2016/2034(INI) | [ParlTrack]

Michel DANTIN, Sofia RIBEIRO, Mairead McGUINNESS, Herbert DORFMANN, Elisabeth KÖSTINGER

Motion for a resolution
Citation 4 a (new)

- having regard to the universal framework for Sustainability Assessment of Food and Agriculture systems (SAFA) developed by FAO,

Amendment 10 #

Marc TARABELLA, Maria NOICHL, Tibor SZANYI, Eric ANDRIEU, Jean-Paul DENANOT

Motion for a resolution
Recital A b (new)

Ab. whereas we are facing a double paradox: on the one hand we have a global agriculture with sufficient reserves to feed a world with 9 billion people but which is unable to eradicate hunger, and on the other hand an increasingly unstable market situation marked by prices which are lower than the predictions which formed the basis of the 2014 reform of the CAP;

Amendment 100 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Notes that ~~the Union’~~, while the European Union is scaling back its strategic support for agriculture, its competitors make very considerable and increasing sums of public money available for protecting their farmers ~~from th~~against the adverse effects of price volatility;

Amendment 101 #

Esther HERRANZ GARCÍA, Pilar AYUSO, Ramón Luis VALCÁRCEL SISO, Nuno MELO

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Notes that the Union’'s competitors on the world market make considerable sums of public money available for protecting their farmers and dairy companies from the effects of world price volatility; however, doubts whether such measures are Green Box compatible and in line with World Trade Organisation commitments to phase out market-related subsidies;

Amendment 102 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Notes that the Union’s competitors make considerable sums of public money available for protecting their farmers from the effects of price volatility, and highlights the fact that, over the years, the European Union has dismantled support for agricultural markets whereas such support is what the United States' aid system is based on;

Amendment 103 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Notes that the Union’s ~~competito~~trading partners make considerable sums of public money a~~vailable for~~nd various risk policy models available with a view to protecting their farmers from the effects of price volatility;

Amendment 104 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Notes that the Union’s competitors make very considerable sums of public money available for instruments developed with a view to protecting their farmers from the effects of price volatility;

Amendment 105 #

Esther HERRANZ GARCÍA, Pilar AYUSO, Ramón Luis VALCÁRCEL SISO, Nuno MELO

~~2. Notes that the Union’s competitors make considerable sums of public money available for protecting their farmers from the effects of price volatility;~~(Does not affect the English version.)

Amendment 106 #

Marc TARABELLA, Nicola CAPUTO, Maria NOICHL, Tibor SZANYI, Paolo DE CASTRO, Eric ANDRIEU, Jean-Paul DENANOT

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Notes that the Union’s competitors make considerable sums of public money available for protecting their farmers from the effects of price volatility; points out that public support for agriculture provided by the United States, Brazil and China increased by 40%, 20% and 92% respectively between 2008 and 2012 while European public support in 2012 was 17% down on 2008;

Amendment 107 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Points out that the ~~main aims of~~2003 CAP reform s~~ince 2007 have been to strengthen~~aw the first steps towards the 'decoupling' of direct payments, ~~to further~~a process theat con~~vergence of basic payments and to take on board societal and environmental concerns;~~tinued until they were almost fully decoupled in the most recent reform, which also introduced the partial convergence of direct payments.

Amendment 108 #

Jan HUITEMA, Fredrick FEDERLEY, Ulrike MÜLLER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Points out that the main aims of CAP reform since 2007 have been to strengthen the decoupling of direct payments, to further the convergence of basic payments and to take on board societal and, in particular, environmental concerns to a greater extent;

Amendment 109 #

Marc TARABELLA, Maria NOICHL, Tibor SZANYI, Eric ANDRIEU, Jean-Paul DENANOT

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3a. Points out that the European Union is the only agricultural power to base its agricultural policy on support decoupled from production, along with environmental constraints, whereas the major global powers such as the United States, Brazil and China all have mechanisms to support and regulate agricultural production and incomes;

Amendment 11 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B

B. whereas price volatility is the measure of how substantially, how swiftly and how often the price of an agricultural product changes over a given period; highlights that price volatility also is part of the normal functioning of the market;

Amendment 110 #

Nicola CAPUTO, Paolo DE CASTRO, Michela GIUFFRIDA, Ricardo SERRÃO SANTOS, Marc TARABELLA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3a. Recognises the role played by cooperatives in helping farmers improve their position in the value chain and the contribution cooperatives can make towards mitigating the effects of excessive market volatility and improving income stability;

Amendment 111 #

Zbigniew KUŹMIUK, Stanisław OŻÓG, Jadwiga WIŚNIEWSKA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3a. Stresses that it is essential to level out direct payment rates between Member States in order to ensure a level playing field for competition in the EU’s single market, as well as for the sustainable exploitation of agricultural resources at EU level;

Amendment 112 #

Marc TARABELLA, Tibor SZANYI, Eric ANDRIEU, Jean-Paul DENANOT

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3a. Notes that the most recent reform of the CAP fails to address the strategic issues within agriculture in terms of both responsibility in connection with global food security and European Union autonomy;

Amendment 113 #

Zbigniew KUŹMIUK, Stanisław OŻÓG, Jadwiga WIŚNIEWSKA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 b (new)

3b. Points out that a formal debate on the CAP after 2020 should begin as soon as possible; points out, furthermore, that action under other EU policies (including those concerning trade, the environment and the climate) affecting agriculture, the food production sector and rural areas should be taken into account to a greater extent in discussions on the new CAP;

Amendment 114 #

Zbigniew KUŹMIUK, Stanisław OŻÓG, Jadwiga WIŚNIEWSKA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 c (new)

3c. Emphasises, furthermore, that direct payments should remain a CAP instrument beyond 2020, to support and stabilise farm income, to compensate for the costs arising from complying with high EU standards (as regards production methods, in particular environmental requirements), and to maintain agricultural production in the least- favoured regions; points out that direct payments should thus be geared towards ensuring that farming is economically stable, as well as guaranteeing food and environmental security; points out, in that context, that it is essential to level out direct payment rates in order to ensure a level playing field for competition in the EU’s single market, as well as for sustainable exploitation;

Amendment 115 #

Michel DANTIN

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. ~~Note~~Points out that under common market organisation (CMO) arrangements, reformed in 2013, a range of tools is available to reduce the harmful impact of price volatility and prevent and manage market disruptions, such as safety nets, sectoral aids, sectoral organisation measures and contractual negotiations, the crisis reserve and exceptional powers delegated to the Commission; regrets nonetheless the reduction in CAP resources devoted to common market organisation (CMO) measures;

Amendment 116 #

Marc TARABELLA, Nicola CAPUTO, Tibor SZANYI, Paolo DE CASTRO, Eric ANDRIEU, Jean-Paul DENANOT

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Notes the reduction in CAP resources devoted to common market organisation (CMO) measures, opening up the prospect of CAP renationalisation, which runs counter to the European Union project;

Amendment 117 #

Nicola CAPUTO, Paolo DE CASTRO, Michela GIUFFRIDA, Ricardo SERRÃO SANTOS, Marc TARABELLA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Notes with concern the reduction in CAP resources devoted to common market organisation (CMO) measures;

Amendment 118 #

Michel DANTIN, Sofia RIBEIRO, Mairead McGUINNESS, Esther HERRANZ GARCÍA, Pilar AYUSO, Ramón Luis VALCÁRCEL SISO, Elisabeth KÖSTINGER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. ~~Note~~Condemns the reduction in CAP resources devoted to common market organisation (CMO) measures;

Amendment 119 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4a. Points out that decoupled direct aid under the first CAP pillar, representing close to 30% of farmers' incomes, is a vital component of income but, in isolation, is not helping to stabilise agricultural markets;

Amendment 12 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C

~~C. whereas agriculture has to meet the major challenge of world population growth;~~deleted

Amendment 120 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4a. Notes that the CAP has not been specifically rejigged to take account of new circumstances on markets, post- 2007/2008, as regards market and price volatility;

Amendment 121 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

Amendment 122 #

Ulrike MÜLLER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

Amendment 123 #

Elisabeth KÖSTINGER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Notes that decoupled direct aids under the current CAP ~~are u~~consutit~~ed to situations of price volatility and that they provide undifferentiated annual aid amounts without involving farmers in an anticipatory approach to coping with price change~~ute compensation for public services and make a fundamental contribution to securing the income of farmers; notes that additional measures designed to preserve the competitiveness of farms therefore require additional public funding with the greatest possible flexibility for the farms;

Amendment 124 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Notes that decoupled direct aids under the current CAP are unsuited to situations of price volatility and that they provide undifferentiated annual aid amounts without involving farmers in an anticipatory approach to coping with price changes- especially the single area payment scheme - under the current CAP deeply contribute to provide acceptable income and stable economic environment for farmers; outlines that the maintenance and reinforcement of these direct aids has an utmost importance;

Amendment 125 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Notes that decoupled direct aids ~~under the current CAP are unsuited to situations of price volatility and that they~~, imposed by WTO rules since 1994 and implemented under the current CAP provide undifferentiated annual aid amounts without involving farmers in an anticipatory approach to ~~coping with price change~~improving the environmental, economic and social sustainability of their holdings;

Amendment 126 #

Michel DANTIN, Sofia RIBEIRO, Mairead McGUINNESS, Herbert DORFMANN

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Notes that decoupled direct aids under the current CAP are unsuited to situations of price volatility and do not provide a sufficient response to greater market volatility and that they provide undifferentiated annual aid amounts without ~~involv~~making farmers respond to market signals or involving them in an anticipatory approach to coping with price changes;

Amendment 127 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5a. Points out that most of the risk management instruments introduced in connection with the CAP Health Check in 2008 were transferred to the second CAP pillar for the period 2014-2020 and made optional and subject to cofinancing; notes that, for the time being, they are being implemented unevenly and with limited budget funding under rural development programmes;

Amendment 128 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5a. Notes that risk management tools under EU rural development programmes have been allocated a low level of resources and that the measures taken under the reformed CAP following on from the 2008 CAP Health Check, over the period 2008-2013, had little impact;

Amendment 129 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5a. Takes the view that encouragement should be given for farms to be run as businesses, and that this cultural change could, when taken together with other factors, help to address market volatility and risk management issues;

Amendment 13 #

C. whereas agriculture has to meet the major challenge of world population growth, whilst a large number of the planet's population remain malnourished, so that the high sensitivity of agricultural markets to variations in production and imbalances between supply and demand needs to be increased rather than reduced;

Amendment 130 #

Michel DANTIN, Sofia RIBEIRO, Mairead McGUINNESS, Esther HERRANZ GARCÍA, Pilar AYUSO, Ramón Luis VALCÁRCEL SISO

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5 a. Notes the lack of responsive or effective tools available to farmers to develop solutions to manage their margins;

Amendment 131 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 b (new)

5b. Notes that, in all Member States, farmers have access to very varied types of risk management instruments that have differing degrees of sophistication and differ in scope and design in order to meet what farmers are calling for and cater for the various European farming models;

Amendment 132 #

Michel DANTIN, Sofia RIBEIRO, Mairead McGUINNESS, Esther HERRANZ GARCÍA, Pilar AYUSO, Ramón Luis VALCÁRCEL SISO

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 c (new)

5c. Considers that any European initiative to develop risk management instruments must be in keeping with existing national models and, where appropriate, complement them;

Amendment 133 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. ~~Notes~~Condemns the fact that farmers’ average annual incomes in the EU have ~~remained unchanged, or in some~~ decreased considerably in the last decade because~~s have declined, over the past 10 year~~ of the underhand fiscal policies imposed by the Troika in certain EU Member States;

Amendment 134 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Notes that farmers’ average annual incomes in the EU have remained unchanged, or in ~~some~~many cases have declined, over the past 10 years;

Amendment 135 #

Luke Ming FLANAGAN, Estefanía TORRES MARTÍNEZ, Matt CARTHY

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Notes that farmers’' average annual incomes in the EU have remained unchanged, or in some cases have declined, over the past 10 years, compared to continuously increasing production costs and an increase in farm debt; expresses concern that 2.4 million farms in the EU disappeared between 2005 and 2010, most of which are small farmers, and the resulting disappearance of a large number of jobs in rural areas;

Amendment 136 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6 a. Stresses that price volatility is a problem of a structural nature given the current agricultural model in the EU; emphasizes that increased liberalisation of trade in agricultural products greatly contributes to price volatility and that long-term regulatory mechanisms are needed to address price volatility;

Amendment 137 #

Philippe LOISEAU, Edouard FERRAND, Laurenţiu REBEGA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6a. Notes that the Russian embargo has had a highly adverse impact on European Union farmers' incomes and that the economic sanctions against Russia, which led to the embargo, is costing farmers dearly for what are highly ideologically motivated decisions;

Amendment 138 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6 a. Points out that the voluntary coupled support scheme has proven its efficiency in ensuring the survival of many agricultural sectors such as beef, sheep, sugar beet, rice, fruits and vegetables; notes that this voluntary scheme should be maintained in the future CAP;

Amendment 139 #

Luke Ming FLANAGAN, Estefanía TORRES MARTÍNEZ, Matt CARTHY

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6 a. Notes the role that international financial institutions and markets play in the rising volatility of agricultural prices, particularly since the beginning of the financial crisis; calls, therefore, for a stronger regulation of international commodity markets;

Amendment 14 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C

C. whereas agriculture has to meet the major challenge of world population growth, however, CAP's aim is to satisfy needs of local population in the first place, to ensure a fair standard of living for the EU's agricultural community and to assure the availability of food supplies at reasonable prices in the EU;

Amendment 140 #

Esther HERRANZ GARCÍA, Pilar AYUSO, Ramón Luis VALCÁRCEL SISO, Nuno MELO, Michel DANTIN

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6a. Deplores that agricultural price volatility is weakening the position of producers in respect of other operators in the food chain, and makes it easier for large retailers to engage in abusive practices;

Amendment 141 #

Beata GOSIEWSKA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6a. Notes that liberalisation in the context of free trade agreements in the agri-food sector leads to price pressure mainly at the level of agricultural producers, further weakening the position of farmers in the agri-food chain;

Amendment 142 #

Zbigniew KUŹMIUK, Stanisław OŻÓG, Jadwiga WIŚNIEWSKA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)

Amendment 143 #

Ulrike MÜLLER, Ivan JAKOVČIĆ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6 a. Notes that the role and actions of the banking sector have an acute impact on producers and that the increasing levels of farm debt add additional burdens to the sector in times of volatility;

Amendment 144 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6 a. Considers it important to retain farm subsidies to allow future planning certainty and thus a secure income to farmers in times of price volatilities;

Amendment 145 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6a. Recognises that the phasing-out of production controls in the dairy sector has led to a slump in milk prices;

Amendment 146 #

Marc TARABELLA, Nicola CAPUTO, Maria NOICHL, Tibor SZANYI, Paolo DE CASTRO, Eric ANDRIEU, Jean-Paul DENANOT

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6a. Stresses that unregulated liberalisation of agricultural markets has helped heighten price volatility;

Amendment 147 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6 a. highlights that farms can only afford to innovate if capital costs are low and there is a degree of liquidity available;

