Awaiting Parliament 1st reading / single reading / budget 1st stage
2014/2147(INI) Fruit and vegetables sector since the 2007 reform
Lead committee dossier: AGRI/8/01721
Legal Basis RoP 052
| Role | Committee | Rapporteur | Shadows |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lead | AGRI | MELO Nuno (EPP) | CAPUTO Nicola (S&D), MCINTYRE Anthea (ECR), HUITEMA Jan (ALDE), VIEGAS Miguel (GUE/NGL), SEBASTIÀ Jordi (Verts/ALE), ZULLO Marco (EFD) |
| Opinion | BUDG | ||
| Opinion | CONT | PITERA Julia (EPP) | |
| Opinion | DEVE | ||
| Opinion | REGI |
Legal Basis RoP 052
Activites
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2015/07/07
Vote in plenary scheduled
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2015/07/06
Debate in plenary scheduled
- 2015/05/19 Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading
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2015/05/05
Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading
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2014/11/24
Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
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2014/03/04
Non-legislative basic document published
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COM(2014)0112
summary
PURPOSE: presentation of the Commission report on the fruit and vegetables scheme since the 2007 reform. BACKGROUND: producer organisations (POs) became the cornerstone of the EU regime for the fruit and vegetables (F&V) sector in the 1996 reform. The 2007 reform aimed to strengthen the producer organisations (POs) further. A wider range of tools was made available to enable them to prevent and manage market crises. For the first time, Member States had to establish a national strategy for sustainable operational programmes, integrating a specific environmental framework. 23 Member States established national strategies for sustainable operational programmes (NSs), which include a national framework for environmental actions (NEF). All NEFs have taken on board amendments required by the Commission. In 2003-2010 there was a gradual, slight decline in the total EU area cropped with F&V (-6%) and a sharper fall in the number of holdings with F&V crops (-39.1%). In 2004-2010, there was also a small fall in the volume of F&V production in the EU (a -3% decrease in average F&V production in 2008-2010 as compared to 2004-2006). Market crises emerged in 2009 (e.g. peaches and nectarines, tomatoes) and in 2011 (E. coli crisis followed by a new market crisis for peaches and nectarines). In addition, in several Member States, the 2008 financial and economic crisis may have affected domestic F&V consumption (resulting in lower demand). CONTENT: in accordance with Council Regulation (EC) No 1234/2007, the Council presented a report on the implementation of the provisions concerning producer organisations, operational funds and operational programmes in the fruit and vegetables sector since the 2007 reform. The report is based primarily on information Member States provided on the implementation of the EU fruit and vegetables scheme on their territory and, in particular, on information in the annual reports and evaluation reports sent to the Commission. These are mainly based on data for 2008-2010. In 2008-2010, at EU level, there were positive trends regarding the organisation rate of the F&V sector, the share of total F&V producers who are members of POs and the number of POs members of APOs. The annual reports and the 2012 evaluation reports also offer a more contrasting picture: Low number of producer organisations: in 2010, there were 1599 recognised POs in 23 Member States. In 2010, the organisation rate was about 43.0 % (43.9% if producer groups are also included). The share of total F&V producers that are member of POs has continued to increase (from 10.4 % in 2004 to 16.5 % in 2010). A crucial issue is the persistently low degree or lack of organisation in some Member States. This needs careful analysis with a view to identifying, where appropriate, additional measures to encourage not only: (i) a further rise in the degree of organisation of producers in the whole EU but also; (ii) a decrease of the imbalance of F&V producers' organisation within the EU. A low degree or lack of organisation also means that most F&V producers do not belong to a PO, so they do not directly benefit from specific EU aid for the sector. This proportion is highest in some southern Member States and some MSs that joined the EU in 2004 and later. Those producers, frequently the smallest, cannot even benefit from the services that POs could provide, have very weak bargaining power within the supply chain and are more exposed to the risks linked to market globalisation and climate change. Increasing the rate of organisation of the F&V sector remains crucial especially in Member States where the organisation is still very low. In this respect, there is also the need to explore measures to stimulate forms of cooperation to help PO's and non-organised producers to better deal with those challenges. Contribute more to key objectives: operational programmes could contribute more to key objectives such as improving attractiveness of POs, boosting products’ commercial value, optimising production costs, and stabilising producer prices. Crisis prevention and management instruments: between 2008-2010, the annual expenditure for operational programmes (EUR 1 252.1m on average) mainly concerned actions to improve marketing (24.0 % of the total) and environmental actions (23.8%), followed by actions to plan production (22.2 %) and to improve or maintain product quality (20.3%). The use of crisis prevention and management instruments was very low (EUR 35.6m; 2.8% of total average annual expenditure). These instruments should be improved. Weaknesses in the setting-up of national strategies: the reports have identified two important weaknesses in the national strategies of some Member States: (i) too wide a range of objectives was adopted, instead of focus on a few priorities; (ii) precise pre-defined targets were lacking for the different objectives set. In most Member States, expenditure for ‘strategic’ measures, such as research and experimental production, remains negligible. Therefore, it could be relevant to reinforce the application of the resources available on certain priority measures, which have a stronger impact on competitiveness, income stability and market demand. Complexity of rules and lack of legal certainty: these elements have also been indicated as weaknesses of the current regime. Simplification and securing the legal framework need to be a priority in a future revision, also for reducing the red tape for farmers and managing authorities. Introduction of new measures for the sector: these might require the reallocation of some financial resources without increasing the overall amounts available for the sector in order to ensure the budget neutrality within market measures in pillar 1. To address the above-mentioned shortcomings, the current EU F&V regime needs to be reviewed to ensure that support for producer organisations is better focused so that it can achieve the overall objectives set for the 2007 reform and CAP 2020 in all Member States. The Commission could build upon the results of this report and the upcoming debate to present at a later stage legislative proposals to revise the Union aid scheme for the fruit and vegetables sector.
- DG {'url': 'http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/agriculture/', 'title': 'Agriculture and Rural Development'}, HOGAN Phil
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COM(2014)0112
summary
Documents
- Non-legislative basic document published: COM(2014)0112
- Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading: A8-0170/2015
| Amendments | Dossier |
| 248 |
2014/2147(INI)
2015/01/28
CONT
26 amendments...
Amendment 1 #
Draft opinion Recital A A. whereas the 2007 reform aimed to strengthen the fruit and vegetable producer organisations (POs) by providing a wider range of tools to enable them to prevent and manage market risks, as well as enhancing and concentrating supply, improving quality and competitiveness, adapting supply to match the market, providing technical support for environmentally friendly production, etc.;
Amendment 10 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Regrets the fact that the organisation rate remains low in several Member States, with POs that are small in terms of both the number of producer members and the total value of market production, and that most producers, in particular in some southern Member States and some Member States that joined the EU in 2004 and later,
Amendment 11 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 a (new) 4a. Points to the need to improve the organisation rate in the sector, bearing in mind that the organisation rate is clearly higher in regions where production and marketing are more modernised and geared to export, while it is weakest in countries that have not had an opportunity to use operational funds for many years;
Amendment 12 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 a (new) 4a. Considers it necessary, therefore, to make producer organisations more attractive by reducing red tape and improving the support given to these groups by the European Union, as well as making improvements to crisis management mechanisms;
Amendment 13 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 b (new) 4b. Points out that the conditions for applying for the assistance regime and justifying applications are excessive and imprecise, and are subject to multiple checks by a range of administrative bodies that are often neither consistent nor precise, leading certain types of partners to abandon the regime and certain POs to decide not to submit operational programmes; considers it vital in this context to clarify European legislation on the recognition of POs in order to guarantee the legal security of the regime and prevent uncertainty among producers;
Amendment 14 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5.
