2021/2043(INI) | [ParlTrack]

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Underlines that the food and drink industry is the EU’s biggest manufacturing sector, employing more than 4.82 million people and adding EUR 266 billion in value; ~~highlights the importance of~~emphasises that the coronavirus crisis has shown us just how important production geared to local markets is for a smoothly functioning single market iwhich can unlock~~ing~~ the full potential of the EU agri- food sector, sin partimcula~~ting greater competitiveness, growth and the creation of jobs~~r given the international competition for markets and with a view to creating jobs at regional and local level;

Amendment 10 #

Paolo DE CASTRO, Juozas OLEKAS, Pina PICIERNO, Marc TARABELLA, Carmen AVRAM

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Highlights the importance of enhancing the resilience of EU agri-food systems, including regional and local food systems, as well as of short supply chains, as set out in the Farm to Fork Strategy; stresses, however, that the strategy should be based on a comprehensive ex-ante, scientific and cumulative impact assessment based on public consultations with representatives of the agri-food chain and other relevant stakeholders, and not lead to additional barriers and greater fragmentation within the single market;

Amendment 11 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Highlights the importance of enhancing the resilience of regional and local food systems, as well as of short supply chains, as set out in the Farm to Fork Strategy, and calls on the governments of the Member States to use legislative, tax and fiscal instruments to help local food and agricultural production to become more widely available on the retail market; stresses, however, that the strategy should not lead to additional barriers and greater fragmentation within the single market;

Amendment 12 #

Bert-Jan RUISSEN

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Highlights the importance of enhancing the resilience of regional and local food systems, as well as of short supply chains, as set out in the Farm to Fork Strategy; stresses, however, that the strategy should not lead to additional barriers and greater fragmentation within the single market; stresses that smart and integrated food supply chains are indispensable for ensuring continuous food supplies throughout the Union;

Amendment 13 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Highlights the importance of enhancing the resilience of regional and local food systems, as well as of short supply chains, as set out in the Farm to Fork Strategy; stresses, however, that the strategy should not lead to additional barriers and greater fragmentation within the single market, with adverse effects on food production chain operators;

Amendment 14 #

Álvaro AMARO

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Highlights the importance of enhancing the resilience of regional and local food systems, as well as of short supply chains, as set out in the Farm to Fork Strategy; stresses, however, that the strategy should not ~~lead to~~introduce disproportionate measures, contribute to the introduction of additional barriers and lead to greater fragmentation within the single market;

Amendment 15 #

Jérémy DECERLE

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Highlights the importance of enhancing the resilience of regional and local food systems, as well as of short supply chains, as set out in the Farm to Fork Strategy; stresses~~, however,~~ that the strategy ~~should not lead to additional barriers and greater fragmentation~~will have to maintain, as well as allow the creation of new opportunities for all European products within the single market;

Amendment 16 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Highlights the importance of enhancing the dynamism and resilience of regional and local food systems, as well as of short supply chains, as set out in the Farm to Fork Strategy; stresses, however, that the strategy should not lead to additional barriers and greater fragmentation within the single market;

Amendment 17 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Highlights the importance of enhancing the resilience of regional and local food systems, as well as of short supply chains, as set out in the Farm to Fork Strategy; stresses~~, however, that the strategy should not lead to additional barriers and greater fragmentation within the single market~~ that public procurement should encourage organic, seasonal and local food production;

Amendment 18 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3a. Draws attention to the increasing consumer interest in a broader range of regional foods, which takes in matters linked to animal welfare and environmental and social sustainability, and to the related efforts to circumvent barriers to international trade, which at times of crisis pose a threat to the survival of many farms;

Amendment 19 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Notes the recent increase in national labelling requirements for food and drink products; underlines that these requirements must be justified and proportional, ~~and should~~in order not to penalise certain categories of product, not to create obstacles to the smooth movement of food products across the EU and to ensure that the information provided to consumers remains clear, transparent and understandable to everyone;

Amendment 2 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Underlines that the food and drink industry is the EU’s biggest manufacturing sector, employing more than 4.82 million people and adding EUR 266 billion in value; highlights the importance of a smoothly functioning single market in unlocking the full potential of the EU agri- food sector, stimulating greater competitiveness, growth and the creation of jobs; points out that tariff barriers directly affect prices and generate major imbalances in farmers’ incomes;

Amendment 20 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Notes the recent increase in national labelling requirements for food and drink products; points out that the different labelling in some Member States misleads consumers, and calls for food labelling standards to be maintained; underlines that these requirements must be justified and proportional, and should not create obstacles to the smooth movement of food products across the EU;

Amendment 21 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Notes with concern the recent increase in national labelling requirements for food and drink products; underlines that these requirements must be justified and proportional, and should not create obstacles to the smooth movement of food products across the EU; stresses in this regard that a single European approach to labelling could remove barriers to the functioning of the single market;

Amendment 22 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Notes the recent increase in national labelling requirements for food and drink products due to consumers’ broad interest in food and its health, environmental, social and animal welfare impacts; underlines that these requirements must be ~~justified~~traceable and proportional, ~~and~~ should ~~not create obstacles to the~~be easy to comprehend for consumer and enable a smooth movement of food products across the EU;

Amendment 23 #

Paolo DE CASTRO, Attila ARA-KOVÁCS, Juozas OLEKAS, Pina PICIERNO, Marc TARABELLA, Carmen AVRAM

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Notes the recent increase in national labelling requirements for food and drink products; underlines that these requirements must be justified ~~and~~, proportional and in line with EU harmonized food and drink regulatory framework, especially with regard to safety issues, and should not create obstacles to the smooth movement of food products across the EU;

