For the purposes of this article, "neighbouring" may not necessarily be adjacent.
Amendment 1501 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 30
Article 30
Amendment 1544 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 30 – paragraph 1
Article 30 – paragraph 1
1. Where the arable land of the farmer covers more than 3 hectares and is not entirely used for grass production (sown or natural), entirely left fallow or entirely cultivated with crops under water for a significant part of the year, cultivation on the arable land shall consist of at least three different crops. Nn appropriate rotatione of those three crops shall cover less than 5 % of the arable land and the main one shall not exceed 70 % of the arable landcrops, including fallow land suitable to local climate, soil and water conditions.
Amendment 1588 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 30 – paragraph 2 a (new)
Article 30 – paragraph 2 a (new)
2 a. Where the arable land is cultivated in conjunction with other arable land in different ownership under a block cropping arrangement the requirements in paragraph 1 shall apply as if all the arable land subject to the arrangement were one area of arable land under the control of one farmer.
Amendment 1688 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 32
Article 32
Amendment 1692 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 32 – paragraph 1
Article 32 – paragraph 1
1. Farmers shall ensure that at least 7 2% of their eligible hectares as defined in Article 25(2), excluding areas under permanent grassland and semi natural and uncultivated areas, is ecological focus area such as land left fallow, terraces, landscape features, buffer strips and afforested areas as referred to in article 25(2)(b)(ii). These areas may consist of parts of the holding, deemed to be ineligible as regards Article 25(2) provided that these areas are identified on the aid application and contribute to the delivery of environmental or beneficial objectives.
Amendment 1761 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 32 – paragraph 1a (new)
Article 32 – paragraph 1a (new)
1 a. By derogation from the first paragraph, farmers who are engaged in agri-environment schemes as part of Regulation (EU) No[ ] [RDR] shall ensure that 2% of their eligible hectares as defined in Article 25(2) is ecological focus area. such as land left fallow, terraces, landscape features, buffer strips and afforested areas as referred to in article 25(2)(b)(ii) as well as eligible hectares which are subject to obligations within the framework of certain agri- environmental measures in accordance with Article 29 of Regulation (EU) No[ ] [RDR] and eligible hectares which are part of areas underlying directives 92/43/EEC or 2009/147/EC.
Amendment 1822 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 33
Article 33
Amendment 1881 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 34 – paragraph 3
Article 34 – paragraph 3
3. Without prejudice to paragraph 2 and to the application of financial discipline, pro and digressive reduction and cappingmodulation, linear reduction as referred in Article 7, and any reductions and exclusions imposed pursuant to Article 65 of Regulation (EU) No […...] [HZR], the payment referred to in paragraph 1 shall be granted annually per eligible hectare situated in the areas to which Member States decided to grant a payment in accordance with paragraph 2 of this Article and shall be paid upon activation of payment entitlements on those hectares held by the farmer concerned.