Amendment 15 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 Amendment 16 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 6. Is concerned that the largest POs (about 18 % of all POs with a turnover of more than EUR 20 million) receive about 70 % of the EU financial assistance; points out, likewise, that those who receive most also invest most from their own funds; stresses that large POs are made up of micro- enterprises and, consequently, such POs represent thousands of small producers, and points out that large POs are generally most efficient in carrying out certain activities and help to improve the situation for the sector as a whole in key areas such as varietal innovation, market opening, product withdrawal, price setting, promoting products and protecting the environment;
Amendment 17 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 7. Is worried that,
Amendment 18 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 7.
Amendment 19 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 7. Is worried that, according to the 2012 evaluation reports sent by BE, CY, CZ, DK, DE, ES, FR, HU, IT, NL, AT, PT and UK, operational programmes appear to be contributing little or nothing to the following objectives: optimising production costs, stabilising producer prices and improving the attractiveness of POs, and that little or no contribution is being made to some environmental objectives such as landscape preservation, climate change mitigation, preserving air, water, and soil quality and reducing waste production;
Amendment 2 #
Draft opinion Recital A A. whereas the 2007 reform aimed to provide greater flexibility, simplify the rules and strengthen the fruit and vegetable producer organisations (POs) by providing a wider range of tools to enable them to prevent and manage market risks and limit fluctuations in producers’ incomes;
Amendment 20 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 8 8. Deplores the
Amendment 21 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 8 8. Deplores the following weaknesses identified in the setting-up of some national strategies: too large a number of objectives, lack of precise predefined targets for the different objectives, and
Amendment 22 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 8 8. Deplores the following weaknesses identified in the setting-up of national strategies: too large a number of objectives, lack of precise predefined targets for the different objectives,
Amendment 23 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 9 9.
Amendment 24 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 11 11. Stresses that the Director-General of DG AGRI established in its 2013 annual activity report a reservation as regards granting recognition to producer groups in Austria, the Netherlands, Poland and the UK. It is estimated that up to 25% of total expenditure might be at risk; considers it vital in this connection to verify whether the possible disqualification of a PO is due to improper recognition on the part of the national authorities, which should lead to those authorities being declassified on the grounds that they are failing to comply with the regime’s objectives, or whether it is due to a lack of clarity in the rules, in which case the rules should be clarified;
Amendment 25 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 12 12. Points out that the Russian embargo and the programme for emergency market measures for perishable fruit and vegetables adopted by the Commission in August and September 2014 confirm that an improvement in the crisis prevention and management instruments is absolutely necessary; takes the view, in this context, that a further tool is needed alongside POs, with an independent budget, since the scant resources available to the operational funds earmarked for structural measures are not sufficient to deal with this type of crisis;
Amendment 26 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 12 12. Points out that in view of the Russian embargo
Amendment 3 #
Draft opinion Recital A A. whereas the 2007 reform aimed to strengthen the fruit and vegetable producer organisations (POs) by providing a wider range of tools to enable
Amendment 4 #
Draft opinion Recital A a (new) Aa. whereas the EU is the world’s second- largest producer, and also the second largest importer of fruit and vegetables, and whereas demand in this sector is growing and currently exceeds supply; whereas its turnover is estimated at more than EUR 120 000 billion and it acts as an economic multiplier at European level, stimulating both demand and the creation of added value in other economic sectors such as trade, construction and financial services; whereas this sector nevertheless receives only around 3% of CAP aid, even though it accounts for 18% of the total value of agricultural production in the EU;
Amendment 5 #
Ab. whereas the horticulture sector employs around 550 000 people and is of vital importance for the economy of producer regions with a high unemployment rate;
Amendment 6 #
Draft opinion Recital D D. whereas those funds are financed by contributions from the PO’s members or the PO itself and by EU financial assistance, and this co-financing fosters commitment on the part of beneficiaries and helps ensure that beneficiaries make good use of the assistance, as well as having a multiplier effect;
Amendment 7 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1.
Amendment 8 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 a (new) 1a. Points out that the outcome of the public consultation was clearly in favour of the continuation of the regime, the overall conclusion was that the objectives of the EU regime for the fruit and vegetable sector were by and large being achieved, and the system was still proving useful; points out, likewise, that the alternative system of assistance proposed by the Commission received virtually no support and the vast majority was in favour of maintaining the status quo;
Amendment 9 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 a (new) 2a. Believes that the figures make it clear that the reform has penalised small producers and encouraged greater concentration in the fruit and vegetable sector;
source: 546.777
2015/03/05
AGRI
222 amendments...
Amendment 1 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 7a (new) - having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 13/2009 setting up a School Fruit Scheme, which was launched in 2009;
Amendment 10 #
Motion for a resolution Recital Ba (new) B a. whereas, at an EU-level, the majority of fruit and vegetable producers are small or medium-sized holdings;
Amendment 100 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 5. Emphasises that, despite this increase, the degree of organisation among producers remains low on average and takes very different forms across countries and regions of the EU, and that addressing this problem is crucial for the future of the F&V regime;
Amendment 101 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 5. Emphasises that, despite this increase, the degree of organisation among producers remains low on average
Amendment 102 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 5. Emphasises that, despite this increase, the degree of organisation among producers remains low on average and that addressing this problem is crucial for the future of the F&V regime in order to alleviate the significant regional imbalances among some of the Member States;
Amendment 103 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 5. Emphasises that, despite this increase, the degree of organisation among producers remains low on average and that addressing this problem is crucial for the future of the F&V regime; further emphasises that this low level of organisation is not helped by the complexity of PO rules which has resulted in the suspension and de-recognition of POs in some Member States; therefore calls on the Commission to reverse this decline by simplifying the scheme's rules to make POs more attractive to join;
Amendment 104 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5a (new) 5a. Considers it vital to contemplate putting instruments in place for managing crises, and the successful initiatives launched by certain POs in that respect need to be clearly identifiable so that they can be replicated elsewhere whenever it is possible; to this end, calls on the Commission to facilitate the awareness and knowledge of those pioneering POs;
Amendment 105 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5a (new) 5a. Emphasises that it is important to strengthen the role of professional farmers’ organisations by establishing collective bargaining frameworks involving both businesses and professional organisations and assigning the role of arbitrator to the public authorities and making it possible to reach agreements on minimum farm gate prices;
Amendment 106 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5a (new) 5a. Recalls that POs are tools that are made available to producers to help them collectively organise themselves on the market so that they can safeguard their income, and that POs are particularly useful in production areas that send their produce to consumer areas, but are not greatly used by certain producers or in certain local or niche markets;
Amendment 107 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 Amendment 108 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 6. Stresses in this context that it is important to increase the overall level of support to POs and to provide stronger incentives
Amendment 109 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 6. Stresses in this context that it is important to increase the overall level of support to POs and to provide stronger incentives both for the merging of existing POs and the creation of new
Amendment 11 #
Motion for a resolution Recital Ba (new) Ba. whereas abandoning public policies and allowing the market to act has weakened producers’ bargaining power still further. Therefore, as an instrument for increasing bargaining power, POs have not achieved their objectives;
Amendment 110 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 6. Stresses in this context that it is important to increase the overall level of support to POs and to provide stronger incentives both for the merging of existing POs and the creation of new ones
Amendment 111 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 6. Stresses in this context that it is important to increase the overall level of support to POs and to provide stronger incentives both for the merging of existing POs and the creation of new ones, while calling for the investment of the aid provided to set up new POs to be monitored to ensure that it is effectively invested in ways that will increase the income of the member producers;
Amendment 112 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 6. Stresses in this context that it is important to increase the overall level of support to POs and to provide stronger incentives both for the merging of existing POs and the creation of new ones. In this regard, better allocation of funding to POs should be ensured for the Member States and regions with lower level of organisation among producers and with lower value of the marketed production. This could be facilitated by the introduction of a higher ceiling for the EU financial assistance for the operational programmes, coupled with financial envelopes for each Member States to ensure neutrality;
Amendment 113 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 6. Stresses in this context that it is important to increase the overall level of support to POs and to provide stronger incentives both for the merging of existing POs and the creation of new ones; regrets the fact that in certain Member States, the rate of organisation into POs is extremely low and recommends Member States to prioritise insisting on the promotion of the association of producers; calls on the Commission to analyse the particularities of those Member States where producer organisation is low;
Amendment 114 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 6. Stresses in this context that it is important to increase the overall level of support to POs and to provide stronger