Amendment 148 #

Luke Ming FLANAGAN, Estefanía TORRES MARTÍNEZ, Matt CARTHY

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6a. Notes that farm incomes are only 40% of average income across all sectors of the economy;

Amendment 149 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 b (new)

6 b. Calls on the Commission for additional mechanisms to be developed, applicable throughout the EU to counteract current market crises and calls for a tailor-made approach within CAP, so that production is adjusted to the fall in demand in order to avoid over supply and prevent prices from collapsing, stabilize the agricultural sector and tackle price volatility in the EU;

Amendment 15 #

Philippe LOISEAU, Edouard FERRAND, Laurenţiu REBEGA

Motion for a resolution
Recital C

C. whereas global agriculture has to meet the major challenge of world population growth through promoting food sovereignty and strengthening the position of smallholders in developing countries as well as the EU while avoiding the destruction of local markets through subsidised dumping of EU surpluses;

Amendment 150 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 b (new)

6b. Notes and deplores the fact that in a number of Member States, including France, payments to farmers of aid under the first CAP pillar are taking longer and longer, intensifying the climate of economic and financial insecurity they already face because of price volatility;

Amendment 151 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. Notes that the ~~objectives of the CAP include ensuring~~CAP is, and must remain, a European policy and that action should be taken to combat 'à la carte' policy-making, which is detrimental to farmers because it encourages the emergence of inequalities of treatment and distortions of competition with appalling consequences for the viability and sustainability of many European holdings; states that, by being genuinely European, that policy can ensure a fair standard of living for the agricultural community, stabilis~~ing~~e markets and guarantee~~ing~~ viable food production, with an emphasis on farmers’ incomes and price stability;

Amendment 152 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. Notes that the objectives of the CAP include providing farm income support to reduce income fluctuations, ensuring a fair standard of living for the agricultural community, stabilising markets ~~and~~, guaranteeing safe, sustainable and viable food production, ~~with an emphasis on farmers’ incomes and price stability~~investing in innovation and research to promote green growth and making progress towards the COP21 climate change commitments;

Amendment 153 #

Marc TARABELLA, Nicola CAPUTO, Tibor SZANYI, Paolo DE CASTRO, Eric ANDRIEU, Jean-Paul DENANOT

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. Notes that the objectives of the CAP include ensuring a fair standard of living for the agricultural community, stabilising markets and guaranteeing viable food production, with an emphasis on fair~~mers’~~ incomes for farmers and price stability;

Amendment 154 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. Notes that the objectives of the CAP include ensuring a fair standard of living for the agricultural community, stabilising markets and guaranteeing viable food production, with an emphasis ~~on farmers’ incomes and~~both on decent incomes for farmers and on price stability;

Amendment 155 #

Fernando RUAS, Sofia RIBEIRO

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. Notes that the objectives of the CAP include ensuring a fair standard of living ~~for~~, supporting the agricultural community, stabilising markets and guaranteeing viable food production, with an emphasis on farmers’ incomes and price stability;

Amendment 156 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. Notes that the objectives of the CAP include ensuring a fair standard of living for the agricultural community, stabilising markets ~~and~~, guaranteeing viable food production and the highest food safety requirements, with an emphasis on farmers’ incomes and price stability;

Amendment 157 #

Eric ANDRIEU, Jean-Paul DENANOT, Ricardo SERRÃO SANTOS, Marc TARABELLA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. Notes that the objectives of the CAP ~~include~~should be to ensur~~ing~~e a fair standard of living for the agricultural community, stabilising markets and guaranteeing viable food production, with an emphasis on farmers’ incomes and price stability;

Amendment 158 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)

7a. Takes the view that combating excessive price volatility calls for new solutions making markets function better and based on deployment of a set of combinable and/or complementary public- and private-sector tools; states that, as the ongoing grave crises have demonstrated, it is essential to build new crisis prevention and market adjustment mechanisms into the CAP that are tailored to specific production circumstances, flexible, effective, rapidly deployable and capable of being brought into play where it is necessary to do so in order to rectify major market disruptions;

Amendment 159 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)

7a. Points out that one of the cornerstones of the CAP is the 'Community preference' principle, under which EU agricultural products are given priority in trade relations and a price advantage over imported products;

Amendment 16 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital Γ

C. whereas agriculture has to meet the major challenge of world population growth and desperate food shortages;

Amendment 160 #

Esther HERRANZ GARCÍA, Pilar AYUSO, Ramón Luis VALCÁRCEL SISO, Nuno MELO, Michel DANTIN

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Considers that food autonomy and security and sovereignty, on the basis of food production within Europe prioritising internal markets and regulating production and markets, must be long- term aims for the future CAP;

Amendment 161 #

Marc TARABELLA, Maria NOICHL, Tibor SZANYI, Eric ANDRIEU, Jean-Paul DENANOT

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Considers that food autonomy and security, on the basis of food production within Europe, must be long-term aims for ~~the~~ future CAP reforms and that, to achieve them, price volatility must be combated;

Amendment 162 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Considers that food autonomy and security, on the basis of food production within Europe, must be ~~long-term aims for the future CAP~~essential aims in preparation for the forthcoming reform of the CAP, and that it is therefore necessary to introduce market stabilisation instruments;

Amendment 163 #

Fernando RUAS, Sofia RIBEIRO

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Considers that food autonomy and security, on the basis of food production within Europe, must be long-term ~~aim~~strategical objectives for the future CAP;

Amendment 164 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Considers that food autonomy and security, on the basis of food production within Europe, must be long-term aims for the future CAP; stresses that sustainable agriculture depends on fair prices for agricultural products and meeting the needs of European producers;

Amendment 165 #

Marc TARABELLA, Nicola CAPUTO, Tibor SZANYI, Paolo DE CASTRO, Eric ANDRIEU, Jean-Paul DENANOT

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Considers that viable food production cannot be ~~achieved without securing~~guaranteed when farmers are exposed to price volatility, since price volatility threatens the continued existence of European farms ~~and that doing~~, which must be a long-term aim for the future CAP;

Amendment 166 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Considers that viable food production cannot be achieved without securing the continued existence of European family farms and that doing must be a long-term aim for the future CAP;

Amendment 167 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Considers that viable food production cannot be achieved without securing the continued existence of European farms and that doing must be a long-term aim for the future CAP; notes that European producers need access to specialist training and innovation in order to obtain proper information regarding the modernisation, sustainability and competitiveness of their holdings;

Amendment 168 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)

9a. Believes, furthermore, that investing in the survival and the future of EU farms must include action to raise the profile of the work carried out by women on farms and investing in the training and inclusion of young people in a sector that can be an alternative source of jobs at this time of economic crisis and help to secure environment-friendly growth in the EU;

Amendment 169 #

Luke Ming FLANAGAN, Anja HAZEKAMP, Estefanía TORRES MARTÍNEZ, Matt CARTHY

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. ~~Consider~~Stresses that the wellbeing of farmers and measures to strengthen the agricultural sector must be addressed as a matters of urgency and must be a long- term aims for the future CAP;

Amendment 17 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)

C a. whereas around 88 million tonnes of food are wasted annually in the EU, with associated costs estimated at 143 billion euros;

Amendment 170 #

Eric ANDRIEU, Jean-Paul DENANOT, Ricardo SERRÃO SANTOS, Marc TARABELLA, Nicola CAPUTO

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Considers that the development over the whole of the Union's territory of competitive and sustainable farming that meets the needs of citizens and takes into account the income and wellbeing of farmers must be addressed as a matter of urgency and must be a long-term aim for the future CAP;

Amendment 171 #

Philippe LOISEAU, Edouard FERRAND, Laurenţiu REBEGA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Considers that ~~the wellbeing of farmers must be addressed as a matter of urgency and must be a long-term aim for the future CAP~~before even starting to consider the outlines of the future CAP, the wellbeing of farmers must be addressed through rapid and effective decision- making as a matter of urgency;

Amendment 172 #

Luke Ming FLANAGAN, Anja HAZEKAMP, Estefanía TORRES MARTÍNEZ, Matt CARTHY

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Considers that the wellbeing of farmers must be addressed as a matter of urgency and must be a long-term aim for the future CAP, especially in those Member States principally affected by the crisis;

Amendment 173 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)

10 a. Stresses that the recognized inequality in the food chain between large retailers and primary producers, especially small-scale producers, contributes to price volatility; considers that the downward pressure on prices by retailers from own brand labelling undermines the work and investment of producers and devalues the end product; regrets that the commission does not see the need for regulatory action in this area;

Amendment 174 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)

10a. Points out that although farmers compete on the EU single market basically on an equal footing, they are paid different amounts of direct payment, and therefore calls on the Commission and the Council to take steps without delay to harmonise direct payments;

Amendment 175 #

Michel DANTIN, Mairead McGUINNESS, Herbert DORFMANN, Elisabeth KÖSTINGER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)

10 a. Considers that internalizing externalities, such as those of a social and environmental kind, in agricultural prices would prevent volatility, improve available information for consumers and guarantee fairer incomes for producers;

Amendment 176 #

Peter JAHR

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)

10a. Welcomes the establishment of market-economy based quantity controls by the profession as a substitute for state- organised quantity controls;

Amendment 177 #

Michel DANTIN

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)

10a. Takes the view that a renewed common agricultural policy has to be the European Union's strategic and economic response to the paradigm shifts in the development of global agricultural markets since the 2000s;

Amendment 178 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 e (new)

10e. Regrets the very slow rate of implementation of the CMO and the fact that there has been little progress made in creating producer organisations, their associations and inter-branch organisations, and in taking steps to introduce contractual systems in Europe;

Amendment 179 #

Michel DANTIN, Mairead McGUINNESS, Herbert DORFMANN

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 b (new)

10b. Considers that the CAP must offer farmers a flexible and consistent framework enabling them to boost the resilience of farm sectors via the organisation and structuring of their collective action and through supply management and the introduction of a contractual system involving the various stakeholders in the supply chain;

Amendment 18 #

Michel DANTIN, Mairead McGUINNESS, Herbert DORFMANN

Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)

Ca. whereas the European Union needs to reduce production volumes of basic foodstuffs which are surplus to requirements;

Amendment 180 #

Michel DANTIN, Sofia RIBEIRO, Mairead McGUINNESS, Herbert DORFMANN, Esther HERRANZ GARCÍA, Pilar AYUSO, Ramón Luis VALCÁRCEL SISO, Elisabeth KÖSTINGER, Peter JAHR, Albert DESS

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 d (new)

10d. Is convinced that the Commission should have flexible and productive instruments in order to prevent and manage the very high levels of market risk which farmers cannot guard against by themselves;

Amendment 181 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 c (new)

10c. Believes that a market-oriented CAP must facilitate transparency on agricultural markets and offer farmers and entrepreneurs the tools needed to devise their strategy for managing risks and controlling variability in the economic outturn, in the event that sectors do not have the resilience themselves to absorb an unexpected occurrence;

Amendment 182 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 b (new)

10 b. Calls for sanctions against big distribution companies that abuse their market situation and harm European farmers income; calls for sanctions to be proportional and dissuasive with respect to the undue benefits earned by these companies;

Amendment 183 #

Eric ANDRIEU, Jean-Paul DENANOT, Ricardo SERRÃO SANTOS, Marc TARABELLA

Motion for a resolution
Subheading 4

Sectoral organisation ~~and~~, contractual systems and regaining control of production

Amendment 184 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Recommends strengthening the ~~organisational capability of the weakest links in the various agricultural sectors~~economic power of producers within the sectors through a better organisation of production and through more balanced and str~~engthening~~ansparent contractual systems based more and more on cooperation and trust between farmers and their buyers;

Amendment 185 #

Marc TARABELLA, Nicola CAPUTO, Maria NOICHL, Tibor SZANYI, Paolo DE CASTRO, Eric ANDRIEU, Jean-Paul DENANOT

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. ~~Recommends~~Stresses the importance of strengthening the organisational capability of the weakest links in the various agricultural sectors and strengthening contractual systems, which must go hand in hand with boosting farmers' negotiating power in the food chain through the right to negotiate their contracts collectively;

Amendment 186 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Recommends strengthening the organisational capability of the weakest links in the various agricultural sectors and strengthening contractual systems, with a view to boosting the competitiveness of farms and their ability to generate added value for their products and to retain some or all of that added value;

Amendment 187 #

Jasenko SELIMOVIC, Fredrick FEDERLEY, Ulrike MÜLLER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Recommends strengthening the organisational capability of the weakest links in the various agricultural sectors and strengthening contractual systems by at least laying down an obligation to conclude contracts in accordance with the guidelines drawn up by the proper authorities;

Amendment 188 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Recommends strengthening the organisational capability of the weakest links, especially the negotiation position of primary producers, in the various agricultural sectors and strengthening contractual systems;

Amendment 189 #

Luke Ming FLANAGAN, Anja HAZEKAMP, Estefanía TORRES MARTÍNEZ, Matt CARTHY

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)

11 a. Since the incomes of primary producers is increasingly determined by their position in the food supply chain, there is a need to promote reinforcement of the capacity for resilience specific to the various supply chains through continued strengthening and improvement of their functioning. In particular, contractualisation and fairer distribution of negotiating powers along the food chain. It is necessary to foster improvement in supply chain structure and collective approaches; ensuring greater powers for inter-branch bodies and producer organisations;

Amendment 19 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D

D. whereas, while climate change affects agricultural output levels, intensification of agricultural production pressures natural resources and has a negative impact on the environment and is a significant contributing factor to climate change;

Amendment 190 #

Jørn DOHRMANN, Beata GOSIEWSKA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)

11 a. Supports strengthening the farmers' position in the food value chain through co-operatives and producer organisations;

Amendment 191 #

Nicola CAPUTO, Tibor SZANYI, Michela GIUFFRIDA, Ricardo SERRÃO SANTOS, Marc TARABELLA, Viorica DĂNCILĂ, Paolo DE CASTRO, Momchil NEKOV, Jean-Paul DENANOT, Eric ANDRIEU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)

11a. Recommends that action should be taken to make contractual systems more effective by extending their use throughout the agri-food chain, so as to include large-scale retailers in particular, and to strike a proper balance between all stakeholders;

Amendment 192 #

Beata GOSIEWSKA, Jørn DOHRMANN

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)

11a. believes that through the promotion of cooperation among producers, farmers can become more competitive by reducing their costs and reinforcing their bargaining position in the food chain through larger scales of operation;

Amendment 193 #

Jan HUITEMA, Fredrick FEDERLEY, Hannu TAKKULA, Jasenko SELIMOVIC

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)

11a. Maintains that the fact of having supply control measures for agricultural production would benefit the stability of agricultural markets and therefore calls on the Commission to draw up proposals on EU agricultural market supply control mechanisms;

Amendment 194 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)

11 a. stresses however that (long-term) contracts can limit flexibility and hamper entrepreneurship at farm level as farmers will be limited in responding to market developments;

Amendment 195 #

Jørn DOHRMANN, Beata GOSIEWSKA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)

11a. Recommends increasing farmers' knowledge of the advantages and disadvantages of contractualisation;

