Activities of George LYON related to 2009/2236(INI)
Plenary speeches (3)
Future of the CAP after 2013 (debate)
Future of the CAP after 2013 (debate)
Future of the CAP after 2013 (A7-0204/2010, George Lyon) (vote)
Reports (1)
REPORT Report on the future of the Common Agricultural Policy after 2013 PDF (368 KB) DOC (226 KB)
Amendments (53)
Amendment 1 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas, to date, the Common Agricultural Policy has met its goals with regard to achieving better productivity in the food chain, the objectives of the CAP, as listed in Article 39 of the Treaty on the functioning of the European Union (TFUE), aim at increasing agricultural productivity, ensuring a fair standard of living for the agricultural community, stabilising markets, assuring the availability of supplies, and ensuring that supplies reach consumers at reasonable prices; whereas, to date, the CAP has met its goals to a large extent, and has participated in the efforts to foster EU integration, territorial cohesion in Europe and the functioning of the Single Market; however, it has only partially contributinged to a fair standard of living for the agricultural community, and has not yet achieved agricultural market stabilisation, and the provision of food supplies to EU consumers at reasonable pricess markets have become extremely volatile, hence putting food security at risk; whereas further efforts are needed for the CAP to fulfil its goals, while preserving the environment and rural employment,
Amendment 2 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas agriculture and forestry remains an important sectors of the economy and at the same time provides essential public goods by maintaining natural resources and cultural landscapes, a precondition for all human activities in rural areas, whereas these sectors are already making the largest contribution in the EU to the achievement of the European climate and energy targets, particularly the targets for renewable energies from agriculture and forestry-derived biomass, whereas this contribution must continue to grow in the future, whereas these bio-energy sources also enable to reduce the EU energy dependency and, in the context of increasing energy prices, to create new jobs and to improve incomes in the sector,
Amendment 3 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas as a result of the last EU enlargements (2004 and 2007), an additional 7 million farmers were added to the total agricultural labour force and the area of agricultural land increased by 40%; whereas real agricultural income per labour uncapita has been rising considerably less in agriculture than in the economy as a whole for the past 10 yearfallen by 12.2% in the EU-27 for the past 10 years, gradually falling back to 1995 levels, whereas the average agricultural income in the EU-27 is less than 50% of the average income in the rest of the economy, while production costs such as fertilisers, electricity and fuel are at their highest level in the last 15 years, making the continuation of agricultural production in the EU very difficult,
Amendment 4 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H
Recital H
H. whereas price volatility in agricultural markets has increased dramatically and is expected to increase furtheris a permanent feature, however it has recently increased dramatically due to a combination of factors - inter alia extreme weather conditions, energy prices, speculation, demand changes -and is expected to increase further, as predicted by both the OECD and the FAO, leading to extreme booms and busts in agricultural commodity prices on European markets;, whereas between 2006 and 2008, the prices of several commodities rose considerably, some by as much as 180%, as was the case for grains,; whereas dairy prices collapsed in 2009, falling on average by 40%, whereas other products such as cereals, fruit and vegetables, olive oil, etc. products have also been affected and extreme fluctuations in prices have had detrimental consequences for producers and have not always benefited consumers,
Amendment 5 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital I
Recital I
I. whereas agri-environmental indicators show an important potential for the agricultural sector in the effort to mitigate the effects of climate change, particularly with regard to carbon sequestration and the production of renewable energy; whereas, direct reductions in net greenhouse gas emissions and the production of renewable energy, which secure genuine emission savings; whereas sustainably practiced agricultural activity is essential for the preservation of biodiversity, water management and combating soil erosion and can be a key factor in addressing climate change,
Amendment 6 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital L
Recital L
L. whereas, as a result of these reforms, the EU has become a net importer of agricultural goods with over €78 billion worth of products being imported each year (around 20% of world agricultural imports); whereas in some cases the balance of trade has steadily shifted in favour of third countries (the EU now imports €19 billion worth of agricultural products from Mercosur countries and only exports under €1 billion worth to the region); whereas the EU continues to experience a widening trade deficit in agricultural products,
Amendment 7 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital N
Recital N
N. whereas high-quality products are essential exportsto the production and exporting potential of the European Union and represent a very large share of its international trade, whereas the EU is exporting high-profile products with considerable economic value, and in the case of products with protected origin and geographical indications the net value of these products and foodstuffs is €14 billion a year (excluding wines and spirits, which also account for a significant share of EU exports), whereas, in order to continue developing high-quality production to meet consumers' expectations, account should be taken of the specific needs of these sectors to ensure their competitiveness, including the need for a more effective protection of EU geographical indications and protected origin labels by third country trading partners,