Amendment 115 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 6. Stresses in this context that it is important to
Amendment 116 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 6. Stresses in this context that it is important to increase the overall important to increase the overall level of support to POs and to level of support to POs and to provide stronger incentives both for provide stronger incentives both for the merging of existing POs and the the merging of existing POs and the creation of new ones; creation of new ones, focusing on genuine mergers with the vital centralisation of marketing and decision-making functions;
Amendment 117 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 6. Stresses in this context that it is important to further encourage producers to organize themselves and to increase the overall level of support to POs and to provide stronger incentives both for the merging of existing POs and the creation of new ones; in this sense it is important to address cultural differences and the contrast in market realities between Member states which desires different approaches;
Amendment 118 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 6. Stresses in this context that it is important to increase the overall level of support to POs and to provide stronger incentives both for the merging of existing POs in APOs and the creation of new ones;
Amendment 119 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 a (new) 6 a. calls on the Commission in this context to restore financial support for the investments of newly established F&V POs; without this support, it is extremely difficult for the established organisations to obtain the state recognition needed for their operation; therefore support is one of the most efficient tools to develop organisations and increase the rate of organisation;
Amendment 12 #
Motion for a resolution Recital Bb (new) B b. whereas a significant part of the sector’s output is produced in rural areas, which are less densely populated, and conditions for the formation of POs are often prohibitive or unattractive to producers in such areas;
Amendment 120 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 a (new) 6a. Invites the Commission, as part of simplification of the CAP, to further strengthen the effectiveness of producer organisations in terms of concentrating supply, particularly as regards their central marketing role in the F&V supply chain;
Amendment 121 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6a (new) 6a.Considers it essential to provide benefits for POs that decide to take young members; stresses that POs may provide an opportunity for promoting generational renewal in the agricultural sector;
Amendment 122 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6a (new) 6 a. Calls on the Commission to offer support to both producer organisations, and to independent producers, in order to close the large funding gaps in the fruit and vegetables sector between Member States, due to the different rate of organisation;
Amendment 123 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6a (new) 6a. Urges the Commission to ensure that strengthening of the PO system does not become a threat to the existence of producers operating on short supply chains or local markets, or who sell their products direct;
Amendment 124 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6a (new) 6a. Calls on the European Commission to ensure the rapid and harmonised implementation of the provisions relating to fruit and vegetables on the one hand, and to producer organisations and interbranch organisations on the other, as defined in Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013;
Amendment 125 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6a (new) 6 a. Reiterates its deep concern over the fact that currently only 7.5% of EU farmers are under 35 years of age and believes that well-functioning POs attracting young people can play a part in reversing this unsustainable demographic trend;
Amendment 126 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6b (new) 6b. Notes the need to provide incentives to raise the level of research and innovation in POs; considers that more innovation will enable POs to become more competitive and able to deal with the killer diseases that are damaging European agriculture;
Amendment 127 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6c (new) 6c. Stresses the need to help POs increase their exports and be involved in researching new foreign markets;
Amendment 128 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 7. Urges the Commission, in its upcoming
Amendment 129 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 7. Urges the Commission, in its upcoming review of implementing legislation and as part of its ‘simplification’ agenda, to increase legal certainty for national administrations and POs and to reduce the administrative burden imposed on them;
Amendment 13 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D D. whereas financial support under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) for F&V farmers is mainly channelled through operational funds which are managed by POs and to which, as a general rule, they contribute 50 % of the funding, but no more than 4.1 % of the value of marketed production of the PO concerned;
Amendment 130 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 7. Urges the Commission, in its upcoming review of implementing legislation and as part of its ‘simplification’ agenda, to increase legal certainty for national administrations and POs and to reduce the administrative burden imposed on them; stresses that this review should not change the basic architecture of the fruit and vegetables regime
Amendment 131 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 7. Urges the Commission, in its upcoming review of implementing legislation and as part of its ‘simplification’ agenda, to increase legal certainty for national administrations, POs and APOs and to reduce the administrative burden imposed on them; stresses that this review should not change the basic architecture of the fruit and vegetables regime;
Amendment 132 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 a new 7 a. Asks the Commission to considerably reduce the processing period during which the compliance checks are carried out;
Amendment 133 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 a (new) 7 a. Asks the Commission, also with the aim of increasing the system’s legal certainty, to rationalise the controls and focus them on monitoring the actual execution of each action or measure that is approved as part of the operational programme as well as the cost allocated to them, clearly establishing what is being controlled and who is responsible for carrying out the control;
Amendment 134 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 a (new) 7 a. Asks the Commission to apply the principle of proportionality in relation to penalties and to ensure that audits are concluded within a set time limit in order to increase legal certainty for POs and their members;
Amendment 135 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7a (new) 7a. Wants the duties of interbranch organisations to be broadened, especially in the generic fields of communication and information and that of educating the citizen-consumer, in particular in relation to food;
Amendment 136 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7b (new) 7 b. Urges the Commission to clarify the rules for the establishment of transnational (associations of) POs and in particular the rules regarding responsibility and liability, in order to create legal certainty for national administrations and POs involved;
Amendment 137 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7b (new) 7b. Emphasises the role of interbranch organisations in improving the internal dialogue within a sector;
Amendment 138 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 8. Considers that reducing
Amendment 139 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 8. Considers that reducing complexity, including in the rules for creating new POs and respective limits, should be the first step in making them more attractive for farmers; requests that the Commission identify additional measures for increasing the attractiveness of POs
Amendment 14 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D D. whereas financial support under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) for F&V farmers is mainly channelled through operational funds which are managed by POs and APOs and to which, as a general rule, they contribute 50 % of the funding;
Amendment 140 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 8.
Amendment 141 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 8. Considers that reducing complexity, including
Amendment 142 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 8. Considers that reducing complexity, including in the rules for creating new POs, should be the first step in making them more attractive for farmers; requests that the Commission identify additional measures for increasing the attractiveness of POs, such as providing support to newly established POs/Producer Groups;
Amendment 143 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 8. Considers that reducing complexity, including in the rules for creating new POs in a national and international context, should be the first step in making them more attractive for farmers; requests that the Commission identify additional measures for increasing the attractiveness of POs;
Amendment 144 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 8. Considers that reducing complexity, including in the rules for creating new POs, should be the first step in making them more attractive for farmers; requests that the Commission identify additional measures for increasing the attractiveness of PO
Amendment 145 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 8. Considers that reducing complexity, including in the rules for creating new POs, should be the first step in making them more attractive for farmers, without that signifying a devaluation of the PO structure to the detriment of their ability to act effectively in the market; requests that the Commission identify additional measures for increasing the attractiveness of POs;
Amendment 146 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 8. Considers that reducing complexity,
Amendment 147 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 a (new) 8 a. Calls on the Commission to apply the principle of proportionality with care, by ensuring that errors made by individuals are not recovered from all members of a PO;
Amendment 148 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 a (new) 8a. Urges the Commission to review, within the national financial aid framework, the level of producer organisation (Commission Implementing Regulation No 543/2011) by correlating it to the results achieved in terms of increasing the merger rate and the concentration of F&V production;
Amendment 149 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 a (new) 8 a. Calls on the Commission to reduce the legal uncertainties that exist in relation to a PO's outsourcing activities by producing clear and more detailed guidance on the level of control a PO needs to have over its outsourcing activities; stresses that it is unrealistic to expect a PO to maintain full commercial and administrative control over activities it has outsourced to other legal entities; therefore calls on the Commission to revise the scheme's rules to better reflect modern business and commercial realities;
Amendment 15 #
Motion for a resolution Recital Da (new) D a. whereas financial support under the former Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) for the investments of newly established F&V POs, ceased by the reform of 2013, was of crucial importance, especially in the Central, Eastern and Southern European Member States, overseas territories and on the islands;
Amendment 150 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 a (new) 8 a. Considers that in order to help the farmers who face structural problems in the field of fruit and vegetables, the Commission should encourage Member States to grant support from the rural development funds in order to revive this sector.