Amendment 196 #

Nicola CAPUTO, Tibor SZANYI, Michela GIUFFRIDA, Marc TARABELLA, Viorica DĂNCILĂ, Paolo DE CASTRO, Momchil NEKOV, Jean-Paul DENANOT, Eric ANDRIEU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 b (new)

11b. Believes that, with a view to increasing farmers' bargaining power, it should be made compulsory for contracts to be signed between producers and buyers; stresses that those contracts should be of adequate length and should lay down the prices, payment periods and other terms for the supply of agricultural products;

Amendment 197 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 b (new)

11 b. Considers that many farmers in Europe need better returns from the market and may find themselves in a disadvantageous position in their negotiations with larger buyers;

Amendment 198 #

Michel DANTIN, Sofia RIBEIRO, Mairead McGUINNESS, Herbert DORFMANN, Esther HERRANZ GARCÍA, Pilar AYUSO, Ramón Luis VALCÁRCEL SISO, Angélique DELAHAYE, Peter JAHR, Albert DESS

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. Notes that inter-branch organisations encourage dialogue among the various stakeholders and facilitate joint initiatives to understand markets and production better and to enhance their transparency, forecast production potential, help improve supply management and draw up standard contracts that are compatible with EU rules and regulations;

Amendment 199 #

Esther HERRANZ GARCÍA, Pilar AYUSO, Ramón Luis VALCÁRCEL SISO, Nuno MELO, Michel DANTIN

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. Notes that inter-branch organisations encourage dialogue among the various stakeholders and facilitate joint initiatives, promote good practices and market transparency and can help to ensure that production is planned in such a way as to gear it to market requirements;

Amendment 2 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A

A. whereas~~, since 2007, extreme price fluctuation has been a f~~ the gradual dismantling of intervention meatsure ~~of world~~s in the agricultural market~~s, with increasingly frequent and marked economic shocks~~ has given rise to greater price volatility;

Amendment 20 #

Eric ANDRIEU, Jean-Paul DENANOT, Ricardo SERRÃO SANTOS, Marc TARABELLA, Nicola CAPUTO

Motion for a resolution
Recital D

D. whereas climate change affects agricultural output levels, and manifestations of climate change such as drought and floods, exacerbated by poor environmental management of soils and ecosystems, contribute to production and price volatility;

Amendment 200 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. Notes that inter-branch organisations may encourage dialogue among the various stakeholders and ~~facilitate joint initiatives~~may enable the creation of added value through joint initiatives which is then shared out more fairly between the various links in the food chain;

Amendment 201 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. Notes that inter-branch organisations encourage trust and dialogue among the various stakeholders ~~and facilitate joint initiatives~~(producers, processors and distributors) and facilitate joint initiatives to boost markets and best adjust decisions on production;

Amendment 202 #

Tom VANDENKENDELAERE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. Notes that inter-branch organisations encourage dialogue among the various stakeholders ~~and~~, facilitate joint initiatives and can tackle unfair trading practices in the food supply chain;

Amendment 203 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. Notes that inter-branch organisations and sector-specific cooperation arrangements encourage dialogue among the various stakeholders and facilitate joint initiatives;

Amendment 204 #

Nicola CAPUTO, Paolo DE CASTRO, Michela GIUFFRIDA, Ricardo SERRÃO SANTOS, Marc TARABELLA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)

12a. Believes that when a sector is dynamic, each link is able to develop in a balanced fashion without prejudice to the others. Hence each link is able to organise itself freely so as to benefit from equivalent negotiating powers. Producer organisations and their associations must consequently be better able to organise themselves both within the CAP and under EU and national competition policies;

Amendment 205 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)

12a. Calls on the Commission to pave the way for EU-level interbranch organisations to jointly defend the interests of producers in the sectors most oriented towards cross-border markets, such as the fruit and vegetable sector;

Amendment 206 #

Michel DANTIN, Sofia RIBEIRO, Mairead McGUINNESS, Herbert DORFMANN

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)

12 a. Believes that existing producer cooperatives are respected and not obstructed by new legislative initiatives and that all political initiatives within the food chain should be on a voluntary basis in order to preserve the freedom of farmers;

Amendment 207 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)

12a. Regrets the fact that only 16 Member States out of 27 have adopted laws on inter-branches; notes furthermore that there are around 118 recognised inter-branches in Europe, but that they are concentrated in a small number of Member States;

Amendment 208 #

Zbigniew KUŹMIUK, Stanisław OŻÓG, Jadwiga WIŚNIEWSKA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)

12a. Calls for new EU legislative measures to be proposed to counter unfair trading practices in the food supply chain;

Amendment 209 #

Michel DANTIN, Sofia RIBEIRO, Mairead McGUINNESS, Herbert DORFMANN, Esther HERRANZ GARCÍA, Pilar AYUSO, Ramón Luis VALCÁRCEL SISO, Peter JAHR, Albert DESS

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 b (new)

12b. Call on the Commission to conduct an in-depth analysis of what is holding back optimal implementation of the CMO and the measures that would enable better use to be made of tools placed at the disposal of Member States and sectoral stakeholders;

Amendment 21 #

Michel DANTIN, Sofia RIBEIRO, Mairead McGUINNESS, Herbert DORFMANN, Esther HERRANZ GARCÍA, Pilar AYUSO, Ramón Luis VALCÁRCEL SISO

Motion for a resolution
Recital D

D. whereas climate change, animal or plant diseases or an epidemic, or an environmental accident, or the arrival of invasive species affects agricultural and horticultural output levels;

Amendment 210 #

Elisabeth KÖSTINGER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13

13. Considers that producer organisations and their associations ~~must be better able organisationally to involve producers who do not meet the criteria of the single CMO~~, and sales promotion, must be reinforced and that there should be a strong focus on regional origin labelling and traditional production methods;

Amendment 211 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13

13. Considers that producer organisations and their associations must be facilitated and better able organisationally ~~to involve producers who do not meet the criteria of the single CMO~~in regard to implementation of the CAP and enforcement of competition law;

Amendment 212 #

Michel DANTIN, Sofia RIBEIRO, Mairead McGUINNESS, Herbert DORFMANN

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)

13a. Welcomes therefore the adoption of European Commission Guidelines on the application of the specific rules set out in Articles 169, 170 and 171 of the CMO Regulation concerning the olive oil, beef and veal, and arable crops sectors; considers that the purpose of these Guidelines is to facilitate the organisation and taking of steps to introduce contractual systems into these sectors;

Amendment 213 #

Esther HERRANZ GARCÍA, Pilar AYUSO, Ramón Luis VALCÁRCEL SISO, Nuno MELO

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)

13a. Recognises the efforts made by European cooperatives in uniting producers and believes it necessary to encourage them to play a greater role in agricultural sectors and to merge with one another, with a view of improving the bargaining power of producers in the food chain;

Amendment 214 #

Nicola CAPUTO, Tibor SZANYI, Michela GIUFFRIDA, Marc TARABELLA, Viorica DĂNCILĂ, Paolo DE CASTRO, Momchil NEKOV, Jean-Paul DENANOT, Eric ANDRIEU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)

13a. Believes that cooperatives and producer organisations should be more closely involved in the process of ensuring insurance cover and setting up mutual funds;

Amendment 215 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

~~14. Considers that farmers must be permitted to come together in bodies that carry as much clout as those of the other stakeholders with whom they negotiate;~~deleted

Amendment 216 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. Considers that farmers ~~must be permitted to come together in bodies that carry as much clout as those of the other stakeholders with whom they negotiate;~~should not look to public authorities for everything. Nonetheless it is the European Union's duty to give farmers the means to organise themselves in order to have more clout in the food chain through a smart and protective EU policy and a significant transition in competition law. To meet this new requirement, farmers must then be permitted to come together in European bodies. It must be possible for these groupings of EU producers in regional, national and transnational structures to be set up through the establishment of branch agreements. These agreements must not in this case be deemed illegal cartels by the European Commission but seen as progress made in protecting the weakest link in the food chain.

Amendment 217 #

Michel DANTIN, Sofia RIBEIRO, Mairead McGUINNESS, Herbert DORFMANN, Esther HERRANZ GARCÍA, Pilar AYUSO, Ramón Luis VALCÁRCEL SISO, Elisabeth KÖSTINGER, Peter JAHR, Albert DESS

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. Considers that ~~farmers must be permitted to come together in bodies~~, against a background of processing and distribution stakeholders becoming increasingly concentrated at both EU and national level, farmers must be permitted to come together in producer organisations or associations thereof that carry as much clout as those of ~~the~~ other stakeholders in the chain with whom they negotiate;

Amendment 218 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. Considers that, while the number of distribution stakeholders is very low in the EU and even more so at individual Member State level, and the number of processors is falling, farmers must be permitted to come together in bodies and producer organisations and their associations that carry as much economic clout as those of the other stakeholders in the food chain with whom they negotiate;

Amendment 219 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. Considers that farmers, following the dismantling of market regulation rules, must be permitted to come together in bodies that carry as much clout as those of the other stakeholders with whom they negotiate;

Amendment 22 #

Eric ANDRIEU, Jean-Paul DENANOT, Ricardo SERRÃO SANTOS, Marc TARABELLA

Motion for a resolution
Recital Δ

D. whereas climate change adversely affects agricultural output levels;

Amendment 220 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. Considers that farmers must be permitted to come together in bodies that carry as much clout as those of the other stakeholders with whom they negotiate; envisages this being achieved by adjusting EU competition policy to agriculture's specific features and by EU competition rules being enforced uniformly in Member States;

Amendment 221 #

Sofia RIBEIRO

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)

14a. Urges the Commission to encourage and support the setting-up of interbranch organisations in the agricultural sector in the outermost regions, so as to ensure that price volatility in the agricultural markets has the smallest possible impact on the weakest, with a view to guaranteeing fair prices along the food chain;

Amendment 222 #

Jan HUITEMA, Fredrick FEDERLEY, Ulrike MÜLLER, Hannu TAKKULA, Jasenko SELIMOVIC

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)

14 a. Farmers should be encouraged to increase their level of cooperation in order to limit market risks and to strengthen their negotiation position in the food supply chain vis-à-vis retailers; Notes that competition authorities should provide farmers enough room and encouragement to set up this type of private sector initiatives;

Amendment 223 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)

14 a. Calls on the Commission and Member States to create European and national regulatory frameworks to ban unfair trading practices, such as late payments and listing fees, which are imposed by retailers and processors on producers through an imbalance in bargaining power, and affect the ability of farmers to make fair returns;

Amendment 224 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)

14a. Considers that any rules - including those on competition - preventing farmers' organisations from agreeing minimum prices covering labour and production costs must be eliminated;

Amendment 225 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)

14 a. calls for the amendment of European competition rules to allow farmers to come together in producer organisations and co-operatives to be strong enough to achieve the bargaining power needed against processors and retailers to obtain fair prices;

Amendment 226 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)

14a. Believes that farmer and inter- branch cooperation can result in a more balanced bargaining position vis-à-vis large-scale retailers, in particular in Member States in which the relationship is particularly unbalanced;

Amendment 227 #

Daniel BUDA, Viorica DĂNCILĂ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)

14 a. Calls on the Commission to work closely with national authorities and farming groups to increase awareness and understanding of the risk management tools available within Pillar II of the 2014-2020 CAP;

Amendment 228 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)

14a. Recognises the importance of organising producers in producer groups and strengthening their position in the supply chain in order to avoid price volatility;

Amendment 229 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)

14a. Asks that the maximum and minimum thresholds for producer organisations be revised to ensure producers organisations take pertinent action;

Amendment 23 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D

D. whereas climate change a~~ffects~~ nd agricultural pests are having an increasingly clear impact on agricultural output levels;

Amendment 230 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 b (new)

14b. Calls on the Commission to establish without delay a legal framework guaranteeing collective bargaining in the farming sector, including arrangements on prices at origin and compliance with agreements;

Amendment 231 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 b (new)

14 b. Asks that common rules be adopted so that enforcement of competition law is adapted to the needs of the agricultural sector throughout the EU;

Amendment 232 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 b (new)

14 b. Calls for the banning of market prices which are under the production costs of the farmers;

Amendment 233 #

Michel DANTIN, Sofia RIBEIRO, Mairead McGUINNESS, Herbert DORFMANN, Esther HERRANZ GARCÍA, Pilar AYUSO, Ramón Luis VALCÁRCEL SISO, Elisabeth KÖSTINGER, Angélique DELAHAYE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 c (new)

14c. Considers that to be effective, organisation of a sector must be in line with consumer demand and its market;

Amendment 234 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. Calls on the Commission to facilitate the introduction of contractual systems by adapting competition law to meet the needs of the agricultural industry within the framework of the CAP’'s basic rules~~, so as to permit commercial cooperation at the stage when produce is first placed on the market, irrespective of the type of producer organisation involved~~ in accordance with Article 42 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), so as to permit farmers to negotiate collectively through producer organisations of a similar size to other stakeholders in processing and distribution;

Amendment 235 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. Calls on the Commission to facilitate the introduction of contractual systems by adapting competition law to meet the needs of the agricultural industry within the framework of the CAP’'s basic rules, so as to permit commercial cooperation at the stage when produce is first placed on the market, irrespective of the type of producer organisation involved; in order to allow farmers in the various farming sectors to negotiate the terms of contracts collectively via producer organisations whose size corresponds to that of the industrial or distribution groups with which they are negotiating;

Amendment 236 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)

15 a. Notes that the potential offered by longer-term integrated supply chain contracts, forwards contracts, fixed- margin contracts, and the opportunity to 'lock in' a milk price reflective of production costs for a set period of time could offer producers a tool to manage the impact of volatility on their margins; believes that the option to make use of new instruments in contractual relations should be available and that contract mediation tools must also be made available;

Amendment 237 #

Nicola CAPUTO, Paolo DE CASTRO, Michela GIUFFRIDA, Ricardo SERRÃO SANTOS

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)

15a. Calls for the rules on unfair trading practices to be adapted to the dynamics of the agri-food sector, which is a vital precondition for the success of contractual systems and is particularly important in the regions that rely most heavily on distribution in order to market their products, such as the outermost and mountain regions;

Amendment 238 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)

15a. Takes the view that any state aid or incentive of any kind must be reserved for industries or staff who undertake contractually to support the proper functioning of the food supply chain and the equilibrium of the market by means of prices reflecting production costs in different sectors;

Amendment 239 #

Philippe LOISEAU, Edouard FERRAND, Laurenţiu REBEGA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)

15a. Calls on the Member States to implement tools that promote short supply chains in the production chains, in order to reduce the number of commercial intermediaries and thus reduce the influence of each one on the overall fluctuation in prices;

Amendment 24 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D

D. whereas climate change affects multiannual agricultural output levels;

Amendment 240 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)

15a. Calls on the Commission to reintroduce production control measures for surplus products in the European market, with a view to ensuring that supply is in line with demand in the EU;

Amendment 241 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)

15a. Recommends that standard contracts be drawn up at national level fixing the price, quantity, quality and duration of the trade exchanges between two actors in the same sector;

Amendment 242 #

Marc TARABELLA, Tibor SZANYI, Eric ANDRIEU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

~~16. Recommends that the tools for risk management, particularly the various types of insurance and mutual funds, be develop~~deleted;

Amendment 243 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

~~16. Recommends that the tools for risk management, particularly the various types of insurance and mutual funds, be develop~~deleted;

Amendment 244 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

16. Recommends that the tools for risk management, ~~particularly the various types of insurance and mutual funds,~~ be developed;

Amendment 245 #

Michel DANTIN, Sofia RIBEIRO, Mairead McGUINNESS, Herbert DORFMANN, Elisabeth KÖSTINGER, Angélique DELAHAYE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

16. Recommends that the tools for financial risk management, particularly the various types of insurance and ~~mutual funds, be developed~~income stabilisation tools, must not be promoted nor funded from the Common Agricultural Policy;

Amendment 246 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

16. Recommends that the tools for climate, health and economic risk management, particularly the ~~various types of insurance and~~insurance support, the income stabilisation tool and the mutual funds, be developed;

Amendment 247 #

Eric ANDRIEU, Jean-Paul DENANOT, Nicola CAPUTO

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

16. Recommends that ~~the~~powerful tools for risk management, particularly the various types of insurance and mutual funds, ~~be developed;~~ and the individual provision mechanisms, be developed. These mechanisms must provide European farmers with visibility and income security so that they can once again engage in projects with confidence in the future. For this purpose, part of the funding of the common agricultural policy must be mobilised rapidly so as to encourage farmers to protect themselves against environmental and health hazards, but also against market volatility by insuring their profit margin or their turnover. This crisis prevention fund should be constituted by redirecting part of the direct payments, whilst maintaining these payments at a sufficiently high level to ensure a fair income to farmers who need it most. In a time of crisis, these mechanisms should give producers real income stability and better protection than the decoupled aids, which have proved to be ineffective in times of crisis.