Amendment 8 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital O
Recital O
O. whereas the EU must continue to ensure food security for its citizens as well as help feed the world’s poor; whereas thend participate to global food supply while better cooperating with the rest of the world in a more coherent manner, especially with developing countries in order to help the long-term development of their agricultural sectors in a sustainable way which maximises the local know-how, whereas faced with the current situation where the global number of hungry people now exceeds 1 billion and in the European Union today, there are over 40 million poor people who do not have enough to eat, scientific developments should be used where they can provide appropriate solutions to alleviate world hunger, notably through better resource efficiency,
Amendment 9 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital P
Recital P
P. whereas global food demand is expected to double and world population is predicted to grow from 67 billion today to 9 billion by 2050 according to the FAO, and global food production will need to increase accordingly against a background of pressure on natural resources, meaning that the world will need to produce more food whilst using less water, less land, less energy, less fertilisers and less pesticides,
Amendment 10 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Welcomes the fact thatNotes that the CAP reforms initiated in 1992 and 1999 and, in particular, the 2003 CAP reform and the 2008 Health Check have, which was reviewed during the Health Check and introduced the principle of decoupling, as well as the various sectoral reforms, were all intended to allowed EU farmers to better respond and react to market signals and conditions; seeks for this trend to continue in further reforms while some market measures are still needed in view of the specific features of agricultural production;
Amendment 11 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Points out that rural development is now an integral part of the CAP architecture, and should remain an important element of the future CAP through a well- equipped rural development strategy with its focus on rural communities, improving the environment, modernising and restructuring agriculture and improving product marketing and competitiveness, strengthening cohesion in EU rural areas, revitalising disadvantaged areas and areas at risk of abandonment, improving product marketing and competitiveness and maintaining employment and creating new jobs in rural areas, as well as on the new challenges addressed in the Health Check, namely climate change, renewable energies, water management and biodiversity;
Amendment 12 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Points out that food security remains the central challenge for EU agriculture not only in the EU but globally, in particular in developing countries as the world population is predicted to grow from 67 to 9 billion by 2050 and demand for food willis projected to double by 2050 according to the FAO (especially in emerging economies such as China or India);
Amendment 13 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Notes that the global energy crisis and increasing energy prices will drive agricultural production costs up, leading to rising food prices and growincreasing market price volatility for both farmers and consumers, which will have a detrimental effect on the stability of food supply and will seriously constrain the ability to maintain and increase current production levels; considers however, that energy self-sufficiency for the agriculture and forestry sectors could increase its sustainability;
Amendment 14 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Believes that, in the light of these challenges, the CAP post-2013 must send strong signalsriorities post-2013 should be embedded in a strong, sustainable, well supported and credible multi-functional food and agricultural policy which sends strong signals to support farmers efficiently in a targeted manner, and provide answers to the concerns of both the rural community and wider society through a strong, sustainable, well supported and credible multi-functional food policwhilst benefiting the wider society;
Amendment 15 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Is of the opinion that a strong European Common Agricultural Policy is needed to ensure that EU farmers remain competitive on the world market against well subsidised trading partners; believes that, in view of the Europe 2020 Strategy, a strong and sustainable European Common Agricultural Policy is needed to serve the interests of all European farmers and deliver wider benefits to society; takes the view that it should enable agriculture to play its part in the European economy and ensure it has the tools to compete on world markets; believes that, for strategic reasons, the EU cannot afford to rely on other parts of the world to provide for European food security in the context of climate change, political instability in certain regions of the world and potential outbreaks of diseases or other events potentially detrimental to production capacity;
Amendment 16 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Recalls that one of the main reasons why the EU needs a strong CAP is to contribute to the maintenance and development of viable and dynamic rural communities, at the heart of European cultural diversity, and with a view to ensuringthey can secure a sustainable and balanced socio-economic development across all European territory; this calls for the socio-economic gap between rural communities and urban communities to be narrowed, in order to avoid growing land abandonment and rural depopulation which are further isolating rural areas;