Amendment 151 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 a (new) 8 a. Any simplification of the recognition procedure should not be to the detriment of national regulations certifying the conditions required of F&V POs, such as those applied to cooperatives.
Amendment 152 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 b (new) 8 b. Calls on the Commission in its review of the fruit and vegetables regime to reduce the administrative burden for POs by abolishing mid-term evaluations carried out by National Authorities; notes that these evaluations often duplicate the questions asked of National Authorities in its annual reporting and provide no obvious benefit; further calls on the Commission, as part of its aim to cut red tape, to reduce the amount of information it requests from National Authorities and POs in annual reports, and to ensure that only data which is actually used by the Commission to monitor the scheme's effectiveness is collected;
Amendment 153 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 c (new) 8 c. Urges the Commission to revisit Delegated Regulation 499/2014 of 11 March 2014 which introduced more complex checks on POs including disproportionate penalties for failing to meet complex recognition criteria; stresses the need for proportionality in relation to penalties if we are to encourage new growers to join the scheme and prevent existing members from rethinking their participation;
Amendment 154 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9. Urges the Commission to develop existing actions or set up new ones, including training measures and initiatives for the exchange of good practices, which can improve the management of POs and their competitive position in the food supply chain;
Amendment 155 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9. Urges the Commission to develop existing actions or set up new ones, including training measures, which can improve the management of POs and their competitive position in the food supply chain; recommends the Commission to focus on PO-integrated production and distribution models, and calls on the local and regional authorities to make available logistics and outlet support for the products of POs in the regions.
Amendment 156 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9. Urges the Commission to develop existing actions or set up new ones, including training measures, which can improve the management of POs and their competitive position in the food supply chain; and to ensure an enhanced role for market oriented behaviour within POs;
Amendment 157 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9.
Amendment 158 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 a (new) 9a. Calls on the Commission to take the necessary steps to enable producer organisations to fully play their part as instruments for increasing the income of producers.
Amendment 159 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 a (new) 9a. Invites the Commission to consider extending the provisions for funding crisis prevention and management measures (eligibility of the repayment of capital and interest on loans for financial aid) and also for achieving the other objectives pursued by the operational programmes of producer organisations and their associations;
Amendment 16 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E E. whereas the share of the total value of F&V production marketed by POs in the Union has shown a gradual increase, from 31 % in 2004 to 47 % in 2012,
Amendment 160 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 a (new) 9 a. Urges the Commission to create actions involving a transfer of administrative and structural ‘know how’ regarding the way in which POs are organised, from the Member States with a high level of PO to those Member States with a low level of producer organisation into POs
Amendment 161 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 a (new) 9a. Observes that environmentally friendly practices must be continuously and rigorously pursued. Continuing to fund such practices from one operational programme to another must therefore be encouraged, and the scope of intervention expanded to include producers whose plots of land adjoin those farmed by members of a producer organisation.
Amendment 162 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 10. Considers that associations of producer organisations (AOPs) could play an important role in increasing the bargaining power of farmers and urges the Commission to reinforce incentives for setting up APOs, at both national and European levels, and envisage a greater role for them in the future;
Amendment 163 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 10. Considers that associations of producer organisations (AOPs) could play an important role in increasing the bargaining power of farmers and urges the Commission to reinforce incentives for setting up APOs and envisage a greater role for them in the future; stresses that APOs are in a position not only to bring about the effective concentration and enhancement of supply, but also to evince greater efficiency in the management of interventions because of the coordination role they are called to play on the operational level;
Amendment 164 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 10. Considers that associations of producer organisations (AOPs) could play an important role in increasing the bargaining power of farmers and urges the Commission to reinforce incentives for setting up APOs and envisage a greater role for them in the future; in this respect, it is absolutely vital to adapt the rules of the competition policy, in order to rebalance the powers of producers with the rest of the sector.
Amendment 165 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 10. Considers that associations of producer organisations (AOPs) could play an important role in increasing the bargaining power of farmers and urges the Commission to reinforce incentives for setting up APOs and envisage a greater
Amendment 166 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 10. Considers that associations of producer organisations (AOPs) could play an important role in increasing the bargaining power of farmers and urges the Commission to reinforce incentives for setting up APOs and envisage a greater role for them in the future
Amendment 167 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 Considers that associations of producer organisations (AOPs) could play an important role in increasing the bargaining power of farmers and urges the Commission to reinforce incentives for setting up APOs and envisage a greater
Amendment 168 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 10. Considers that associations of producer organisations (AOPs) and transnational producer organisations (TPOs) could play an important role in increasing the bargaining power of farmers
Amendment 169 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 10.
Amendment 17 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F F. whereas these figures for the Union as a
Amendment 170 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 10. Considers that associations of producer organisations (A
Amendment 171 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 10. Considers that associations of producer organisations (AOPs) could play an important role in increasing the bargaining power of farmers and urges the Commission to reinforce incentives for setting up APOs
Amendment 172 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 10. Considers that associations of producer organisations (AOPs)
Amendment 173 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 a (new) 10a. Considers that interbranch organisations need to be encouraged in order to ensure better organisation of the fruit and vegetables sector; such organisations can play an important role in creating added value and sharing it between the different parts of the sector, and also as regards quality, sustainable enhancement of production, and market and crisis management.
Amendment 174 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 a (new) 10 a. Asks the Commission to consider the possibility of putting a stop to the problems in intra-Community trade experienced periodically by certain fruit and vegetable products, and strengthening the role of producers in the food supply chain by setting up a European Interprofessional Committee;
Amendment 175 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 a (new) 10a. Considers that associations of producer organisations (APOs) could play an important role in anticipating and managing short-term crises; stresses the benefits of being able to have producers who are not members of POs join such associations voluntarily, in order to make the collective actions of producers even more efficient.
Amendment 176 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 a (new) 10a. Stresses the importance of ensuring that the structure and functioning of POs and APOs are based on the principles of independence and democracy, in order to enhance mutual trust among producers and combat unfair trading practices and opportunistic behaviour;
Amendment 177 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11. Is adamant that third-country production methods for exports to the EU must provide European consumers with the same guarantees in terms of health, food safety, animal welfare, sustainable development and minimum social standards as those required of EU producers; calls on the Commission to do everything possible to exclude agricultural products from TTIP negotiations, taking into account the sensitivity of this sector and the significant regulatory differences between the EU and the USA;
Amendment 178 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11. Is adamant that third-country production methods for exports to the EU must provide European consumers with the same guarantees in terms of health, food safety, animal welfare, sustainable development and minimum social standards as those required of EU producers; takes note of the act production fluctuations, as well as of the perishable nature of agricultural produce and requests the Commission to be more preoccupied with stimulating the set-up of storage facilities and processing units, as well as with the establishment of own outlet centres, with the support of local public authorities.
Amendment 179 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11. Is adamant that third-country production methods for exports to the EU must provide European consumers with the same guarantees in terms of health, food safety, animal welfare, sustainable development and minimum social standards as those required of EU producers
Amendment 18 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F F. whereas these figures for the Union as a whole are averages reflecting highly divergent situations between Member States, which are attributable to the structure of agricultural holdings and historical factors
Amendment 180 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11. Is extremely adamant that third-country production methods for exports to the EU must provide European consumers with the same guarantees in terms of health, food safety, animal welfare, sustainable development and minimum social standards as those required of EU producers; and that such guarantees must be clearly indicated in the form of labels.