Amendment 248 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

16. Reco~~mmends that~~gnises that in addition to crisis prevention and management tools that must form part of the CAP, the development of the tools for risk management, particularly the various types of insurance and mutual funds, ~~be developed~~can increase the resilience of farming and help to combat volatility;

Amendment 249 #

16. Recommends that the tools for risk management, particularly the various types of insurance ~~and~~, mutual funds~~, be~~ and the income stabilisation tool, be further elaborated and developed;

Amendment 25 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)

D a. Whereas, macro-economic conditions can play a key role of price volatility including structural factors such as exchange rates, energy and fertilizers process and interest rates as well as speculation on agricultural markets since these can be sold as financial assets;

Amendment 250 #

Daniel BUDA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

16. Recommends that the tools for risk management, particularly the various types of insurance and mutual funds, be developed; notes the scale of unfavourable natural phenomena that have caused significant losses in the agricultural sector, and stresses the need to introduce risk insurance for agricultural production;

Amendment 251 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

16. Recommends that ~~the~~ tools for risk management, particularly the various types of insurance and mutual funds, be developed, including at European level, adapted to the agri-food sector and provided with sufficient resources;

Amendment 252 #

Jan HUITEMA, Fredrick FEDERLEY, Ulrike MÜLLER, Hannu TAKKULA, Jasenko SELIMOVIC

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

16. Recommends that the tools for risk management, particularly the various types of insurance and mutual funds, be developed in terms of affordable access for farmers;

Amendment 253 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

16. Recommends that the tools for risk management, particularly the various types of insurance and mutual funds, be further developed;

Amendment 254 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)

16 a. Highlights the low uptake of tools on risk management, like financial contributions to insurance premiums, mutual funds and income stabilization tools, which are available under the Regulation on support for rural development1a ; _________________ 1aREGULATION (EU) No 1305/2013 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 17 December 2013 on support for rural development by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 1698/2005

Amendment 255 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)

16 a. Notes that the EU and CAP budgets are limited, are unlikely to be increased in future, and therefore agricultural and rural development investment needs to be carefully targeted at the most important programmes;

Amendment 256 #

Michel DANTIN, Sofia RIBEIRO, Mairead McGUINNESS, Herbert DORFMANN

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)

16 a. Considers that effective cash flow assistance is necessary to supplement the above provisions during the times of crises and abnormally low prices. To that end, it would be appropriate to put in place a measure for precautionary savings scheme for farmers. Its creation would make possible to add a countercyclical aspect to the CAP without undermining the principle of budget annularity. It would replace the EU crisis reserve, which would be ended;

Amendment 257 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)

16a. Calls on the European Commission to analyse the weak growth and the impediments to implementation of these tools, given that currently only EUR 1.7 billion (2.7 billion in co- financing), corresponding to 2% of the second-pillar budget and 0.4% of the CAP budget, is spent on these tools, with an estimated number of around 635 000 holdings covered by such schemes;

Amendment 258 #

Ulrike MÜLLER, Jasenko SELIMOVIC, Ivan JAKOVČIĆ, Fredrick FEDERLEY

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)

16 a. points out that the last CAP reform introduced three new types of risk management instruments; notes that the uptake of these tools in the programming period 2014–2020 by Member States had been limited;

Amendment 259 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)

16 a. Notes that the Agricultural Markets Task Force is mandated with considering options and models in relation to risk instruments and use of the futures markets to hedge price risks, options for arranging contractual relations within the chain and legal possibilities for organising farmers' collective actions;

Amendment 26 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)

Da. having regard to the growing demand for agricultural products for agri- energy production and to financial speculation;

Amendment 260 #

Herbert DORFMANN

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)

16a. Underlines that little use is made of the insurance options already provided for in the framework of the second pillar because their application is very bureaucratic and recommends therefore that associations and organisations be more closely involved in the implementation of the programmes and that the conclusion of policies as well payments in and out be integrated therein;

Amendment 261 #

Marc TARABELLA, Nicola CAPUTO, Tibor SZANYI, Paolo DE CASTRO, Eric ANDRIEU, Jean-Paul DENANOT

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)

16a. Calls on the Commission to study new tools to prevent and manage the risks associated with price volatility and thus to lay the foundations for discussion of the future reforms of the CAP towards 2050;

Amendment 262 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)

16a. Calls on the Commission, in collaboration with farming organisations and other stakeholders, to draw up a plan for a compensating mechanism to offset price volatility in European agricultural production;

Amendment 263 #

Zbigniew KUŹMIUK, Stanisław OŻÓG, Jadwiga WIŚNIEWSKA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)

16 a. considers that the focus on the use of private financial instruments to hedge against price risk should be increased; in particular how the use of such instruments can be increased for animal products;

Amendment 264 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)

16a. Calls for the reintroduction of temporary targeted support for milk and pork producers;

Amendment 265 #

Ulrike MÜLLER, Jasenko SELIMOVIC, Ivan JAKOVČIĆ, Fredrick FEDERLEY

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 b (new)

16 b. Point out that the risk management instruments such as premium on insurances, mutual funds and income Stabilisation Tool, which were transferred to the second pillar, Regulation on support for rural development, and as result they have become optional measures which can be co-financed by the Member States, have been implemented in a limited number of countries;

Amendment 266 #

Michel DANTIN, Sofia RIBEIRO, Mairead McGUINNESS, Herbert DORFMANN, Peter JAHR, Albert DESS

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 b (new)

16b. Believes that the guidance from the European Commission for the development of these tools, particularly the mutual funds and the income stabilisation tool, is particularly vague and must be made more accessible for farmers;

Amendment 267 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 b (new)

16 b. notes that agricultural production is highly subjected to extern influences such as natural disasters; calls on the Commission and Member States to enhance research and development on resistance mechanisms to prevent production and income losses to farmers;

Amendment 268 #

Jan HUITEMA, Fredrick FEDERLEY, Hannu TAKKULA, Jasenko SELIMOVIC

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 b (new)

16 b. Underlines that insurance tools could be an efficient measure to cope with volatility and will encourage forward looking farm management that will help reduce the need for ex-post crisis management;

Amendment 269 #

Zbigniew KUŹMIUK, Stanisław OŻÓG, Jadwiga WIŚNIEWSKA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 b (new)

16b. Calls for an increase in intervention prices for butter and milk powder;

Amendment 27 #

Jan HUITEMA, Fredrick FEDERLEY, Hannu TAKKULA, Jasenko SELIMOVIC

Motion for a resolution
Recital E

E. whereas outside the EU the main global players in agricultural markets - in particular the US, Brazil and China - are introducing policies that aim to curb volatility, and whereas the agricultural G20 has also undertaken to address the issue by taking action to combat the negative impact on food security of the excessive volatility of agricultural raw material prices;

Amendment 270 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 c (new)

16 c. Takes into account that the current risk management tools under regulation 1305/2013 are mainly focussed on a national/regional level and thus can cause differences between Member States regarding the implementation/financing of these tools;

Amendment 271 #

Ulrike MÜLLER, Jasenko SELIMOVIC, Ivan JAKOVČIĆ, Fredrick FEDERLEY

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 c (new)

16 c. calls on the Commission to eliminate implementation difficulties in order to enhance the use of these risk management tools and thus increase farmer's ability to better cope with price volatilities;

Amendment 272 #

Zbigniew KUŹMIUK, Stanisław OŻÓG, Jadwiga WIŚNIEWSKA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 c (new)

16 c. Notes that the successful risk management instruments already implemented by Member States should be compatible with those which will be lay down in the next CAP reform;

Amendment 273 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 c (new)

16c. Calls for the introduction of export subsidies for pork;

Amendment 274 #

Zbigniew KUŹMIUK, Stanisław OŻÓG, Jadwiga WIŚNIEWSKA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 d (new)

16 d. Notes that setting-up insurance schemes is in first instance a Member State competency and encourages the European Commission to publish more relevant data that could help foster exchange of best practises and notes the possibility of setting targets or earmarking money for spending on schemes;

Amendment 275 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 d (new)

16d. Calls for an increase in the de minimis aid for individual farms and an increase in the general limits for Member States;

Amendment 276 #

Zbigniew KUŹMIUK, Stanisław OŻÓG, Jadwiga WIŚNIEWSKA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 e (new)

16e. Calls for consideration to be given to the use of funds from the general budget (or the so-called crisis reserve) as a source of funding for these and other Commission activities aimed at improving the situation in agricultural markets;

Amendment 277 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 e (new)

16 e. Stresses that Member States should be better informed on the criteria linked to these risk management tools knowing that these tools need to meet the WTO green box criteria;

Amendment 278 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 f (new)

16 f. Encourages better and more frequent communication between the Member States, the Commission and the private sector for the possible take up of these tools in the specific Rural Development programmes;

Amendment 279 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 g (new)

16 g. Believes that scarce funds should be capped at individual farm level, and the proceeds should be redistributed among farmers and Member States and focused on improving the ecological and economic resilience and sustainability of farms, through diversification of income streams, promotion of employment and through climate-proofing agriculture through soil fertility, water management and conservation measures; therefore opposes using limited public resources on subsidising premiums for private insurance companies;

Amendment 28 #

Jan HUITEMA, Fredrick FEDERLEY, Hannu TAKKULA, Jasenko SELIMOVIC

Motion for a resolution
Recital E

E. whereas the main global players in agricultural markets are introducing policies that aim to curb volatility, and whereas the G20 has also undertaken to address the issue; in the context of sustainable development;

Amendment 280 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 h (new)

16 h. Notes that current implementation of the available risk management tools should be analysed in order to safeguard a European level playing field and the possible creation for instruments on a European level;

Amendment 281 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17

~~17. Considers that price volatility adversely affects the income of farmers who have made investments, and that CAP tools should be put in place to prevent the impetus for investment being lost;~~deleted

Amendment 282 #

Michel DANTIN, Sofia RIBEIRO, Mairead McGUINNESS, Herbert DORFMANN, Angélique DELAHAYE, Peter JAHR, Albert DESS

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17

17. Considers that price volatility ~~adversely affects the income of farmers who have made investments, and that CAP tools should be put in place to prevent the impetus for investment being lost;~~ is detrimental to the impetus for investment and to the establishment of young farmers and that sectoral tools for risk management should be developed that are adapted to the specific features of the different European agricultural sectors; notes by way of comparison that in its Farm Bill 2014 the United States has developed specific insurance policies for different agricultural sectors, including cereals (wheat, soya, maize, cotton), livestock and dairy production, beekeeping, fish farming and horticulture;

Amendment 283 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17

17. Considers that ~~price volatility adversely affects the income of farmers who have made investments,~~during sudden and deep downturns in the markets, farmers who have invested in developing their holdings are amongst the most vulnerable economically and that CAP tools should be put in place to prevent the impetus for investment in the agricultural and agri- food sectors being lost;

Amendment 284 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17

17. Considers that price volatility adversely affects the income of all farmers ~~who have made investments~~, and that CAP tools should be put in place to ~~prevent the impetus for investment being lost~~guarantee a decent living income by means of remunerative prices;

Amendment 285 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17

17. Considers that extreme price volatility ~~adversely~~ affects the income of farmers who have made investments, and that CAP tools should be put in place to prevent the impetus for investment being lost;

Amendment 286 #

Jasenko SELIMOVIC, Fredrick FEDERLEY

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17

17. Considers that price volatility adversely affects the income of farmers who have made investments, and that CAP tools should be put in place to prevent the impetus for investment being lost by guaranteeing a steady income for farmers, which, among other things, is essential in order for them to be able to gain access to loans;

Amendment 287 #

Nicola CAPUTO, Tibor SZANYI, Michela GIUFFRIDA, Marc TARABELLA, Viorica DĂNCILĂ, Paolo DE CASTRO, Momchil NEKOV, Jean-Paul DENANOT, Eric ANDRIEU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)

17a. Emphasises that, against a backdrop of deep uncertainty over agricultural prices, the EU must take more incisive action on the markets, involving the establishment of safety nets and prevention and crisis management systems based on countercyclical aid, in order to secure remunerative prices for farmers;

Amendment 288 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)

17 a. Highlights, that the measures of the present second pillar directed at fostering innovation and investment in emerging technologies should be substantially reinforced in order to enhance the competitiveness of European agriculture;

Amendment 289 #

Nicola CAPUTO, Tibor SZANYI, Michela GIUFFRIDA, Marc TARABELLA, Viorica DĂNCILĂ, Paolo DE CASTRO, Momchil NEKOV, Jean-Paul DENANOT, Eric ANDRIEU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 b (new)

17b. Draws attention to the European Investment Bank's key role in developing and implementing innovative financial instruments to curb volatility for the benefit of farmers;

Amendment 29 #

Philippe LOISEAU, Edouard FERRAND, Laurenţiu REBEGA

Motion for a resolution
Recital E

E. whereas the main global players in agricultural markets are introducing policies - unsuccessfully - that aim to curb volatility, and whereas the G20 has also undertaken to address the issue;

Amendment 290 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18

18. Considers that the CAP must seek to put farmers at the heart of strategies for coping with volatility, supporting the decisions they take in an anticipatory approach to managing and covering the associated risks;deleted

Amendment 291 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18

18. Considers that the CAP must ~~seek to~~be designed to lessen the incidence of volatility, and put farmers at the heart of strategies for coping with volatility, ~~supporting the decisions they take in an anticipatory approach to managing and cover~~through intervention in the markets and through publicly regulated and funded systems of collective supply management to prevent imbalances of supply and demand ing the ~~associated risks~~EU;