Amendment 17 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Points out that there is an urgent need to attract younger generations and women to rural areas through long-term policies and provide new and alternative economic opportunities for them to ensure a sustainable rural population; considers that new ways of attracting young people should be explored such as the availability of favourable loans and credit for investments, and the recognition of their professional skills to ensure they are able to enter the rural economy with relative ease; recognises the obstacles young farmers face when willing to enter the sector such as high starting up costs, the sometimes prohibitive cost of land and the difficulty to access credit opportunities especially at difficult times;
Amendment 18 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Believes that the increase in rural unemployment should be tackled by providingeserving existing jobs, encouraging high-quality jobs and fostering additional opportunities for diversification and new income sources;
Amendment 19 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Points out, most importantly, that in the future European agricultural policy must remain a common policy and that only a harmonised levelbalanced and fair system of support across the EU with a common set of objectives and rules - while acknowledging the specific features of certain sectors and regions - can deliver the appropriate level playing fieldconditions for farmers and a properly functioning Single Market with fair competitive conditions for agricultural products and farmers within the EU, thus achieving more value for money than renationalised, and possibly conflicting, agricultural policies in every Member State would;
Amendment 20 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Recalls, therefore, that unless sustainable (economically, socially and environmentally viable in the long run) farming activity is preservedcontinues across the EU, nothe provision of public goods will be possibleat risk;
Amendment 21 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31
Paragraph 31
31. Insists that EU agriculture must remain competitive against fierce competition from well-subsidised trade partnersand trade distorting measures from trade partners and/or countries where producers are not subject to as high standards as in the EU as regards, in particular, product quality, food safety, the environment, social legislation, and animal welfare; therefore believes that improving competitiveness at different levels (local, regional, Internal market, and world markets) should still be a fundamental objective of the CAP post-2013 to ensure that the EU has the raw materials to producea wide range of diversified high- value European foodfood and other agricultural products and theywhich continue to win a greater share of the world market, as well as ensuring fair trade and remunerative prices for farmers;
Amendment 22 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32
Paragraph 32
32. Recalls that EU farmers produce food to the highest safety, quality and animal welfare standards and should be rewarded for doing so; believes that imports from third countries should, respecting WTO rights and obligations, meet the same requirements to ensure fair competition and guarantee the best quality for consumers to make an informed choice on the products they buy, notably based on reliable traceability;
Amendment 23 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33
Paragraph 33
33. Insists that the maintenance of farming activity across the whole of Europe is fundamental to maintain diverse and local food production, secure rural socio- economic dynamism and jobs, notably in the context of the current economic crisis and prevent the threat of land abandonment across EU rural territory; through continuous preservation of the environment and landscape management; believes therefore, that disadvantaged regions should be given the opportunity to overcome additional hindrances caused by their specific situation and to take the measures needed to adapt; considers that the specific challenge of subsistence farming must be addressed;
Amendment 24 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34
Paragraph 34
34. CallsStresses that farmers require long- term investment perspectives and adequate incomes to carry out their tasks; calls therefore for the guarantee of a fair and stable return for the farming community to remain a primary goal for the new CAP, whilst providing good value for money and a fair treturn for consumeratment for consumers notably through increasing competitiveness in the agricultural sector and allowing farmers to cover their real costs and respond to market signals;
Amendment 25 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35
Paragraph 35
35. Calls for measures, to be taken to strengthen primary producers' and producer organisations' bargaining power and improve the functioning of the food supply-chain with greater transparency of food prices and action to address unfair commercial practicesmanagement capacity and bargaining power vis-à-vis other economic operators in the food chain, and encourage the formation of organisations which strengthen the links between the various stakeholders within branches as far as they can improve information sharing and the adequacy of supply with consumers' demands; such developments could improve the functioning of the food supply-chain with greater transparency of food prices and action to address unfair commercial practices for farmers to obtain the added value they deserve; believes that these objectives may call for an adjustment or clarification of EU competition rules to take account of the specific features of the agricultural markets, provided they do not hinder the proper functioning of the Single Market;
Amendment 26 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36
Paragraph 36