Amendment 181 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 a (new) 11 a. Urges the Commission to reverse the lack of reciprocity in the EU’s trading relations with third countries by guaranteeing the phytosanitary security of imports and switching from a negative list approach to applying the positive list principle, as do all the countries in our trading environment;
Amendment 182 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 a (new) 11 a. Emphasises the need to make it easier for producers to gain access to third-country markets; calls on the Commission to increase its efforts to support exporters of fruit and vegetables to overcome the increasing number of non-tariff barriers, such as some third- country phytosanitary standards that make export from the EU difficult, if not impossible;
Amendment 183 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 a (new) 11 a. Is of the opinion that, in order to achieve fairer competition with imports to the Community market, and with a view to reciprocity in plant health standards, the EU should strengthen the import control regime to put it on an equal footing with that applied by the large majority of its trading partners.
Amendment 184 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 b (new) 11 b. Welcomes the new horizontal regulations for promoting agricultural products adopted recently and the objective of increasing the funds allocated to finding new markets mainly in third countries, and encourages the Commission to continue working to improve the promotion instrument in the coming years.
Amendment 185 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 c (new) 11 c. Urges the Commission to intensify its efforts in trade negotiations with third countries for the removal of the tariff and plant health barriers imposed on European productions, thereby making it possible to open up new markets for Community fruit and vegetables.
Amendment 186 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 12. Urges the Commission to identify the reasons for the low take-up of crisis prevention and management (CPM) instruments, that are only adapted to coping with minor seasonal crises, and to consider how the situation can be improved, taking into account examples of best practice and experience among existing POs;
Amendment 187 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 12. Urges the Commission to identify the reasons for the low take-up of crisis prevention and management (CPM) instruments
Amendment 188 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 12. Urges the Commission to identify the reasons for the
Amendment 189 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 12. Urges the Commission to identify the reasons for the low take-up of crisis prevention and management (CPM) instruments and to consider how the situation can be improved, taking into account examples of best practice among existing POs
Amendment 19 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F F. whereas these figures for the Union as a
Amendment 190 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 12. Urges the Commission to identify the reasons for the low take-up of crisis prevention and management (CPM) instruments and to consider how the situation can be improved, taking into account examples of best practice among existing POs; suggests the Commission to be closely preoccupied with risk management tools as measures absolutely necessary for ensuring the agricultural production of POs.
Amendment 191 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 a (new) 12 a. Emphasises the need to improve the crisis management measures by increasing, on the one hand, the percentage of EU financial assistance and, on the other, the maximum amounts of withdrawal aid, so that they really contribute to establishing a minimum level of prices for producers;
Amendment 192 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 a (new) 12a. Stresses that, in addition to simplifying all CPM instruments, it might be useful to create a better-coordinated mechanism for the withdrawal of products in crisis situations. This withdrawal mechanism should be activated automatically by the Commission as quickly as possible when there is excess supply, a halt in consumption or a drop in prices;
Amendment 193 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 a (new) 12 a. Urges the Commission to consider the automatic application of the mechanisms envisaged in Regulation (EU) 1308/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013, establishing a common organisation of the markets in agricultural products and repealing Council Regulations (EEC) No 99/72, (EEC) No 234/79, (EC) No 1037/2001 and (EC) No 1234/2007 in situations of crisis, with particular emphasis on the crisis reserve fund, situations of market disturbance and the measures to resolve specific problems.
Amendment 194 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 a (new) 12 a. In order to prevent market crises from turning into serious, lengthy disturbances, causing major loss in income to producers of perishable fruit and vegetables, the crisis management measures must be enhanced by adjusting the withdrawal prices, including the use for processing, increasing the volumes that can be withdrawn, or increasing the funds that can be allocated to crisis management, taking into account the budget limits set.
Amendment 195 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 a (new) 12a. Underlines the significant differences in production costs that exist between Member States, and wants them to be taken into account in the levels of support provided by exceptional crisis measures.
Amendment 196 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 b (new) 12b. Stresses that the current mechanism for withdrawal from the market has proved to be limited in terms of its application, essentially because of the low prices paid for withdrawal, which need to be increased to make the provision more effective. In the event of very serious crises for the F&V sector, the European contribution provided for towards withdrawal operations therefore needs to be significantly increased for POs;
Amendment 197 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 c (new) 12c. Since the vast majority of withdrawn products are distributed among the needy (free distribution), the creation of a database of charitable organisations at European level could help to make this instrument easier to implement;
Amendment 198 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 13. Asks the Commission to consider making contributions to mutual funds
Amendment 199 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 a (new) 13a. Urges the Commission to review how support for withdrawals from the market works, adjusting the mechanisms for setting the prices of withdrawal, transportation, sorting and packaging in accordance with the production costs actually borne by individual producers;
Amendment 2 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 8a (new) - having regard to the Comparative analysis of risk management tools supported by 2014 U.S. Farm Bill and the CAP 2014-2020
Amendment 20 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F F. whereas these figures for the Union as a whole are averages reflecting highly divergent situations between Member States, which are attributable to historical factors, different market conditions and barriers and reflect different starting points in the drive towards setting up POs;
Amendment 200 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 a (new) 13 a. Considers that producers should not have to bear the cost of crises caused by circumstances that are unconnected with the agricultural sector, such as the Russian ban on EU exports, which has seriously affected many European F&V producers and has even worsened market crisis situations such as that experienced by the stone fruits sector. Asks that in such circumstances Community support measures be kept in place for as long as necessary until the normal market situation is fully re-established.
Amendment 201 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 14. Emphasises that, through their operational programmes, POs can make important contributions to achieving environmental goals and improving food safety standards; asks the Commission to consider how these effects can be maximised, for example through
Amendment 202 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 14. Emphasises that, through their operational programmes, POs can make important contributions to achieving environmental goals and improving food safety standards; asks the Commission to consider how these effects can be maximised, for example through the strengthening of integrated pest management; calls on the Commission to establish a balance between the Natura 2000 environmental protection measures and agricultural production needs;
Amendment 203 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 14. Emphasises that, through their operational programmes, POs can make important contributions to achieving environmental goals and improving food safety standards; asks the Commission to consider how these effects can be maximised, for example through the strengthening of integrated pest management and provide more flexibility for producers in achieving environmental goals;
Amendment 204 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 14. Emphasises that, through their operational programmes, POs can make important contributions to achieving environmental goals and improving food safety standards;
Amendment 205 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 a (new) 14a. Urges the Commission to increase the number of aid schemes in place for distributing fruit, vegetables and milk in schools, given the importance of promoting healthy and balanced diets from a very young age, which schemes also bring young consumers closer to local producers;
Amendment 206 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 a (new) 14a. Points out that it is essential to indicate priority objectives clearly in operational programmes and express them in quantitative terms. This would make it possible to measure the results achieved more quickly and objectively, and to orient operational programmes towards the achievement of strategic aims that are in line with the need to improve the services and overall competitiveness of national F&V systems. It would also make it easier to conduct an overall assessment of national strategies and take corrective measures when the results deviate from the aims set at the planning stage;
Amendment 207 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 a (new) 14a. Considers it crucial to improve the effectiveness of the Community regulations currently in place for protecting plants against the introduction of harmful organisms originating from outside the EU; such organisms are becoming increasingly common in the EU due to rising levels of trade, and are very often having a detrimental effect on the fruit and vegetables sector.
Amendment 208 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 a (new) 14a. Considers that, as in other sectors (such as olive-growing), producer organisations could be given a role in guaranteeing and coordinating the complementarity and coherence of the various EU support regimes, thus ensuring greater transparency of the system to prevent cases of double funding.
Amendment 209 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 a (new) 14 a. Urges the Commission to establish guidelines or policy rules clarifying the conditions under which POs can be temporarily granted a derogation from Article 101 (1) TFEU based on Article 2221a which provides POs the opportunity to take measures in order to stabilize the sector during periods of severe imbalanced markets; ––––––––––––––––––––– 1a Regulation 1308/2013
Amendment 21 #
Motion for a resolution Recital Fa (new) Fa. whereas there is significant differentiation in organisation between the so-called new and old Member States, arising from different historical backgrounds, beyond the producers’ control; i.e. in the new EU states , the organisations are still small and have a small share in the market;
Amendment 210 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 a (new) 14a. Stresses that POs should help to combat illegal activity in the agricultural sector, particularly as regards ecomafia organisations and the black economy; calls on the Commission and the Member States to monitor progress in this respect;
Amendment 211 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 a (new) 14 a. Emphasises the importance of short supply chains and calls on the Commission and Member States to encourage the development of local markets for the distribution of fruit and vegetables.