Amendment 292 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18

18. Considers that the CAP must seek to put farmers at the heart of strategies for ~~coping with~~managing volatility, supporting the decisions they take in an anticipatory approach to managing ~~and covering the associated risks~~margins and volatility;

Amendment 293 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18

Amendment 294 #

Michel DANTIN, Sofia RIBEIRO, Mairead McGUINNESS, Herbert DORFMANN, Peter JAHR, Albert DESS

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)

18a. Considers that farmers and farmers' organisations should be better informed about and trained for the management of risk in order to take ownership of these tools; calls on the European Commission to adopt an awareness-raising plan and calls on the Member States and the local authorities to strengthen these aspects in their programme of agricultural education and vocational training;

Amendment 295 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)

18a. Believes that the legally predefined principle of fair apportionment of added value among producers, processors, and sellers of agricultural production would reduce price volatility and enable all those involved in the agricultural production supply chain to forecast income in the long term;

Amendment 296 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)

18 a. Considers supply management schemes not effective in terms of reacting to market crisis and due to convergence between European market and the world market;

Amendment 297 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19

~~19. Calls on the Commission to conduct a thorough analysis of how this can be achieved and of the resources that should be earmarked for it when the CAP is renew~~deleted;

Amendment 298 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19

19. Calls on the Commission to conduct a thorough analysis of how ~~this can be achieved and of the resources that should be earmarked for it when the CAP is re~~farmers can make use of insurance tools through private funding; rejects the notion that the Common Agricultural Policy should be transformed into a US- style risk insurance based system, on the following grounds: the lack of efficiency in spending public money (35-45% of government funds go to private insurance companies), the tremendous administrative burden and the lack of farm-level data needed to calculate accurate compensation, the incompatibility with EU budget rules, and the lack of correlation of support with sectors which are most in newed, such as dairy;

Amendment 299 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19

19. Calls on the Commission to conduct a thorough analysis of how this can be achieved and of the resources that should be earmarked for it when the CAP is renewed, and to discuss this analysis with the European Parliament before its draws up its proposed scenarios for a post-2020 CAP;

Amendment 3 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A

A. whereas~~, since 2007, extreme price fluctuation~~ agricultural markets have always been subject to price volatility; whereas, however, since 2005 market instability and price volatility hasve be~~en a~~come a structural feature of the world agricultural market~~s, with increasingly frequent and marked economic shocks;~~ , as well as the European agricultural market, which is now subject to extreme price fluctuations and increasingly frequent and marked economic shocks which can result in prices changing by as much as 100% from one year to the next;

Amendment 30 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital Ε

E. whereas the main global players in agricultural markets arshould be introducing policies that aim to curb volatility, and whereas the G20 has also undertaken to address the issue;

Amendment 300 #

Marc TARABELLA, Tibor SZANYI

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19

19. Calls on the Commission to conduct a thorough analysis of how this can be achieved and of the increased resources that should be earmarked for it when the CAP is renewed;

Amendment 301 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)

19a. Considers that the decoupled aids which constitute the bulk of the first pillar of the CAP are no longer adapted to the vagaries of the market to which farmers are subject; calls on the Commission, therefore, to embark on a transition process leading to the switching of some or all of the decoupled aid payments to the risk management schemes;

Amendment 302 #

Marc TARABELLA, Tibor SZANYI, Eric ANDRIEU, Jean-Paul DENANOT

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)

19a. Calls on the Commission to conduct an analysis of the reasons for the weak uptake of the tools proposed under the second pillar of the current CAP;

Amendment 303 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 e (new)

19e. Calls on the Commission to provide for greater flexibility in the annual budgets, within the bounds of the multiannual financial envelope, in order to take account of the countercyclical aid and the insurance instruments, whilst improving the added value of European expenditure;

Amendment 304 #

Marc TARABELLA, Nicola CAPUTO, Tibor SZANYI, Eric ANDRIEU, Jean-Paul DENANOT

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 b (new)

19b. Calls on the Commission to develop mechanisms to combat price volatility on two main principles, countercyclical aid and insurance-based instruments;

Amendment 305 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 b (new)

19b. Calls for the means for covering price risks taken by farmers to be analysed in detail;

Amendment 306 #

Marc TARABELLA, Nicola CAPUTO, Tibor SZANYI, Eric ANDRIEU, Jean-Paul DENANOT

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 c (new)

19c. Considers that countercyclical aid should help meet the economic risks due to the instability of global markets, excessive third-country competition and the disappearance of regulatory tools at European level, in order to ensure a basis for stability of farmers' incomes and thus prevent European food security (in terms of both quality and quantity) from being undermined by an inappropriate CAP;

Amendment 307 #

Marc TARABELLA, Nicola CAPUTO, Tibor SZANYI, Eric ANDRIEU, Jean-Paul DENANOT

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 d (new)

19d. Considers that the insurance- based instruments are intended to cope with natural hazards and to complement the countercyclical measures through mutual funds or specific insurance policies in order to enable farmers and the European and national public authorities to implement support for agricultural activities according to strategic objectives by sector and/or by region;

Amendment 308 #

Jan HUITEMA, Fredrick FEDERLEY, Hannu TAKKULA, Jasenko SELIMOVIC

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20

Amendment 309 #

Nicola CAPUTO, Tibor SZANYI, Michela GIUFFRIDA, Ricardo SERRÃO SANTOS, Viorica DĂNCILĂ, Momchil NEKOV, Eric ANDRIEU, Jean-Paul DENANOT

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20

20. Considers that ~~mutual funds, e~~an income stabilished at the initiative of working farmers, and through which farmers’ incomes can be stabilised to some extent as the profit margins on their produce fluctuate, may offer an effective way to limit the effects of price volatilityation tool, in the form of a mutual fund administered by the Member States, should be set up in order to compensate farmers for serious loss of income and should take account of all factors that can have an impact on farm incomes, including market-related risks; believes that that tool should be introduced alongside, and not take the place of, the current system of direct payments and market management measures;

Amendment 31 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)

E a. Whereas every region in the world has its own production models as well as different measures in place with regards environment and animal welfare which can have serious implications for the cost- price of production and European farmers should be able to compete on the world market;

Amendment 310 #

Luke Ming FLANAGAN, Estefanía TORRES MARTÍNEZ

20. Considers that mutual funds, established at the initiative of working farmers, and through which farmers’ incomes can be stabilised to some extent as the profit margins on their produce fluctuate, may offer an effective way to limit the effects of price volatilityCAP as it has evolved is primarily an income support tool to compensate farmers for producing below the cost of production and for the provision of public goods, which is a fundamentally different approach to insurance supports to cover for exceptionally low commodity prices;

Amendment 311 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20

20. Considers that sectoral mutual funds, established at the initiative of working farmers, and through which farmers’ incomes can be stabilised to some extent as the profit margins on their produce fluctuate, and also insurance of harvests, livestock and crops and the income stabilisation tool, may offer an effective ways to limit the effects of price volatility;

Amendment 312 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20

20. Considers that mutual funds, established at the initiative of working farmers, and through which farmers’ incomes can be stabilised to some extent, by means of a joint agreement to reduce production volumes, as the profit margins on their produce fluctuate, may offer an effective way to limit the effects of price volatility;

Amendment 313 #

Ricardo SERRÃO SANTOS, Paolo DE CASTRO, Eric ANDRIEU, Tibor SZANYI

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20

Amendment 314 #

Marc TARABELLA, Nicola CAPUTO, Tibor SZANYI, Eric ANDRIEU, Jean-Paul DENANOT

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20

Amendment 315 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)

20a. Calls on the Commission to present European regulatory tools to prevent and effectively manage crises in the agricultural sector, notably by facilitating the organisation of production in terms of supply management and by developing insurance or other solutions adapted to the reality of farming today, ensuring balanced agriculture at territorial level and intervening at a certain price threshold, to be determined in such a way as to enable farms to remain viable;

Amendment 316 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)

20 a. Takes the view that these mutual funds would become appropriately financed and more attractive to farmers if the possibility of national support was included; asks the European Commission to propose the amendment of the rural development regulation in order to include the above mentioned modification;

Amendment 317 #

Daniel BUDA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)

20a. Suggests introducing financial derivatives for agricultural products that are most affected by price volatility;

Amendment 318 #

Marc TARABELLA, Tibor SZANYI, Eric ANDRIEU, Jean-Paul DENANOT

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21

21. Considers that, as farmers cannot control the factors that determine their turnover and gross margins, they should be encouraged to develop tools for coping with market volatility, especially mutual funds, such tools being better suited to that purpose than direct payments;deleted

Amendment 319 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21

Amendment 32 #

Philippe LOISEAU, Edouard FERRAND, Laurenţiu REBEGA

Motion for a resolution
Recital F

F. whereas ~~political choices, such as the imposition of trade embargoes, can increase the volatility of agricultural product prices~~the volatility of agricultural product prices is increased by political choices, such as the imposition of trade embargoes and the abolition of production quotas, as happened in the dairy sector;

Amendment 320 #

Zbigniew KUŹMIUK, Stanisław OŻÓG, Jadwiga WIŚNIEWSKA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21

Amendment 321 #

Luke Ming FLANAGAN, Estefanía TORRES MARTÍNEZ, Matt CARTHY

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21

Amendment 322 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21

21. Considers that, as farmers cannot control the factors that determine their turnover and gross margins, they should be encouraged to develop tools for coping with market volatility~~, especially mutual funds, such tools being better suited to that purpose than direct payments~~;

Amendment 323 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21

21. Considers that, as farmers cannot control the factors that determine their turnover and gross margins, they should be encouraged to develop tools for coping with market volatility, especially mutual funds~~, such tools being better suited to that purpose than direct payments~~;

Amendment 324 #

Ulrike MÜLLER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21

21. Considers that, as farmers cannot control the factors that determine their turnover and gross margins, they should be encouraged to develop tools for coping with market volatility, especially mutual funds~~, such tools being better suited to that purpose than direct payments~~;

Amendment 325 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21

Amendment 326 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21

Amendment 327 #

Michel DANTIN, Sofia RIBEIRO, Mairead McGUINNESS, Herbert DORFMANN, Elisabeth KÖSTINGER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21

Amendment 328 #

Motion for a resolution
Subheading 5 a (new)

Crisis prevention and management tools

Amendment 329 #

Daniel BUDA, Viorica DĂNCILĂ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)

21a. Stresses the need to introduce measures aimed at voluntary regulation of production in line with market fluctuations;

Amendment 33 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital F

F. whereas ~~political choice~~the abandonment of public policies and other EU policy decisions, such as the imposition of trade embargoes, ~~can~~ increases the volatility of agricultural product prices;

Amendment 330 #

Beata GOSIEWSKA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)

21a. Considers that the European Union should preserve and make use of opportunities for implementing an active policy to stabilise its key agricultural markets;

Amendment 331 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)

21 a. Believes that the best tool to stabilise markets and reduce price volatility is to ensure a better balance between supply and demand and a fair allocation of product quantities among Member States and between farmers;

Amendment 332 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)

21 a. Calls on the Commission to encourage new forms of management of production levels to better balance supply and demand within Europe, particularly for products like milk which are quickly perishable, with a stronger focus on adding value to primary products, developing quality products in local markets, short supply chains and effectively protecting Geographic Indicators outside the EU;

Amendment 333 #

Francisco de Paula GAMBUS MILLET

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)

21a. Takes the view, moreover, that without waiting for the development of insurance-based tools of this kind the Commission should use all the financial margin for manoeuvre at its disposal in order to provide a genuinely European response to current and future crises, working on the basis of Articles 219, 220 and 221 of the single CMO, which enable it, in particular, to take measures to reduce European milk production which would very quickly make it possible to restore decent, fair price levels for our producers;

Amendment 334 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)

21a. Considers that the mechanisms set out in the CMO Regulation have not reacted quickly enough to the problems of European farmers and calls on the Commission to review said mechanisms and objective parameters so that severe market disturbances are declared automatically;

Amendment 335 #

Eric ANDRIEU, Jean-Paul DENANOT, Marc TARABELLA, Nicola CAPUTO

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)

21a. Takes the view that the current safety net for the agricultural markets is insufficient for the economically and socially sustainable management of the agricultural sector, particularly in the regions facing the greatest competitive constraints; calls for specific indicators to be used to activate the safety net measures in the outermost and mountain regions, bearing in mind the particularly acute impact of market crises in these regions, mainly due to the differences in production conditions between these regions and other areas;

Amendment 336 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)

21a. Believes a mandatory precautionary savings scheme for farmers should be set up to replace the current European crisis reserve, to cover risks of all kinds, partly through direct aid, so that reserves can be set aside in good years for deployment during difficult periods;

Amendment 337 #

Michel DANTIN, Mairead McGUINNESS, Herbert DORFMANN, Elisabeth KÖSTINGER, Peter JAHR, Albert DESS

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 c (new)

21c. Notes that the Commission makes little or no use of the crisis reserve in the agricultural sector;

Amendment 338 #

Luke Ming FLANAGAN, Anja HAZEKAMP, Estefanía TORRES MARTÍNEZ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)

21 a. Notes that risk management tools and initiatives should be voluntary and fair;

Amendment 339 #

Michel DANTIN, Sofia RIBEIRO, Mairead McGUINNESS, Herbert DORFMANN, Elisabeth KÖSTINGER, Angélique DELAHAYE, Peter JAHR, Albert DESS

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)

21a. Notes that price volatility can also be generated at national level, and calls, therefore, on the Member States to take market volatility into account in their fiscal rules, in particular by providing for the constitution of crisis reserves outside national budgets;

Amendment 34 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital F

F. whereas political choices, such as the imposition of trade embargoes, can increase the volatility of agricultural product prices, therefore the export orientation of CAP which moves it away from its founding ideals is not a solution for overproduction in the EU, but on contrary, it further contributes to price volatility;

Amendment 340 #

Michel DANTIN, Sofia RIBEIRO, Mairead McGUINNESS, Herbert DORFMANN, Esther HERRANZ GARCÍA, Pilar AYUSO, Ramón Luis VALCÁRCEL SISO, Elisabeth KÖSTINGER, Peter JAHR, Albert DESS

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 b (new)

21b. Notes that the traditional CAP crisis management tools (public intervention and private storage) are no longer sufficiently effective in a globalised economy;

Amendment 341 #

Michel DANTIN, Sofia RIBEIRO, Mairead McGUINNESS, Herbert DORFMANN, Esther HERRANZ GARCÍA, Pilar AYUSO, Ramón Luis VALCÁRCEL SISO, Elisabeth KÖSTINGER, Angélique DELAHAYE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)

21 a. Farmers should be further informed how to benefit from financial instruments offered by the European Investment Bank since this Institution support the rural economy through its long-term financing;

Amendment 342 #

Michel DANTIN, Elisabeth KÖSTINGER, Herbert DORFMANN, Mairead McGUINNESS, Peter JAHR, Albert DESS

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 e (new)

21e. Notes that the budgetary rules which apply to the crisis reserve, in particular the annuality rule, and the discretion which the Commission enjoys when it comes to releasing funds from the reserve limit its use;