36. Believes that there hasve to be a minimumflexible and efficient market measures to ensure an adequate safety net within the future framework of the CAP in order to manageavoid extreme market price volatility, provide a greater degree of stability, and provide rapid and efficient responses to economic crises arising in the sector; this should be complemented by a risk management system helping to minimise the consequences of natural and health disasters;
Amendment 27 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37
Paragraph 37
37. Calls for a fairer distribution of CAP payments and insists that it should be fair to farmers in both new and old Member States;
Amendment 28 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38
Paragraph 38
38. Believes that viable farming businesses are fundamental to sustaining thriving rural communities; as they generate employment and services at local level; considers therefore that the CAP should involve local communities to provide the necessary conditions for their socio- economic viability, including through the preservation of family farms, and the continuous restructuring and modernisation of farms where it is needed; recalls that diversification measures and rural infrastructure development are also important in this respect;
Amendment 29 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 40
Paragraph 40
40. Considers that production efficiency is fundamental to more sustainable management of scarce resources and that farmers should innovate by using the latesin their technical production methods by using the most efficient financial, scientific and technical management tools to help meet the growing demand for food and for renewable agricultural materials in a more economically, socially and environmentally sustainable manner;
Amendment 30 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 40 a (new)
Paragraph 40 a (new)
40 a. Emphasises in the context of the EU 2020 Strategy that research and development, the use of new technologies and good agricultural practices are important to improve competitiveness and increase production while reducing the use of pesticides, fertilisers, and the use of scarce resources such as water and energy; considers investment in agricultural innovation should be further encouraged, notably through the CAP and EU research and development framework programmes in order to address new challenges;
Amendment 31 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 41
Paragraph 41
41. Notes that the market fails tohas failed, to date, to properly reward farmers for protecting the environment and other public goods; therefore believes that the CAP must become greener byplace a greater emphasis on sustainability by providing proper economic incentivisinges for farmers to maxoptimise the delivery of eco-system services toand further improve the sound environmental resource management of EU farmland; emphasizes that this should be achieved without creating an extra financial or bureaucratic burden to farmers;
Amendment 32 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 44
Paragraph 44
44. Believes that the new CAP, through a simplified support system, must be simple to administer, transparent, and reduce red tape and administrative burdens on farmers by moving towards the use of delivery tools, particularly for smaller producers, in order to allow farmers to concentrate on their main task of providing quality agricultural products; this could be achieved notably by moving towards the use of delivery tools setting the goals and empowering farmers to choose their own farming systems to meet the objectives, such as outcome agreements and, simple contracts and multiannual payments;
Amendment 33 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 45
Paragraph 45
45. Recognises the wide range of existing and new priorities for the CAP and notes that the new Member States' justified expectation when they joined the European Union was that CAP support would, over time, reach paritybe comparable with old Member States; therefore calls forin order to fully respond to the new challenges and deliver the priorities of a reformed CAP, calls for the amounts allocated to the CAP in the 2013 CAP budget amount to be at least maintained post-2013 if the EU is to meet its current commitments and successfully deliver the newduring the next financial programming perioritiesd;
Amendment 34 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47
Paragraph 47
47. Insists that the CAP should not be renationalised and therefore believes that core direct support should remain fully financed by the EU budget, hence rejecting any further co-financing which could harm fair competition within the EU Single Market;
Amendment 35 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 48
Paragraph 48
48. Calls for a fair distribution of CAP funds to farmers across the EU; recalls that to respect the diversity of farming in the EU, objective criteria must be found in order to define a fair system of distribution:; it should be pointed out that direct payments contribute to the provision of public goods, help stabilise farmers' incomes and ensure against risks, partially offsetting the socially desirable high standards in the EU and the continuing reduction in tariff barriers, as well as rewarding for basic public goods provision which receives no market compensation; (1) Believes that in order to reduce the disparities in the distribution of direct support funds between Member States and to reflect on the wide diversity characterising European agriculture, the hectare basis alone will not be sufficient and, therefore, calls foron the Commission to propose additional objective criteria such as a purchasing power coefficient to be usedand to evaluate their potential impact, taking into account the complexity of the agricultural sector and the differences in Member States, in order to achieve an overall more balanced distribution; (2) Calls for fair and objective criteria to be clearly defined for the allocation of funds for rural development objectives;
Amendment 36 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 50
Paragraph 50