Amendment 212 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 a (new) 14 a. Urges the Commission to intensify research and monitoring in relation to the threat posed to fruit and vegetable production in the EU by invasive species such as spotted-winged drosophilia;
Amendment 213 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 b (new) 14b. Emphasises the importance of greater promotion of actions to protect the environment, with clear targets being set and the Member States being encouraged to draw up operational programmes in this respect. POs should be conducting operational programmes that can help to protect the environment by focusing on two key factors: on the one hand, promoting the spread of environmentally friendly production methods, such as integrated organic farming, and, on the other, more specific actions to save water, cut emissions and, above all, improve waste management;
Amendment 214 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Believes that encouraging healthier eating habits goes hand in hand with understanding more about farming and how food is produced and, supports, in this context, the objective of strengthening the educational dimension of the school fruit and milk programmes; therefore rejects any measure that might jeopardise or involve the abolition of those programmes.
Amendment 215 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Believes that encouraging healthier eating habits goes hand in hand with understanding more about farming and how food is produced and, supports, in this context, the objective of strengthening the educational dimension of the school fruit and milk programmes, highlighting the need to involve fruit and vegetable producers and defend local marketing and consumption networks, thereby promoting social and regional cohesion;
Amendment 216 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Believes that encouraging healthier eating habits goes hand in hand with understanding more about farming and how food is produced and, supports, in this context, the objective of strengthening the educational dimension of the school fruit and milk programmes. In this regard stresses the importance of POs participation in the school fruit scheme as a way to encourage a short supply chain and the consumption by children of local and seasonal fruit and vegetables;
Amendment 217 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Believes that encouraging healthier eating habits goes hand in hand with understanding more about farming and how food is produced and, supports, in this context, the objective of strengthening the educational dimension of the
Amendment 218 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Believes that encouraging healthier eating habits goes hand in hand with understanding more about farming and how food is produced and supports, in this context, the objective of strengthening the educational dimension of the school fruit and milk programmes
Amendment 219 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Believes that encouraging healthier eating habits goes hand in hand with understanding more about farming and how food is produced
Amendment 22 #
Motion for a resolution Recital Fa (new) Fa. whereas the public consultation on policy options and their impact assessment, carried out by the EC between 4 June and 9 September 2012, concerning the review of the EU regime for the fruit and vegetable sector, reveals that the majority of respondents are in favour of the regime continuing, subject to some specific refinements;
Amendment 220 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 a (new) 15 A. Whereas the promotion of healthy eating habits also involves boosting the purchasing power of households and providing access to affordable products, which is incompatible with policies that promote unemployment, increasingly low wages and cuts in social benefits;
Amendment 221 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 a (new) 15 a. Considers that the key to analysing the situation of the F&V production sector is the evolution of the income of the sector farmers and therefore asks the Commission to undertake a study focusing on this point in order to ascertain whether the measures adopted, such as the strengthening of the POs, have really been effective.
Amendment 222 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 b (new) 15 b. Calls on the Commission to draw up an urgent youth employment plan for the agricultural sector to prevent the ageing of the profession and the consequent abandonment of land and production.
Amendment 23 #
Motion for a resolution Recital Fa (new) Fa. whereas the regions in which producers have achieved the highest levels of competitiveness, profitability, internationalisation, quality, and environmental sustainability are those in which the degree of organisation of production is the highest;
Amendment 24 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G G. whereas the organisation rate among producers remains low on average, although this general assertion is subject to qualification depending on the degree of modernisation of the production and marketing of each area;
Amendment 25 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G G. whereas the organisation rate among producers remains low on average, especially in the Central, Eastern and Southern European Member States, overseas territories and on the islands;
Amendment 26 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G G. Whereas the organisation rate among producers remains low on average, there was however an increase, which was also due to the closure of thousands of small farms throughout Europe;
Amendment 27 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G G. whereas the organisation rate among producers remains low on average, in particular in the new Member States;
Amendment 28 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G G. whereas the organisation rate among producers from some southern Member States and some Member States that joined the EU in 2004 and later remains low on average;
Amendment 29 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G G. whereas the organisation rate among producers remains low on average and has been partly caused by the suspension and de-recognition of POs, which causes uncertainty among producers;
Amendment 3 #
Motion for a resolution Recital Aa (new) A a. whereas the 2007 reform aimed to provide greater flexibility, simplify the rules and strengthen the fruit and vegetable producer organisations by providing them with a wider range of tools to enable them to prevent and manage market crises and to limit the fluctuations in producer revenues;
Amendment 30 #
Motion for a resolution Recital Ga (new) Ga. whereas, although national financial aid (Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013) has been an important financial instrument in terms of concentrating supply, there is a need to enhance its effectiveness;
Amendment 31 #
Motion for a resolution Recital Ga (new) Ga. whereas the role played by POs in opening up new markets, promoting consumption, or investing in innovation, has a very positive impact on the F&V sector as a whole;
Amendment 32 #
Motion for a resolution Recital Ga (new) G a. whereas in the EU, the F&V sector accounts for 18% of the total value of agricultural production, uses only 3% of the cultivated land and is worth more than EUR 50 billion;
Amendment 33 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G b (new) G b. whereas the F&V supply chain has an estimated turnover of more than EUR 120 billion, with approximately 550 000 employees and acts as an economic multiplier at European level, stimulating both demand and the creation of added value in other economic sectors;
Amendment 34 #
Motion for a resolution Recital H H. Whereas the total EU agricultural area cropped with F&V fell by 6 % between
Amendment 35 #
Motion for a resolution Recital H H. whereas the total EU agricultural area cropped with F&V fell by 6 % between 2003 and 2010, indicating that farmers have switched to other crops or, in many cases, have given up farming; whereas, according to the 2015 AREFLH study, this decline was greater in southern Europe than in northern Europe;
Amendment 36 #
Motion for a resolution Recital Ha (new) H A. Whereas the fall in production and consumption of fruit and vegetables was more pronounced in the countries of southern Europe due to austerity policies, which caused significant falls in income, leading to the inability of families to purchase fresh fruit and vegetable products and the adoption by families of an unhealthy diet.