Amendment 343 #

Michel DANTIN, Peter JAHR, Albert DESS, Mairead McGUINNESS, Herbert DORFMANN, Elisabeth KÖSTINGER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 d (new)

21d. Points out that it called for a crisis reserve to be constituted outside the EU budget and for provision to be made for amounts to be transferred from one year to the next;

Amendment 344 #

Michel DANTIN, Sofia RIBEIRO, Mairead McGUINNESS, Herbert DORFMANN, Esther HERRANZ GARCÍA, Pilar AYUSO, Ramón Luis VALCÁRCEL SISO, Elisabeth KÖSTINGER, Peter JAHR, Albert DESS

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 f (new)

21f. Calls on the Commission to propose the introduction of revised, effective crisis prevention and management tools;

Amendment 345 #

Motion for a resolution
Subheading 6

PAgricultural market and price observatories

Amendment 346 #

Eric ANDRIEU, Jean-Paul DENANOT, Ricardo SERRÃO SANTOS, Marc TARABELLA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22

22. Considers that agricultural markets must be transparent and that information about prices must be accessible and useful to all those involved, with a view to curbing price speculation and price volatility;

Amendment 347 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22

22. Considers that agricultural markets must be transparent and that information about prices and production costs must be accessible and useful to all those involved;

Amendment 348 #

Fernando RUAS, Sofia RIBEIRO

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22

22. Considers that agricultural markets must be transparent and that information about prices must be easily accessible and useful to all those involved;

Amendment 349 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)

22 a. Notes, however, that price transparency in itself will do nothing to improve the resilience of farmers against price volatility, or resolve structural faults in market organisation such as the imbalances between supply and demand;

Amendment 35 #

Jørn DOHRMANN, Beata GOSIEWSKA

Motion for a resolution
Recital ΣΤ

F. whereas political choices, such as the imposition of trade embargoes and so- called non-tariff barriers generated by the TTIP, can increase the volatility of agricultural product prices;

Amendment 350 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)

22 a. Considers that market transparency can principally be achieved by making the publication of existing information more timely and accessible to all stakeholders on the supply chain;

Amendment 351 #

Zbigniew KUŹMIUK, Stanisław OŻÓG, Jadwiga WIŚNIEWSKA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)

22a. Supports the establishment of the Milk Market Observatory and welcomes information concerning the creation of a Meat Market Observatory; calls for market monitoring instruments to be extended to other sectors, such as fruit and vegetables;

Amendment 352 #

Nicola CAPUTO, Paolo DE CASTRO, Michela GIUFFRIDA, Ricardo SERRÃO SANTOS, Marc TARABELLA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)

22a. Stresses that studies conducted by certain food price observatories have revealed substantial discrepancies between prices received by the farmer and those paid by consumers;

Amendment 353 #

Jan HUITEMA, Fredrick FEDERLEY, Hannu TAKKULA, Jasenko SELIMOVIC

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)

22 a. Calls on the Commission to move more quickly to increase transparency and improve the flow of real time market information and signals by making the Milk Market Observatory more robust;

Amendment 354 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)

22 a. Notes that all participants in the market place can and will make use of price-information to improve their bargaining positions;

Amendment 355 #

Eric ANDRIEU, Jean-Paul DENANOT, Ricardo SERRÃO SANTOS, Marc TARABELLA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23

23. Sees it as part of the Union’'s role to facilitate transparency ~~in the European market~~on European and international markets which are known to be very unstable; points out that international market transparency calls for determined action on the part of the European Union and its Member States and of the rest of the international community, in the form of more active, closer cooperation to develop genuine governance arrangements in the area of world food security;

Amendment 356 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23

23. Sees it as part of the Union’s role to facilitate transparency in the European market and promote balance between supply of, and demand for, agricultural products in order to be able to guarantee the economic viability of family farms ;

Amendment 357 #

Philippe LOISEAU, Edouard FERRAND, Laurenţiu REBEGA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23

23. Sees it as part of the Union’'s role to facilitate transparency in the European market and provide access to data and information in a clear and timely manner;

Amendment 358 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23

23. ~~Sees~~Takes the view that it ais ~~part of~~also the Union’s role to facilitate transparency in the European market;

Amendment 359 #

Esther HERRANZ GARCÍA, Pilar AYUSO, Ramón Luis VALCÁRCEL SISO, Nuno MELO

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)

23a. Urges that price observatories should be set up, or their role expanded, given that their ability to enhance market transparency makes them an effective tool to curb price volatility;

Amendment 36 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)

Fa. whereas the European Union does not currently have a genuine safety net to curb market volatility, which acts a powerful disincentive for farmers to continue working on EU territory;

Amendment 360 #

Jan HUITEMA, Fredrick FEDERLEY, Hannu TAKKULA, Jasenko SELIMOVIC

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)

23 a. Recommends the analyses of asymmetric price transmissions along the food chain by the European Commission and welcomes possible policy recommendations;

Amendment 361 #

Philippe LOISEAU, Edouard FERRAND, Laurenţiu REBEGA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24

24. Emphasises that it is a~~n advantage~~ necessity for farmers, in their negotiations with other stakeholders in the food chain, to be aware of price movements in the various market segments;

Amendment 362 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24

24. Emphasises that it is an important advantage for farmers, ~~in their~~when negotiationg contracts with all other stakeholders in the food chain, to be aware of price formation and movements in the various market segments;

Amendment 363 #

Eric ANDRIEU, Jean-Paul DENANOT, Ricardo SERRÃO SANTOS, Marc TARABELLA, Nicola CAPUTO

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24

24. Emphasises that it is ~~an advantage~~crucial for farmers, in their negotiations with other stakeholders in the food chain, to be aware of price movements and trends in supply in the various market segments;

Amendment 364 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)

24a. Takes the view that greater transparency can contribute to market monitoring and steering, but that its effectiveness in curbing price fluctuations is contingent in particular on the ability to intervene effectively when markets stop functioning normally, through the use of safety nets and crisis management instruments for which provision must be made in the single CMO; considers that these instruments should be overhauled when the next CAP reform takes place;

Amendment 365 #

Sofia RIBEIRO

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)

24a. Takes the view that a farm price observatory will be effective only if it works with the most up-to-date data possible, and therefore considers it vital for this observatory to be proactive in requesting the necessary data from markets and Member States, so that it can be disseminated to those involved in the sector in a timely and useful manner;

Amendment 366 #

Michel DANTIN, Sofia RIBEIRO, Mairead McGUINNESS, Herbert DORFMANN, Esther HERRANZ GARCÍA, Pilar AYUSO, Ramón Luis VALCÁRCEL SISO, Elisabeth KÖSTINGER, Angélique DELAHAYE, Peter JAHR, Albert DESS

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)

24a. Welcomes the Commission's decision to set up a meat market observatory along the lines of the European Milk Market Observatory, and points out that in the context of the last CAP reform Parliament had called for a price and margin observatory covering the agricultural sector as a whole to be established;

Amendment 367 #

Michel DANTIN, Sofia RIBEIRO, Mairead McGUINNESS, Herbert DORFMANN, Esther HERRANZ GARCÍA, Pilar AYUSO, Ramón Luis VALCÁRCEL SISO, Angélique DELAHAYE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)

24a. Emphasises that a contractualisation policy can be genuinely effective only if it is based on sufficiently fine market segmentation and detailed knowledge of the nature of and trends on the various market segments;

Amendment 368 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25

25. ~~Recommends that~~Calls on the Commission to assess the advisability of setting up European agricultural price and market observatories be established for the various sectors of the industry, to provide ongoing, segment-by- segment analysis of agricultural markets, with the involvement of economic stakeholders, and to make relevant data and forecasts available at regular intervalfor other agricultural sectors, such as the plant-based sectors;

Amendment 369 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25

25. Recommends that ~~European agricultural price~~ observatories be established to monitor supply and demand relating to both input and output prices for the various sectors of ~~the industry~~farming, to provide ongoing, segment-by- segment analysis of agricultural markets, with the involvement of economic stakeholders, and to make relevant data and forecasts available ~~at regular intervals~~continuously;

Amendment 37 #

Marc TARABELLA, Tibor SZANYI, Eric ANDRIEU, Jean-Paul DENANOT

Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)

F a. whereas the agricultural sector is currently facing severe price volatility due to changes in global trade, especially with Russia and China, and thus an oversupply of goods on the European market;

Amendment 370 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25

25. Recommends that European agricultural price observatories be established for the various sectors of the industry, to provide ongoing, segment-by- segment analysis of agricultural markets, with the involvement of economic stakeholders, and to make relevant data and forecasts available at regular intervals, but emphasises at the same time the need for early warning and crisis prevention mechanisms; stresses that agricultural price observatories must quickly provide up-to-date data on agricultural production costs and average profit margins in the Member States;

Amendment 371 #

Daniel BUDA, Viorica DĂNCILĂ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25

25. Recommends that European agricultural price observatories be established for the various sectors of the industry, to provide ongoing, segment-by- segment analysis of agricultural markets, with the involvement of economic stakeholders, and to make up-to-date, relevant data ~~and forecasts available at regular intervals~~on movements and short- and medium-term forecasts available at monthly or bi-monthly intervals, in keeping with the nature of the market segments in question;

Amendment 372 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25

25. Recommends that European agricultural price observatories be established for the various sectors of the industry, to provide ongoing, segment-by- segment analysis of agricultural markets, with the involvement of economic stakeholders, and to make relevant data and forecasts available at regular intervals; stresses the need to set up a prognosis unit at EU level to correlate demand and supply for agricultural products;

Amendment 373 #

Ivan JAKOVČIĆ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25

25. Recommends that European agricultural price observatories, covering the entire chain, from the producer price to the final selling price, be established for the various sectors of the industry, to provide ongoing, segment-by- segment analysis of agricultural markets, with the involvement of economic stakeholders, and to make relevant data and forecasts available at regular intervals;

Amendment 374 #

Michel DANTIN, Sofia RIBEIRO, Mairead McGUINNESS, Herbert DORFMANN, Esther HERRANZ GARCÍA, Pilar AYUSO, Ramón Luis VALCÁRCEL SISO, Angélique DELAHAYE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 a (new)

25a. Given the importance of acting quickly in the event of a crisis, and in the light of the slow responses to crises in recent years, calls for the introduction of a binding early warning mechanism which would enable the Council or Parliament, on the basis of the data collected by the observatories, to ask the Commission formally to explain within a set time limit its approach to the management of agricultural crises and its intentions as regards the mobilisation of the CAP tools;

Amendment 375 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 a (new)

25a. Draws attention to the important role which observatories of this kind can play in disseminating and analysing market data, and urges the Commission to regard the observatories as tools which can be used to manage agricultural markets, and not only as a means of monitoring disruptions to markets;

Amendment 376 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 a (new)

25 a. Calls on the Commission to develop progressively the EU competition framework to include the monitoring of SAFA indicators in the food supply chain in Europe, including Fair Pricing and Transparent Contracts (S.2.1.1.) and Right of Suppliers (S2.2.1);

Amendment 377 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 a (new)

25 a. Calls for effective regulation of commodities markets to ensure they are focused on the genuine hedging needs of agricultural businesses, and that supervisory bodies can intervene to prevent excessive speculation which may impact on food prices;

Amendment 378 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 a (new)

25 a. Underlines the importance of Member States providing the relevant information to the MMO and new EU agricultural price observatories and the importance of publishing the monthly data received in a timely manner for the benefit of all stakeholders;

Amendment 379 #

Eric ANDRIEU, Jean-Paul DENANOT, Ricardo SERRÃO SANTOS, Marc TARABELLA, Nicola CAPUTO

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 a (new)

25 a. considers that a more in-depth understanding of the dynamics on international markets would be of value to the agricultural sector in terms of management; it is imperative that marked data and analysis is free from political pressure;

Amendment 38 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital G

G. whereas, ~~in recent decades, market opening and economic globalisation~~starting in the 1990s, the deregulation of the common organisations of the market which occurred in the context of the various CAP reforms and the greater opening up of European agriculture on international markets which resulted from EU trade policy have accentuated price volatility;

Amendment 380 #

Philippe LOISEAU, Edouard FERRAND, Laurenţiu REBEGA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 a (new)

25a. Calls for new mechanisms to be established which introduce guaranteed minimum prices with a view to curbing speculation on agricultural markets, as was possible under the CAP prior to the 1992 McSharry reform;

Amendment 381 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 a (new)

25a. Stresses that training and knowledge to enable farmers to deal with market data are essential and that they can further reinforce their position in negotiations with other market operators;

Amendment 382 #

Zbigniew KUŹMIUK, Stanisław OŻÓG, Jadwiga WIŚNIEWSKA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 b (new)

25 b. Calls on the European observatory for food and agricultural prices at origin and at destination to develop and present disaggregated data for products and regions;

Amendment 383 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 a (new)

25a. Considers that the European Union should preserve and make use of opportunities for implementing an active policy to stabilise its key agricultural markets;

Amendment 384 #

Nicola CAPUTO, Tibor SZANYI, Michela GIUFFRIDA, Marc TARABELLA, Viorica DĂNCILĂ, Paolo DE CASTRO, Momchil NEKOV, Jean-Paul DENANOT, Eric ANDRIEU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 a (new)

25a. Believes that the remit of the European agricultural price observatory should be broadened to include the fruit and vegetables and olive oil sectors;

Amendment 385 #

Nicola CAPUTO, Tibor SZANYI, Michela GIUFFRIDA, Ricardo SERRÃO SANTOS, Marc TARABELLA, Viorica DĂNCILĂ, Paolo DE CASTRO, Momchil NEKOV, Jean-Paul DENANOT, Eric ANDRIEU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 b (new)

25b. Believes that the operation of the European agricultural price observatory should be improved and the necessary resources should be provided in order for it become a fully-fledged management tool rather than being used simply to compile statistics;

Amendment 386 #

Michel DANTIN, Sofia RIBEIRO, Mairead McGUINNESS, Herbert DORFMANN, Esther HERRANZ GARCÍA, Pilar AYUSO, Ramón Luis VALCÁRCEL SISO, Angélique DELAHAYE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 b (new)

25b. Urges the Commission to take the steps needed to ensure that these observatories can, on the one hand, provide accurate data in real time on market and price trends, production costs, consumption, stock levels, prices and imports and exports of agricultural foodstuffs at European level, and, on the other, issue early warnings ahead of crises and recommendations to the Commission, the Member States and economic actors based on up-to-the- minute analyses of agricultural markets by segment;

Amendment 387 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 a (new)

25 a. Calls for the participation of producers organizations and social partners in the process of collection of information for these observatories;

Amendment 388 #

25 b. Recommends that the Commission learns the lessons from the establishment and operation of the Milk Market Observatory as it establishes the Meat Market Observatory;

Amendment 389 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 b (new)

25 b. considers it imperative to create within the common agricultural policy, a real level playing field within EU28;

Amendment 39 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital G

G. whereas, in recent decades, ~~market opening and economic globalisation~~agricultural markets, especially under the impulse of the WTO agreements, have become more open and competitive and meanwhile have accentuated price volatility;