50. Believes that, in the interest of simplification, clarity and a common approach, funding for each of the five building blockpriorities of the CAP must be agreed from the start of the reform;
Amendment 37 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 51
Paragraph 51
51. Believes that direct support should move to an area basis in all Member States by 2020, allowing those that are still using the historical payments system the flexibility to phase in the difficult changes at their own speedwithin the next financial programming period; this would constitute a sufficient transition period allowing farmers and agricultural structures that are still using the historical payments system the flexibility to adapt to the changes, and to avoid too radical a redistribution of support, without prejudice to promptly achieving a balanced distribution of support amongst Member States;
Amendment 38 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 52
Paragraph 52
52. BNotes that the move away from the historical basis may create particular challenges for Member States or regions with a relatively large amount of so-called 'naked land' (unclaimed eligible land); calls for the specific needs of such regions to be given full consideration when designing the future support; also believes that Member States and regions must continue to have the flexibility to regionalise their area payments system in such a way as to reflect their specific priorities while respecting fair competition in the internal market;
Amendment 39 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 54
Paragraph 54
54. Considers that there should be no return to coupled payments as a guiding principle of the CAP; however, given the move from a historical to an area support model in view of the decisions following the Health Check, takes the view that a limin adequated margin for flexibility should be left to Member States to respond to the specific needs of their territory, in; considers that this flexibility will enable Member States to respond to the specific needs of their territory and to prevent production from stopping completely or the diversity of farming from reducing; takes the view that this margin for manoeuvre would take the form of capped coupled payments for vulnerable agrassland livestock areas, in compliance with WTO requirementsiculture sectors and territories and environmentally sensitive areas, in compliance with WTO requirements whilst ensuring fair market conditions for farmers across the EU;
Amendment 40 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 55
Paragraph 55
55. Identifies the need for fivecentral key building blocks, namely: Food Security and Fair Trade, Sustainability, Agriculture across Europe, Food Quality, Biodiversity and Environmental Protection, and Green Growth, to achieve a fairer, greener and more sustainable CAP; considers that the two pillar structure should be maintained, but that it should avoid duplication of policy objectives and instruments as well as reflect the content of the building blocks identified here;
Amendment 41 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 56
Paragraph 56
56. Believes that there should be a basic EU-funded direct area payment to all EU farmers in order toMaintains that farm viability and quality of life for farmers are a sine qua non if farming activity is to continue; therefore believes that there should be a basic EU-funded direct area payment to all EU farmers in order to ensure the social and economic sustainability of the European agricultural production model, which should provide basic food security for European consumers, allow farmers to produce high-quality food competitively in relation to well subsidised trade partners (US), ensure that farming activity continues, ensure that farming activity and jobs in rural areas are encouraged across the EU and provide baseline public goods through cross-compliance requirements for Good Agricultural and Environmental Conditions, as well as high quality and animal welfare standards; calls for an absolute requirement ofor only active agricultural production to be rewarded, through minimum activity to berequirements included in the cross-compliance rules in return for payments and proportionality to be the key principle applied when enforcing the rules;
Amendment 42 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 57
Paragraph 57
57. Believes that an EU-funded top-up direct area payment should be made available to farmers through simple multiannual contracts rewarding them for reducing their carbon emissions per unit of production and/or increasing their sequestration of carbon in the soil through sustainable production methods and through the production of biomass that can be used in the production of long-lasting agro- materials; notes that this would have the double benefit of making EU agriculture more environmentally and economically sustainable through lower carbon emissions and/or improved efficiency and would also ensure that farmers can financially benefit from increased carbon sequestration on their land and put them on the same footing as other industries which are in the EU ETS; calls for clear and measurable criteria and targets to be defined appropriately to allow these payments to be implemented as soon as possible in every Member State;
Amendment 43 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 58
Paragraph 58
58. Calls for the continuation of specific measures to compensate farmers producing in areas with natural handicapdisadvantaged areas such as areas with natural handicaps, including mountainous regions, environmentally sensitive areas and/or regions which are the most affected by climate change, and outermost regions in order to ensure that agricultural activity takes place so that land continues to be managed and local food is produced across the EU, reducing the threat of land abandonment and ensuring balanced territorial management across the EU; considers that this support scheme should remain co- financed as it currently is and a rational development of agricultural production;