Amendment 37 #
Motion for a resolution Recital Ha (new) H a. whereas, according to Eurostat, total input costs for EU farmers climbed on average by almost 40 % between 2000 and 2010, while farm gate prices increased on average by less than 25 %;
Amendment 38 #
Motion for a resolution Recital Ha (new) H a. whereas a significant gap can be noted between Member States as regards the organisation of producers into POs, and EU support mainly targets existing organisations;
Amendment 39 #
Motion for a resolution Recital Ha (new) Ha. whereas the figures contained in the Commission’s report for the period 2003- 2010 show that there has been a slight reduction in the total EU agricultural area cropped with F&V, there has also been an increase in the average area cropped per holding, which suggests that it is mainly a question of small holdings disappearing;
Amendment 4 #
Motion for a resolution Recital Ab (new) A b. whereas producer organisations are subject to a number of restrictions compared to private commercial firms, such as for example restrictions on the use of investments relating to the revenue structure or the need to sell;
Amendment 40 #
Motion for a resolution Recital I I. whereas the volume of fruit & vegetable production has also fallen in recent years, whilst its value has tended to remain stable in real terms, reaching EUR 48.25 billion in 2012 despite which it has not been able to offer farm gate prices in line with production costs and wages;
Amendment 41 #
Motion for a resolution Recital J J. whereas the deficit in consumption represents the biggest problem for the fruit and vegetable sectors, with the last few years having witnessed a loss of production; recalling the data from Freshfel Europe which indicates that consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables in the EU-28 stood at 387 g
Amendment 42 #
Motion for a resolution Recital J J. Whereas data from Freshfel Europe indicates that consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables in the EU-28 stood at 387 g a day per capita in 2012, a decrease of 8.7 % as compared with the average for the 2007-11 period; whereas this decline seems to reflect long-term trends towards greater consumption of processed foods, and
Amendment 43 #
Motion for a resolution Recital J J. whereas data from Freshfel Europe indicates that consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables in the EU-28 stood at 387 g a day per capita in 2012, a decrease of 8.7 % as compared with the average for the 2007-11 period; whereas this decline seems to reflect long-term trends towards greater consumption of processed foods and the impact of the economic crisis; whereas it has been noted that school schemes for fruit, vegetables and milk have not fully met their objectives;
Amendment 44 #
Motion for a resolution Recital J J. whereas data from Freshfel Europe indicates that consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables in the EU-28 stood at 387 g a day per capita in 2012, a decrease of 8.7 % as compared with the average for the 2007-11 period
Amendment 45 #
Motion for a resolution Recital Ja (new) Ja. whereas there are 22 million overweight children within the European Union, while adolescents are consuming on average just 30 % to 50 % of the recommended daily allowance of fruit and vegetables;
Amendment 46 #
Motion for a resolution Recital K K. whereas the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends a minimum daily intake of 400 g of fruit and vegetables for the prevention of chronic diseases such as heart diseases, cancer, diabetes and obesity; and deplores the fact that this recommended amount has overall been met in only four Member States of the EU to date;
Amendment 47 #
Motion for a resolution Recital K K. whereas the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends a minimum daily intake of 400 g of fruit and vegetables for the prevention of chronic diseases such as
Amendment 48 #
Motion for a resolution Recital L L. whereas in 2012 the EU had a trade deficit in F&V, largely due to the fact that it imports significantly more fruit than it exports, because of high production costs;
Amendment 49 #
Motion for a resolution Recital M M. whereas the 2015 AREFLH study points out that the EU market is relatively open to imports, whilst European exports face considerable tariff and non-tariff barriers in trading partners; whereas, although imports from third countries compete directly with similar EU products, the same environmental and
Amendment 5 #
Motion for a resolution Recital Ac (new) Ac. whereas it is essential to support the fruit and vegetables sector throughout the entire territory of the Union, given its importance in terms of added value and employment, and given the health benefits that it presents through healthy and balanced diets;
Amendment 50 #
Motion for a resolution Recital M M. whereas the 2015 AREFLH study points out that the EU market is relatively open to imports, whilst European exports face considerable tariff and non-tariff barriers in trading partners, which are preventing exports from diversifying; whereas, although imports from third countries compete directly with similar EU products, the same environmental and labour standards are not applied in their cultivation;
Amendment 51 #
Motion for a resolution Recital M M. whereas the 2015 AREFLH study points out that the EU market is relatively open to imports, whilst European exports face considerable tariff and non-tariff barriers in trading partners; whereas, although imports from third countries compete directly with similar EU products, in some instances the same environmental and labour standards are not applied in their cultivation;
Amendment 52 #
Motion for a resolution Recital M M. whereas the 2015 AREFLH study points out that the EU market is relatively open to imports, whilst European exports face considerable tariff and non-tariff barriers in trading partners; whereas, although imports from third countries compete directly with similar EU products, the same environmental
Amendment 53 #
Motion for a resolution Recital N N. whereas market crises occur frequently in the F&V sector since even small production surpluses can cause large falls in producer prices; whereas F&V are mostly perishable products and must therefore be sold quickly, leaving farmers in this sector in a structurally weak bargaining position vis-à-vis
Amendment 54 #
Motion for a resolution Recital N N. whereas market crises occur frequently in the F&V sector since even small production surpluses can cause large falls in producer prices; whereas F&V are mostly perishable products and must therefore be sold quickly, leaving farmers in this sector in a structurally weak bargaining position vis-à-vis major retailers and processors;
Amendment 55 #
Motion for a resolution Recital O O. whereas the crisis caused by the Russian ban has had significant negative effects on the F&V sector; whereas the importance of the existence of strong POs to collectively deal with unexpected and adverse situations must be underlined, supported by sufficient Community instruments that are adapted to the severity of each crisis or, if necessary, by activating the exceptional measures envisaged in Regulation 1308/2013;
Amendment 56 #
Motion for a resolution Recital O O. whereas the crisis caused by the Russian ban has had significant negative effects
Amendment 57 #
Motion for a resolution Recital O O. Whereas the crisis caused by the Russian ban has had significant negative effects on the F&V sector; whereas this situation stems from a political position of the EU and that the consequences should be borne by the EU budget regardless of underlining the importance of the existence of strong POs to collectively deal with unexpected and adverse situations
Amendment 58 #
Motion for a resolution Recital O O. whereas the crisis caused by the Russian ban has had significant negative effects on the F&V sector; whereas
Amendment 59 #
Motion for a resolution Recital O O. whereas the crisis caused by the Russian ban has had significant negative effects on the F&V sector; whereas the importance of the existence of strong POs to collectively deal with unexpected and adverse situations must be underlined, supported by sufficient Community instruments that are adapted to the severity of each crisis or, if necessary, by activating the exceptional measures envisaged in Regulation 1308/2014;
Amendment 6 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B B. whereas Union support for POs is aimed at strengthening the competitiveness, increasing productivity of the sector and improving the bargaining position of farmers, whilst also integrating environmental concerns in the production and marketing of fruit and vegetables;
Amendment 60 #
Motion for a resolution Recital O O. whereas the crisis caused by the Russian ban has had significant Russian ban has had significant negative effects on the F&V sector; whereas the importance of the existence of
Amendment 61 #
Motion for a resolution Recital O a (new) O a. regrets that the extraordinary measures programme adopted by the Commission in relation to perishable fruit and vegetables in EU Regulations No 1031/2014 and No 1371/2014 did not to any extent cover the losses incurred by the producers, and the funds in that respect reached only very few farmers in the EU Member States;
Amendment 62 #
Motion for a resolution Recital P P. whereas the Commission’s report recognises that the F&V regime’s crisis prevention instruments have been little used since the 2007 reform
Amendment 63 #
Motion for a resolution Recital P P. whereas the Commission’s report recognises that the F&V regime’s crisis prevention instruments have been little used since the 2007 reform; whilst the crises suffered by the fruit and vegetables sector have been fairly frequent (whether relating to health issues, climate change, embargoes, etc.);
Amendment 64 #
Motion for a resolution Recital P P. whereas the Commission’s report recognises that the F&V regime’s crisis prevention instruments have been little used since the 2007 reform, and in addition, in the majority of cases, apart from the withdrawal from the market, they are administratively difficult to apply due to the unclear regulations in that respect;
Amendment 65 #
Motion for a resolution Recital P a (new) P a. Whereas the contingency reserve created out of the Common Agricultural Policy funds in the amount of over EUR 400 million was not used to mitigate the effects of the Russian ban, notwithstanding the circumstances justifying its use;
Amendment 66 #
Motion for a resolution Recital Pa (new) Pa. whereas the possibility of making the repayment of capital and interest on loans taken out to finance crisis prevention and management measures eligible for EU financial aid has, under the operational programmes, been an important instrument for managing market uncertainty;
Amendment 67 #
Motion for a resolution Recital P a (new) П a. whereas the School Fruit Scheme, under which a number of local and seasonal fruits and vegetables are used, has attracted interest and been successful;
Amendment 68 #
Motion for a resolution Recital Q Q. Whereas the Commission’s report identifies complexity of rules and lack of legal certainty as weaknesses of the current F&V regime, omitting the inappropriateness of these rules for the specific nature of small and medium-sized family farms; whereas Commissioner Hogan has committed himself to simplifying the regime in the first year of his term;