Amendment 390 #

Nicola CAPUTO, Tibor SZANYI, Michela GIUFFRIDA, Ricardo SERRÃO SANTOS, Marc TARABELLA, Viorica DĂNCILĂ, Paolo DE CASTRO, Momchil NEKOV, Jean-Paul DENANOT, Eric ANDRIEU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 c (new)

29c. Points out that, if the European observatory is to include an efficient early warning system, it must supply more detailed data on the Member States on a monthly basis, so that proper account may be taken of the specific situations in the various parts of the EU;

Amendment 391 #

Nicola CAPUTO, Tibor SZANYI, Michela GIUFFRIDA, Ricardo SERRÃO SANTOS, Marc TARABELLA, Viorica DĂNCILĂ, Paolo DE CASTRO, Momchil NEKOV

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 d (new)

22d. Believes that the Commission should send early warnings to the Member States and to stakeholders and should take all necessary measures without delay;

Amendment 4 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A

A. whereas, since 2007~~, extreme price fluctuation has been a feature of world agricultural market~~/2008, the world has entered a new age in terms of the evolution of world markets in agricultural raw materials, which are characterised by extreme price fluctuations way beyond the normal variations associated with production cycles, with increasingly frequent and marked economic shocks;

Amendment 40 #

Nicola CAPUTO, Paolo DE CASTRO, Michela GIUFFRIDA, Ricardo SERRÃO SANTOS

Motion for a resolution
Recital G

G. whereas, in recent decades, market opening and choices leading to economic globalisation have ~~accentuated~~enabled greater market fluidity but have also played a part in heightening the phenomenon of price volatility in agriculture;

Amendment 41 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital G

G. whereas, in recent decades, market opening, preferential agreements signed by the EU with third countries and economic globalisation have accentuated price volatility;

Amendment 42 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital G

G. whereas, in recent decades, market opening ~~and~~, economic globalisation and increased speculation on agricultural markets have accentuated price volatility;

Amendment 43 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital Ζ

G. whereas, in recent decades, market opening and economic globalisation have greatly accentuated price volatility;

Amendment 44 #

Philippe LOISEAU, Edouard FERRAND, Laurenţiu REBEGA

Motion for a resolution
Recital G

G. whereas, in recent decades, market opening and economic globalisation have accentuated price volatility and whereas the EU internal market is being affected by global trends;

Amendment 45 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital G

G. whereas, in recent decades, market opening and economic globalisation have accentuated price volatility and reduced the stability of farmers' incomes;

Amendment 46 #

Eric ANDRIEU, Jean-Paul DENANOT, Ricardo SERRÃO SANTOS, Marc TARABELLA

Motion for a resolution
Recital G a (new)

Ga. whereas agricultural markets, as the meeting-point of supply and demand, are inherently unstable, and whereas the presence of financial actors tends to reinforce this instability and the limited elasticity of global food demand and agricultural product supply contribute to an increase in the effect of real or perceived imbalances on market participants, with a sometimes shocking impact on agricultural product prices;

Amendment 47 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital G a (new)

Ga. whereas the financialisation of the global economy and the accompanying speculation might have an impact on agricultural markets and may contribute to increasing their imbalance and the volatility of prices, with agricultural raw materials being used simply as financial assets; as was highlighted by the dreadful hunger riots in 2008, this excessive financialisation can be devastating and ethically reprehensible if it threatens the food security of the poorest, least well- nourished people on the planet;

Amendment 48 #

Luke Ming FLANAGAN, Estefanía TORRES MARTÍNEZ, Matt CARTHY

Motion for a resolution
Recital G a (new)

G a. whereas price volatility, particularly during recent price spikes, can be partly explained by the significant growth in commodities speculation by investment funds with a short-term trading focus, with volumes of exchange- traded derivatives on some commodities markets now 20-30 times larger than the physical production of the commodities concerned, as demand for higher yield short-term investments outstrips demand from actual end users and producers of the commodity;

Amendment 49 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital G a (new)

G a. whereas bilateral agreements, such as CETA or TTIP, may lead to further market liberalization of the EU's agricultural sector and thus undermine the local production and short chains of supply and expose farmers across the EU, especially those small and medium-sized, to even greater price volatility;

Amendment 5 #

Jan HUITEMA, Fredrick FEDERLEY, Ulrike MÜLLER, Jasenko SELIMOVIC

Motion for a resolution
Recital A

A. whereas, since 2007, ~~extreme~~ price fluctuation has been a more common feature of world agricultural markets~~, with increasingly frequent and marked economic shocks~~;

Amendment 50 #

Luke Ming FLANAGAN, Estefanía TORRES MARTÍNEZ, Matt CARTHY

Motion for a resolution
Recital G a (new)

G a. whereas the agricultural sector and food security is too important an issue for the EU to be left only to market forces;

Amendment 51 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital H

H. whereas the European Union has responsibility in this area, given its significant role in ensuring food security in Europe and the rest of the world, and whereas the agricultural and agri-food sector is important for the EU's economy and has the potential to contribute to sustainable growth;

Amendment 52 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital H

H. whereas the European Union has a responsibility ~~in this area, given its role in ensuring food security in Europe~~to contribute to food security in Europe and to the competitive position of European farmers and market gardeners on the world market;

Amendment 53 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital H

H. whereas the European Union has responsibility in this area, given its role in ensuring food security in Europe and its neoliberal agricultural and agri-food policy ;

Amendment 54 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital H a (new)

H a. whereas the EU's ability to respond to market expectations is linked to future investment in the European agricultural and agri-food sector, despite the fact that European agricultural productivity has been stagnating for two decades;

Amendment 55 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital H a (new)

H a. whereas sustainable farming as a source of high-quality food can only be ensured if farmers receive adequate farm- gate prices which cover all the costs of sustainable production;

Amendment 56 #

Michel DANTIN, Sofia RIBEIRO, Mairead McGUINNESS, Herbert DORFMANN, Elisabeth KÖSTINGER, Peter JAHR, Albert DESS

Motion for a resolution
Recital I

I. whereas price volatility creates a ~~climat~~high degree of uncertainty, a~~nd puts a brake on investment, in farming~~mong producers and consumers, with the former seeing their income and ability to invest and therefore the long-term viability of their activities as under threat when prices are low, whilst the ability of consumers to feed themselves and have access to basic goods might be compromised by high food prices, thereby giving rise to crisis situations;

Amendment 57 #

Eric ANDRIEU, Jean-Paul DENANOT, Ricardo SERRÃO SANTOS

Motion for a resolution
Recital I

I. whereas ~~price volatility creates a climate of uncertainty,~~the uncertain times due to an imbalance between supply and demand in farming have led to price fluctuations and puts a brake on investment~~, in farming~~ and repayment of recent investments in the sector;

Amendment 58 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital I

I. whereas price volatility creates a climate of uncertainty~~, and puts a brake on investment, in farming~~ in farming and the agri-food sectors which is detrimental to investment, growth and employment and which can also seriously affect consumer supply, food security and the smooth operation of the CAP;

Amendment 59 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital I

I. whereas price volatility creates a climate of uncertainty, and puts a brake on investment, in farming which discourages modernisation, innovation, new entrants and generational renewal, putting the future of farming at risk;

Amendment 6 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital Α

A. whereas, since 2007, extreme price fluctuation has been a feature of world agricultural markets, with increasingly frequent and marked economic shocks, certain countries suffering even greater disruption as a result of austerity policies;

Amendment 60 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital I

I. whereas price volatility creates a climate of uncertainty~~, and puts a brake on investment, in farming~~ in farming and vulnerability amongst producers that causes thousands of farms to close every year in the EU;

Amendment 61 #

Zbigniew KUŹMIUK, Stanisław OŻÓG, Jadwiga WIŚNIEWSKA

Motion for a resolution
Recital I a (new)

I a. whereas price volatility is damaging to agricultural activity and wealth generation in the EU and therefore to food security and sound natural resource management in the long term;

Amendment 62 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital I a (new)

I a. whereas milk producers have suffered huge losses as a result of the Russian embargo and the catastrophic drought of 2015;

Amendment 63 #

Zbigniew KUŹMIUK, Stanisław OŻÓG, Jadwiga WIŚNIEWSKA

Motion for a resolution
Recital I a (new)

Ia. whereas price volatility is making it difficult for young farmers to set up and invest;

Amendment 64 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital I b (new)

I b. whereas heavy fines have been imposed on a large proportion of farms for exceeding the milk quotas in 2014/2015;

Amendment 65 #

Zbigniew KUŹMIUK, Stanisław OŻÓG, Jadwiga WIŚNIEWSKA

Motion for a resolution
Recital I b (new)

Ib. whereas price volatility harms both producers and consumers;

Amendment 66 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital I c (new)

I c. whereas pork producers have been affected by low purchase prices for many months as a result of the Russian embargo and, above all, African swine fever;

Amendment 67 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital J

~~J. whereas greater market transparency may limit price volatility;~~deleted

Amendment 68 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital J

J. whereas greater market transparency and farmers' knowledge of the market may limit price ~~volatility~~fluctuations;

Amendment 69 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital J

J. whereas greater market transparency may limit ~~price volatility~~the volatility of markets and prices through improved, more objective access for economic operators to the development of the different agricultural markets;

Amendment 7 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)

Aa. whereas this situation represents a major challenge on the one hand to economic actors, whose viability may be jeopardised with very short deadlines although they are perfectly viable at other times, and on the other hand to public policies introduced to safeguard food security, the economic and environmental sustainability of production systems and the regional development of rural areas, including in the EU;

Amendment 70 #

Eric ANDRIEU, Jean-Paul DENANOT, Ricardo SERRÃO SANTOS, Marc TARABELLA, Nicola CAPUTO

Motion for a resolution
Recital J

J. whereas greater market transparency ~~may limit price volatilit~~and access to information in a timely manner may improve producers' ability to react to market volatility and plan accordingly;

Amendment 71 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital J

J. whereas greater ~~market~~ transparency ~~may~~of European and international markets is a necessary yet insufficient condition for limiting price volatility;

Amendment 72 #

Marc TARABELLA, Nicola CAPUTO, Maria NOICHL, Tibor SZANYI, Eric ANDRIEU, Jean-Paul DENANOT

Motion for a resolution
Recital J

J. whereas greater market transparency ~~may~~is a necessary adjunct to public decision-making but is insufficient for limiting price volatility;

Amendment 73 #

Esther HERRANZ GARCÍA, Pilar AYUSO, Ramón Luis VALCÁRCEL SISO, Nuno MELO, Michel DANTIN

Motion for a resolution
Recital J

J. whereas greater market transparency may ~~limit~~contribute to limiting the effects of price volatility;

Amendment 74 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital J

J. whereas greater market transparency may limit price volatility, helping to provide better protection for farmers' incomes;

Amendment 75 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital J

J. whereas greater market transparency may limit price volatility by countering agricultural market speculation;

Amendment 76 #

Nicola CAPUTO, Paolo DE CASTRO, Michela GIUFFRIDA, Ricardo SERRÃO SANTOS, Marc TARABELLA

Motion for a resolution
Recital J a (new)

Ja. whereas one of the main objectives of the common agricultural policy (CAP) is economically, socially and environmentally balanced territorial development; whereas this means preserving productive and sustainable agriculture in the outermost and mountain regions, and whereas price volatility, linked to structurally low price levels, has a heightened impact in these regions, where costs linked to producing, harvesting and marketing products outside the areas where they were produced are much higher than in other areas;

Amendment 77 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital J a (new)

Ja. whereas, according to Commission data, countries with the most cooperatives are proving most resistant to the crisis;

Amendment 78 #

Eric ANDRIEU, Jean-Paul DENANOT, Ricardo SERRÃO SANTOS, Marc TARABELLA

Motion for a resolution
Recital K

K. whereas models such as the Milk Market Observatory, at Union level, and the Agricultural Market Information System, at world level, aim to enhance ~~market~~ transparency in European markets;

Amendment 79 #

Esther HERRANZ GARCÍA, Pilar AYUSO, Ramón Luis VALCÁRCEL SISO, Nuno MELO

Motion for a resolution
Recital K a (new)

Ka. whereas, however, the current milk market observatory is proving to be of very limited usefulness and whereas there is a need for a price control instrument which is more preventive in nature and covers not only the milk sector but also Europe's principal farming sectors;

Amendment 8 #

Jan HUITEMA, Fredrick FEDERLEY, Hannu TAKKULA, Jasenko SELIMOVIC

Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)

Aa. whereas price fluctuations are due to the rapid succession of shocks in demand, supply and prices, and whereas agricultural markets are characterised by low elasticity of prices and supply, which further aggravates price fluctuations;

Amendment 80 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital K a (new)

K a. Whereas tax-payers are worried about the spending of European funds and a more risk-based approach could enhance the legitimacy of agricultural spending and change the rationale of spending by making payments conditional, more based upon market developments and less structural;

Amendment 81 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital K a (new)

K a. stresses the significance, in the context of "digital revolution", of guaranteeing access to information and control of the agricultural data for farmers which may anticipate the market risks;

Amendment 82 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital ΙΒ a (new)

La. whereas agriculture is the main source of income in less favoured, peripheral, island and mountain areas in the EU;

Amendment 83 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital M

~~M. whereas the CAP as reformed in 2013 includes tools for risk management within the framework of rural development policy;~~deleted

Amendment 84 #

Francisco de Paula GAMBUS MILLET

Motion for a resolution
Recital M

M. whereas the CAP as reformed in 2013 includes tools for risk management within the framework of rural development policy, particularly insurance of harvests, livestock and crops, mutual funds for unfavourable weather and animal and plant diseases and the income stabilisation tool;

Amendment 85 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital M a (new)

Ma. whereas the past two years have seen serious market disturbances which the Commission has been late in declaring;

Amendment 86 #

Eric ANDRIEU, Jean-Paul DENANOT, Ricardo SERRÃO SANTOS, Marc TARABELLA

Motion for a resolution
Recital M a (new)

M a. whereas in the United States 35- 45% of government subsidies for crop insurance programmes go not to the farmer but to private insurance companies;

Amendment 87 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Considers that ~~volatility must be accepted as a given and that those operators who are most exposed must be supported in order to lessen its negative effect~~dealing with price volatility must take into account the extremely unstable and imperfect nature, and the possible failure, of agricultural markets; this necessitates ensuring a measure of control over such volatility in the CAP, national (fiscal) policy and the management systems of companies;

Amendment 88 #

Nicola CAPUTO, Tibor SZANYI, Michela GIUFFRIDA, Ricardo SERRÃO SANTOS, Marc TARABELLA, Viorica DĂNCILĂ, Paolo DE CASTRO, Momchil NEKOV, Jean-Paul DENANOT, Eric ANDRIEU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Considers that ~~volatility must be accepted as a given and that those operators who are most exposed must be supported in order to lessen its negative effects~~more incisive action and targeted instruments are required at EU level to tackle the problem of agricultural price volatility;

Amendment 89 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. ~~Considers that volatility must be accepted as a given and that those operators who are most exposed must be supported in order to lessen its negative effects~~Deems it necessary to adopt public policies to put an end to price volatility;