Amendment 44 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 58 a (new) – sub-heading (new)
Paragraph 58 a (new) – sub-heading (new)
Food Quality
Amendment 45 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 58 a (new)
Paragraph 58 a (new)
Amendment 46 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 59
Paragraph 59
59. Believes that the CAP needs to further incentivisefarmers can contribute to biodiversity and environmental protection measures by, as well as climate change adaptation and mitigation, in a cost-effective way, therefore it needs to be further incentivised; calls for the CAP to providinge the opportunity for the vast majority of agricultural land to be covered by agri- environmental schemes to reward farmers for the delivery of additional eco-system services, while other measures beneficial to the environment such as organic farming projects, the sustainable use of forests, water and soil, andencouraging more sustainable, lower-input production models such as organic farming, integrated agriculture, the development of high naturale value farming should also be encouragedand sustainable intensive agricultural practices; considers that all these rural development measures should remain co-financed, with an increased budget if necessary;
Amendment 47 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 60
Paragraph 60
60. Believes that 'green growth' should be at the heart of a new rural development strategy focussing on creating new green jobs through: - the development of local dynamic tools such as local marketing, local processing, support for projects involving all stakeholders from the local farming sector - the development of biomass, biowaste, biogas and small-scale renewable energy production as well as encouraging the production of second-generation biofuels, agro-materials and green-chemistry products - investing in modernisation and innovation as well as new research and development techniques for adaptation to and mitigation of climate change, - providing training and advice to farmers for applying new techniques and to assist young farmers entering the industry, and adding value to high-quality products through promotion and marketing measures;
Amendment 48 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 61
Paragraph 61
61. Believes that to underpin the five key building blocks of the CAP, a minimumn adequate safety net against extreme price volatility should still beshould still be available; takes the view that this safety net should be sufficiently flexible to take account of market developments, and include tools such as public and private storage, intervention, market-clearance which should be activated when required avgailablenst extreme volatility and as a rapid reaction crisis tooltool against crises; to that end, considers that a special reserve budget line should be made available in the EU budget which could be activated rapidly to respond to crises which arise, and that; these measures will be backed by instruments designed to help reduce volatility and provide stable conditions for agricultural business and planning; in this context, new innovative economic and financial tools should also be considered such as across the board harvest risk insurance schemes andpolicies, futures markets to help reduce market volatilityand mutualisation funds, against extreme market or climate conditions without disturbing private schemes that are being developed;
Amendment 49 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 62
Paragraph 62
62. Insists that, to complement market measures, there is an urgent need to strengthen primary producers' position within the food-supply chain through a range of actions to address transparency, contractual relationships and unfair commercial practices; takes the view that possible adjustments to competition rules should also be investigated to allow primary producer organisations to grow in scale and size, equipping them with the power to stand up to major retailers and processorsbecome more efficient and grow in size where needed, equipping them with an improved negotiating power to stand up to major retailers and processors; in this context the appointment of national/European Ombudsmen/man should be considered with a view to solve disputes within the food-supply chain;
Amendment 50 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 63
Paragraph 63
63. Recalls that, amongst the current set of market tools and in the context of WTO commitments, export refunds should continue to be phased out according to WTO agreementin the EU, in parallel with similar measures being taken by WTO partners;
Amendment 116 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital R a (new)
Recital R a (new)
Ra. whereas the objectives and the substance of the future of the Common Agricultural Policy must be subject to broad public discussions in order to increase the public knowledge of the CAP, therefore welcomes the initiative of the commission on the public debate on the future of the CAP after 2013;
Amendment 490 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 44
Paragraph 44
44. Believes that the new CAP must be simple to administer, transparent and reduce red tape and administrative burdens on farmers by moving towards the use of delivery tools such as outcome agreements and simple contracts;
Amendment 623 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 54
Paragraph 54
54. Considers that there should be no return to coupled payments as a guiding principle of the CAP; however, given the move from a historical to an area support model in view of the decisions following the Health check, takes the view that a limin adequated margin for flexibility should be left to Member States to respond to the specific needs of their territory in order to prevent production from stopping completely or the diversity of farming from reducing, in the form of capped coupled payments for vulnerable agrassland livestock areaiculture sectors in these territories, in compliance with WTO requirements;