Amendment 69 #
Motion for a resolution Recital Q Q. whereas the Commission’s report identifies complexity of rules and identifies complexity of rules and lack of legal certainty as weaknesses of the current F&V regime; whereas Commissioner Hogan has committed himself to
Amendment 7 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B B. whereas Union support for POs is aimed at strengthening the competitiveness of the sector and improving the bargaining position of farmers, but it must also consider individual producers, whilst also integrating environmental concerns in the production and marketing of fruit and vegetables;
Amendment 70 #
Motion for a resolution Recital Q Q. whereas the Commission’s report identifies complexity of rules and lack of legal certainty as weaknesses of the current F&V regime; whereas Commissioner Hogan has committed himself to simplifying the regime in the first year of his term, taking into account cultural differences and contrasts in market realities between different Member States and the need to boost competitiveness and the innovative strength of the sector;
Amendment 71 #
Motion for a resolution Recital Qa (new) Q A. Whereas the fact that only one third of the funds have effectively been used by POs:
Amendment 72 #
Motion for a resolution Recital Ra (new) R a. whereas clear and predictable audit procedures are essential for the functioning of the F&V regime; whereas overlap in consecutive audits should be avoided and that follow-up audits should not be carried out before clearance of accounts has given a definite decision on a previous audit, in order to prevent that Member states are confronted with larger corrections than would have been necessary;
Amendment 73 #
Motion for a resolution Recital Ra (new) Ra. whereas Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 establishing a common organisation of the markets in agricultural products has already taken account of a certain number of elements featuring in the European Commission communication, and the rules currently in place in the European Union need to be stabilised;
Amendment 74 #
Motion for a resolution Recital Rb (new) R b. whereas proportionality should be an essential part in reducing legal uncertainty within the F&V regime, ensuring that a PO should not be prejudiced as a whole based on infringements of single offenders;
Amendment 75 #
Motion for a resolution Recital S S. whereas POs frequently encounter difficulties in finding and training managers with the necessary skills for carrying out commercial activities in the competitive environment of the agribusiness sector; whereas the Commission’s report states that spending on training and advisory services by POs has been low; whereas POs should follow integrated production models;
Amendment 76 #
Motion for a resolution Recital Ta (new) Ta. whereas the F&V sector comprises mainly small agricultural holdings, most of them family-run;
Amendment 77 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Welcomes the Commission’s report, which provides a balanced picture of the evolution of the F&V regime since the 2007 reform,
Amendment 78 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1.
Amendment 79 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Welcomes the Commission’s report, which provides a balanced picture of the evolution of the F&V regime since the 2007 reform, identifying areas where progress has been achieved, such as the increased concentration of POs that is improving the sector’s positioning in the food supply chain, whilst also referring to problems that persist;
Amendment 8 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B B. whereas Union support for POs is aimed at strengthening the competitiveness of the sector
Amendment 80 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Welcomes the Commission’s report, which provides a balanced picture of the evolution of the F&V regime since the 2007 reform, identifying areas where progress has been achieved whilst also referring to problems that persist
Amendment 81 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1a (new) 1a. is of the opinion that support must compensate for the negative, from the market point of view, consequences of the restrictions imposed on the producer organisations,
Amendment 82 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1a (new) 1a. Welcomes the measures in the EU F&V regime which are intended to increase market orientation among EU growers, encourage innovation, promote F&V, increase growers' competitiveness and improve marketing, product quality and the environmental aspects of production, through the provision of support to POs, PO associations and the recognition of inter-branch organisations, also promoting the formation of clusters that will generate new income streams, to be channelled into new investments;
Amendment 83 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1b (new) 1 b. Welcomes the fact that the new CAP retains the F&V regime, while acknowledging that existing instruments have not always been effective, as recognised by the Commission in its public consultation document entitled 'A Review of the EU Regime for the Fruit and Vegetables Sector', and therefore supports the work of the Newcastle Group aimed at improving F&V regime, which should take account of the specific nature of the legal arrangements governing cooperatives in the Member States, so as not to limit the creation of new POs, while respecting the fact that growers may opt to remain outside the PO system;
Amendment 84 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1c (new) 1 c. Notes with concern that PO rules are open to wide interpretation by the Commission's auditors, which leads to a high degree of uncertainty and can leave Member States at risk of disallowance and judicial review; stresses, also, that audit procedures and financial corrections must be carried out in a more timely manner and within an agreed audit time period;
Amendment 85 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 2. Calls on the Commission to intensify efforts to tackle unfair trading practices (UTPs) in the food supply chain which negatively impact producer returns, depress incomes and threaten the viability and sustainability of the sector. Unfair trading practices and the pressure exerted on producers, whether or not they are associated, by the large retail chains, are the main obstacle to F&V farmers earning a decent income. The weakness of their position is compounded by the fact that their products are perishable. The problems cited such as the abandonment of land or the ageing of the population of active farmers, will only disappear when the profits from production are sufficient to guarantee the future of the profession and attract young labour. The Commission is therefore urged to ensure that the measures to combat these practices are enshrined in a directive, compliance with which is mandatory throughout the EU;
Amendment 86 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 2. Calls on the Commission to
Amendment 87 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 2. Calls on the Commission to intensify efforts to tackle unfair trading practices (UTPs) and unfair fiscal policies in the food supply chain which negatively impact producer returns, depress incomes and threaten the viability and sustainability of the sector;
Amendment 88 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 2. Calls on the Commission to intensify efforts to
Amendment 89 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2a (new) 2a. Stresses the importance of maintaining European quality standards for fresh fruit and vegetable products in order to guarantee consistently high quality in the supply chain for the benefit of the final consumer;
Amendment 9 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B B. whereas Union support for POs
Amendment 90 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2a (new) 2a. Invites the Commission to establish clear European rules governing the principles of good practice in the food supply chain to ensure a common interpretation of the rules as regards unfair trading practices;
Amendment 91 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2b (new) 2b. Invites the Commission to promote measures to encourage direct marketing of POs’ products; thinks that direct marketing is an alternative to the large retail sector and its underlying values regarding the relationship to food, agriculture and the environment; considers that direct marketing prices are kept lower than large retail sector prices precisely because of the elimination of intermediaries and of the costs linked to logistics; in this respect, shortening of the chain guarantees farmers a fair return and makes it possible to combat unfair trading practices;
Amendment 92 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3a (new) 3a. Stresses the need for more action on the part of Member States, which should have a credible deterrent to the use of unfair trading practices in the food supply chain. Member States could provide incentives for binding contracts between producers and the large retail sector with a duration of at least six months;
Amendment 93 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3a (new) 3a. Urges the Commission to clarify how it intends to apply Article 209(1) of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 establishing a common organisation of the markets in agricultural products, so as to promote more legal certainty on how to achieve the objectives set out in Article 39 TFEU in strict compliance with Article 101 TFEU as regards competition;
Amendment 94 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3b (new) 3b. Stresses that the minimum threshold for the number of members for recognition of a PO should be increased, and that more POs should merge to form APOs and strengthen their position in the food supply chain;
Amendment 95 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Notes that the degree of organisation of the sector, as measured by the share of the total value of F&V production marketed by
Amendment 96 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Notes that the degree of organisation of the sector, as measured by the share of the total value of F&V production marketed by POs, has steadily increased in recent years in the Union as a whole, but this increase can be attributed to only some of the Member States;
Amendment 97 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Notes that the degree of organisation of the sector, as measured by the share of the total value of F&V production marketed by
Amendment 98 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4a (new) 4 a. Points out that the level of producer organisations in the European Union varies and the organisations from the new Member States are not as numerous and strong as those in the old European Union Member States;
Amendment 99 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 5. Emphasises that, despite this increase, the degree of organisation among producers remains low on average, especially in the Central, Eastern and Southern European Member States, overseas territories and on the islands, and that addressing this problem is crucial for the future of the F&V regime;
source: 549.240
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