Amendment 9 #

Marc TARABELLA, Maria NOICHL, Tibor SZANYI, Eric ANDRIEU, Jean-Paul DENANOT

Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)

Aa. whereas agriculture and food remain at the centre of various heterogeneous technological, social, economic, environmental and political forces which are currently in danger of becoming unstable;

Amendment 90 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Considers that volatility ~~must be accepted as a given and that~~is the consequence of the mistaken political decision to deregulate agricultural markets, and a "producerist" ethos which ignores the need to balance supply and demand; new forms of public regulation of the markets must be introduced in order to lessen the occurrence of volatility and guarantee fair prices for farmers, and those operators who are most exposed must be supported in order to lessen ~~its~~the negative effects of volatility;

Amendment 91 #

Michel DANTIN, Sofia RIBEIRO, Mairead McGUINNESS, Herbert DORFMANN, Esther HERRANZ GARCÍA, Pilar AYUSO, Ramón Luis VALCÁRCEL SISO

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Considers that volatility ~~must be accepted as a given and that those operators who are most exposed must be supported~~arises from various causes, such as market distortions, outbreaks of disease, natural disasters, etc., and that the EU must pursue a coherent policy providing farmers with support and risk management tools suited to the various risks in order to prevent or lessen ~~its~~the negative effects;

Amendment 92 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Considers that ~~volatility must be accepted as a given~~farmers will be increasingly exposed to price volatility as a result of the globalisation and sophistication of agricultural markets, greater variability of supply due to climatic vagaries, increased health risks and the parlous equilibrium of food supply; considers that it must be integrated in public policy and that those operators who are most exposed must be supported in order to lessen its negative effects;

Amendment 93 #

Luke Ming FLANAGAN, Estefanía TORRES MARTÍNEZ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Considers that volatility must be accepted as a given ~~and that those operators who are most exposed~~, that a compensating mechanism must be created to offset the adverse effects of price volatility, and that, for critical cases, a support mechanism must be s~~upported~~et up in order to lessen the losses to those operators who are most exposed to its negative effects;

Amendment 94 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Considers that volatility must be accepted as a given, if CAP continues to follow market driven model of agriculture, and that those operators who are most exposed must be supported in order to lessen its negative effects;

Amendment 95 #

Ivan JAKOVČIĆ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Considers that volatility must be accepted as a long-term given and that those operators who are most exposed must be supported in order to lessen its negative effects;

Amendment 96 #

Sofia RIBEIRO

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1a. Takes the view that price volatility implies increases and decreases in prices but this has not happened in some European regions, particularly the outermost regions, where in the past two years we have only seen sharply falling prices, which means that urgent action needs to be taken to protect all those involved in the sector in these regions;

Amendment 97 #

Michel DANTIN, Sofia RIBEIRO, Mairead McGUINNESS, Herbert DORFMANN, Elisabeth KÖSTINGER, Angélique DELAHAYE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1 a. notes that the various agricultural sectors have different degrees of exposure to price volatility and that the calibration of public policy tools or mitigation strategies of the actors in these sectors must be adapted to each production area and to the real, current and future risks faced by farmers;

Amendment 98 #

Jan HUITEMA, Fredrick FEDERLEY, Ulrike MÜLLER, Hannu TAKKULA, Jasenko SELIMOVIC

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1 a. highlights that the sector must be encouraged to set up initiatives to improve their management and entrepreneurial skills by foreseeing future liquidity flows and the impact of possible change in their business strategy in order to combat volatility and make themselves more competitive and strengthen their common bargaining power;

Amendment 99 #

Marc TARABELLA, Nicola CAPUTO, Maria NOICHL, Tibor SZANYI, Eric ANDRIEU, Jean-Paul DENANOT

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1a. Points out that the current CAP is open to criticism because of the issues of incomes, agricultural employment and excessive price volatility;

source: 584.243

2016/06/23 BUDG 51 amendments...

Amendment 1 #

Anneli JÄÄTTEENMÄKI, Nedzhmi ALI, Nils TORVALDS

Draft opinion
Recital Α

Α. whereas the recent bouts of extreme price volatility in global agricultural markets portend rising and more frequent threats to world food security, the future of farmers and their livelihood, particularly in the southern European countries such as Greece, Italy, Portugal and Cyprus;

Amendment 10 #

Draft opinion
Recital B

B. whereas high levels of price and income volatility for farmers are related to the market fundamentals of supply and demand, but can be intensified by other macro-economic variables, the broad political and legislative environment, geopolitics and embargoes, and speculation on agricultural products which, when sold as financial assets, are exposed to shocks on related commodity markets (such as the energy and metal markets);

Amendment 11 #

Anneli JÄÄTTEENMÄKI, Nedzhmi ALI, Nils TORVALDS

Draft opinion
Recital Β

Β. whereas high levels of price and income volatility for farmers are related to the ~~market fundamentals of supply and demand~~austerity policies imposed in the EU Member States, but can also be intensified by other macro-economic variables, the broad political and legislative environment, and speculation on agricultural products which, when sold as financial assets, are exposed to shocks on related commodity markets (such as the energy and metal markets);

Amendment 12 #

Draft opinion
Recital B a (new)

Ba. whereas price volatility increases the unpredictability of farmers' incomes and causes distress for European farmers whose costs remain high;

Amendment 13 #

Draft opinion
Recital C

C. whereas the increased vulnerability is being triggered by an increase in extreme weather events and the impact of climate change on agricultural production levels, as well as by structural factors such as energy and fertiliser prices, exchange rates or interest rates; urges farmers to exert better control over the use of inputs on their farms which are expensive to purchase and can have repercussions for the environment;

Amendment 14 #

Draft opinion
Recital C

C whereas the increased vulnerability is being triggered by an increase in extreme weather events and the impact of climate change on agricultural production levels, as well as by structural factors such as energy and fertiliser prices, exchange rates or interest rates, not to mention the extortionate taxes imposed on farmers in southern European countries such as Greece, Italy, Portugal and Cyprus;

Amendment 15 #

Draft opinion
Recital C a (new)

Ca. whereas milk producers have suffered huge losses as a result of the Russian embargo and the catastrophic drought of 2015;

Amendment 16 #

Draft opinion
Recital C b (new)

Cb. whereas heavy fines have been imposed on a large proportion of farms for exceeding the milk quotas in 2014/2015;

Amendment 17 #

Draft opinion
Recital C c (new)

Cc. whereas pork producers have been affected by low purchase prices for many months as a result of the Russian embargo and, above all, African swine fever;

Amendment 18 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Emphasises that the EU is both the world’s largest importer and exporter of agri-food products, but the options of using CAP rural development programmes (RDPs) to contribute towards insurance, mutual funds and income stabilisation schemes for farmers have ~~not been very successful~~had no tangible results;

Amendment 19 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1a. Notes that direct payments continue to provide a degree of financial stability for farmers, particularly during protracted periods of low prices; considers that direct payments have demonstrated better value for money than the previous practice of direct market intervention;

Amendment 2 #

Draft opinion
Recital A

A. whereas the recent bouts of extreme price volatility in global agricultural markets portend rising and more frequent threats to world food security; undermines investment and modernization, as well as discouraging new entrants and generational renewal in the agricultural sector;

Amendment 20 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1a. Adds that failing to be crowned with success is an abiding feature of the EU’s agricultural policies;

Amendment 21 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Calls for ~~better synergies between CAP and other EU policies, in particular regarding energy, water supply, land use, biodiversity and ecosystems, and the development of remote and mountainous area~~an end to the CAP which has done so much harm to farmers;;

Amendment 22 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Calls for better synergies between CAP and other EU policies, in particular regarding energy, water supply, land use, biodiversity and ecosystems, ~~and~~ the development of remote island and mountainous areas and the reorganisation of primary production;

Amendment 23 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2a. Emphasises, furthermore, that direct payments should remain a CAP instrument beyond 2020, to support and stabilise farm income, to compensate for the costs arising from complying with high EU standards (as regards production methods, in particular environmental requirements), and to maintain agricultural production in the least- favoured regions; points out that direct payments should thus be geared towards ensuring that farming is economically stable, as well as guaranteeing food and environmental security; points out, in that context, that it is essential to level out direct payment rates in order to ensure a level playing field for competition in the EU’s single market, as well as for sustainable exploitation;

Amendment 24 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2a. Calls for the introduction of a transparent system for monitoring the price evolution of agricultural products from production to distribution, visible for consumers;

Amendment 25 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 b (new)

2b. Calls for introducing a variation threshold in farm subsidies in relation to the quantity of products on the market, the prices, the regions and costs of production;

Amendment 26 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

~~3. Calls for the creation of a system to protection farmers’ incomes through the use of ‘risk management’ tools, changing the efforts undertaken so far in the 2014-2020 CAP reform;~~deleted

Amendment 27 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Calls for the creation of a system to protect~~ion~~ farmers’ incomes through the wider use of ‘risk management’ tools, such as insurance and mutual funds used alongside crisis management and prevention tools, changing the efforts undertaken so far in the 2014- 2020 CAP reform;

Amendment 28 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Calls ~~for~~on the ~~creation of a system to protection farmers’ incomes through the use~~Commission to work closely with national authorities and farming groups to raise awareness and understanding of ‘'risk management’' tools~~, changing the efforts undertaken so far in~~ available within Pillar II of the 2014-2020 CAP ~~reform~~;

Amendment 29 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Calls for the creation of a system to protect~~ion~~ farmers’ incomes through the use of ‘risk management’ tools, changing the efforts undertaken so far in the 2014- 2020 CAP reform;

Amendment 3 #

Giovanni LA VIA

Draft opinion
Recital A

A. whereas the recent bouts of extreme price volatility in global agricultural markets portend rising and more frequent threats to world food security and greater market vulnerability;

Amendment 30 #

Giovanni LA VIA

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 – subparagraph 1 (new)

Calls for greater transparency in agricultural markets so that information concerning prices is accessible to all stakeholders;

Amendment 31 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3a. Takes the view that combating excessive price volatility calls for new solutions making markets function better and based on deployment of a set of combinable and/or complementary public- and private-sector tools; states that, as the ongoing very serious farming crises have demonstrated, it is essential to build new crisis prevention and market adjustment mechanisms into a subsequent CAP that are tailored to specific production circumstances, flexible, effective, rapidly deployable and capable of being brought into play where it is necessary to do so in order to rectify major market disruptions;

Amendment 32 #

Esteban GONZÁLEZ PONS

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3a. Considers that any future risk management scheme has to comply with, and where necessary complete, insurance systems adopted at national level by Member States, so as not to jeopardise all that has been achieved so far.

Amendment 33 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3a. Calls for consideration to be given to the use of funds from the general budget (or the so-called crisis reserve) as a source of funding for these and other Commission activities aimed at improving the situation in agricultural markets;

Amendment 34 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3a. Calls for the creation of a European map presenting in real-time the availability of agricultural products on the market, from their production to their distribution;

Amendment 35 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 b (new)

3b. Believes a mandatory precautionary savings scheme for farmers should be set up to replace the current European crisis reserve, to cover risks of all kinds, partly through direct aid, so as to set aside some reserves in good years that can be deployed during difficult times;

Amendment 36 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 b (new)

3b. Stresses that it is essential to level out direct payment rates between Member States in order to ensure a level playing field for competition in the EU’s single market, as well as for the sustainable exploitation of agricultural resources at EU level;

Amendment 37 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 c (new)

3c. Considers that food humanitarian aid may give producers a useful role as a safety net;

Amendment 38 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Urges the Commission and the Member States to monitor the significant price volatility of agricultural products by improving the European Food Prices Monitoring Tool (FPMT).; believes that timely market information can improve farmers' ability to react to market volatility and plan accordingly;

Amendment 39 #

Giovanni LA VIA

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Urges the Commission and the Member States to monitor the significant price volatility of agricultural products by establishing European agricultural price observatories for individual sectors and by improving the European Food Prices Monitoring Tool (FPMT).

Amendment 4 #

Draft opinion
Recital A a (new)

Aa. whereas the tools of the common agricultural policy (CAP) have not helped to reduce this volatility;

Amendment 40 #

Raffaele FITTO

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

Amendment 41 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Urges the Commission and the Member States to ~~moni~~take measures in response tor the significant price volatility of agricultural products ~~by improving the European Food Prices Monitoring Tool (FPMT).~~;

Amendment 42 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Urges the ~~Commission and the~~ Member States to monitor the significant price volatility of agricultural products by improving the European Food Prices Monitoring Tool (FPMT).

Amendment 43 #

Raffaele FITTO

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 – point 1 (new)

(1) Calls for intervention instruments in support of farmers’ income to be strengthened and implemented more swiftly in areas affected by serious natural disasters.

Amendment 44 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4a. Considers that funding from the Rural Development Programme should be targeted towards ensuring farmers receive the training and education required to make adequate use of risk management tools; believes this would allow farmers to better anticipate and manage price volatility;

Amendment 45 #

Anneli JÄÄTTEENMÄKI, Nedzhmi ALI, Nils TORVALDS

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4a. Calls on the Commission to ensure that the Member States, in particular Greece, pay farmers and stockbreeders on time and in full the subsidies and aid to which they are entitled under the CAP, paying special attention to compensatory allowances;

Amendment 46 #

Andrej PLENKOVIĆ

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4a. Calls the Commission to consider policy measures that are increasing the competitiveness of food supply chains that contribute to fair and stable prices;

Amendment 47 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4a. Calls for concrete tools to reduce negative social repercussions of price volatility to European farmers;

Amendment 48 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 b (new)

4b. Calls on the Commission to inform Parliament of any delays by Member States, especially Greece, in the payment of CAP subsidies and aid owing to farmers and to take action against those Member States that fail to make such payments on time;

Amendment 49 #

Andrej PLENKOVIĆ

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 b (new)

4b. Calls the Commission to analyse and asses hedging functions of European agricultural commodity derivatives markets and their related infrastructure in the physical agricultural markets;

Amendment 5 #

Draft opinion
Recital A b (new)

Ab. whereas agriculture has to meet the major challenge of world population growth;

Amendment 50 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 c (new)

4c. Calls on the Commission to verify the correct implementation by the Member States, especially Greece, of CAP provisions in respect of grassland. In this context, particular consideration should be given to safeguarding the acquired rights of farmers, especially in Member States such as Greece with predominantly mountainous terrain;

Amendment 51 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 d (new)

4d. Calls on the Commission to take steps to ensure full compensation and financial assistance for farmers and stockbreeders in Member States such as Greece and Cyprus where crops and livestock, machinery, equipment and infrastructures have sustained major damage caused by fires, floods or other natural disasters.

Amendment 6 #

Draft opinion
Recital A c (new)

Ac. whereas political choices, such as the imposition of brutal trade embargoes, notably the one imposed on Russia, can increase the volatility of agricultural product prices;

Amendment 7 #

Draft opinion
Recital A d (new)

Ad. whereas market opening and economic globalisation in recent decades have accentuated price volatility;

Amendment 8 #

Draft opinion
Recital A e (new)

Ae. whereas price volatility creates a climate of uncertainty in farming and curbs its capacity to invest;

Amendment 9 #