Amendment 24 #

Álvaro AMARO

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Notes the recent increase in national labelling requirements for food and drink products; underlines that these requirements must be justified and proportional, and should not create obstacles to the smooth movement of food products across the EU; stresses the need to ensure that the single market system is as harmonised as possible;

Amendment 25 #

Paolo DE CASTRO, Attila ARA-KOVÁCS, Juozas OLEKAS, Pina PICIERNO, Ivo HRISTOV, Marc TARABELLA, Carmen AVRAM

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4 a. Highlights the importance of improving transparency in the EU Single Market, and of better traceability of all production and distribution processes in accordance with the right of European consumers to have more information on the origin and production methods of the foodstuffs they consume; notes that an appropriate EU mandatory labelling on the origin of food products have the potential to significantly increase transparency and traceability, as well as avoid disruptions of the internal market;

Amendment 26 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4 a. Stresses that a proliferation of national limitations on the use of certain substances could hamper the free circulation of food and drinks across the Union; encourages in this regard the Member States to favour a common European, evidence-based and proportional approach to unilateral national measures;

Amendment 27 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4 a. Stresses the need for the EU and Member States to work together to identify where increased direct shipping routes between island EU Member states, or territories, and Member States on the mainland may be advantageous, in particular in the context of Brexit;

Amendment 28 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 b (new)

4 b. Notes with concern the increasing number of different national product specification recognition rules, indirectly or directly leading to the shielding of the national market, in particular as regards public tenders for collective meals such as meals for schools, hospitals or canteens; stresses that these practices hamper the proper functioning of the European single market; calls therefore on the Commission to be more vigilant about these indirect protectionist measures and to act quickly when they are reported;

Amendment 29 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 b (new)

4 b. Notes that direct shipping routes from the North of Ireland jurisdiction to mainland Europe could be helpful in ensuring the full implementation of the Withdrawal Agreement (Irish Protocol), as trade in this context is equivalent to intra-union trade;

Amendment 3 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Underlines that the food and drink industry is the EU’s biggest manufacturing sector, employing more than 4.82 million people and adding EUR 266 billion in value; highlights the importance of a smoothly functioning single market ~~in unlocking~~, so that all EU operators can benefit from it to the full and the full potential of the EU agri- food sector can be unlocked, stimulating greater competitiveness, growth and the creation of jobs;

Amendment 30 #

4 c. Highlights the need to focus investment on infrastructure, which would facilitate greater trade within the union, such as roads or improved lairage facilities, for capacity and animal welfare conditions, at ports that are used to transport live animals between Member States;

Amendment 31 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 d (new)

4 d. Recalls the need to strengthen rail links on the island of Ireland between the two jurisdictions, as the North of Ireland, by applying the Irish protocol, effectively is an end destination of intra EU trade;

Amendment 32 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 e (new)

4 e. Recalls the importance of ensuring that COVID entry bans imposed on third countries do not affect the flow of goods from one Member State to another, in a situation where a third country is utilised in the transit route;

Amendment 33 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 f (new)

4 f. Notes the importance of working with third countries that are commonly used as a transit route between Member States, to ensure EU freight passes without hindrance;

Amendment 34 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 g (new)

4 g. Notes that the pandemic has led to additional trading disruption for EU countries, or territories, not connected to mainland Europe, therefore solutions to avoid this in future must be investigated;

Amendment 35 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 h (new)

4 h. Recalls that the disjointed process of testing between Member States, for transiting truck drivers, led to significant delays at borders during the pandemic;

Amendment 36 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 i (new)

4 i. Recalls the important role played by green lanes during the pandemic, in maintaining the smooth transport of food and medical equipment between EU Member States;

Amendment 37 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 j (new)

4 j. Highlights the post Brexit difficulties faced by hauliers, using the British land-bridge, who are not permitted to complete transit procedures electronically, forcing them, on re-entry to the EU, to attempt to visit an infrequently open transit office, thereby causing significant delay to delivery times;

Amendment 38 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 k (new)

4 k. Calls for the removal of the requirement by some Member States that EU hauliers using the British land-bridge pre-notify consignments of food, using the TRACES system, the fact other destination Member States do not require TRACES pre-notification illustrates it is not necessary;

Amendment 39 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 l (new)

4 l. Calls on the Commission to ensure the TRACES NT export certification module is ready for use by September 2021, as failure to do this will lead to additional administration, costs and confusion for intra-union trade exporters;

Amendment 4 #

Paolo DE CASTRO, Pina PICIERNO, Marc TARABELLA

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Stresses that the proper functioning of the single market is key to safeguarding agri-food supplies across the EU and is the best tool to ensure recovery for all; notes that in some Member States the COVID-19 pandemic has led to certain types of local restrictions; recalls that national measures ~~can~~must support and not undermine the fundamental principles of the single market, and points out that at times of crisis a food production system geared to international markets is much more vulnerable than one with a local or regional focus;

Amendment 40 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Considers it unacceptable that ~~quality differences exist between~~differences, which are not due to legitimate factors such as consumers preferences, the place of manufacturing, specific local requirements, differences in technologies or in sourcing of raw materials, exist in the quality of food products which are advertised and distributed in the single market under the same brand name and with the same packaging; welcomes the Commission’s incentives to address the issue of dual food quality ~~in the single market~~and calls for the implementation of all the necessary measures in order to avoid any obastacle to the functioning of the European single market, taking into due account the existing differences in market conditions, purchasing powers and fiscal regimes among Member States.

Amendment 41 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Considers it unacceptable that quality differences exist between food products which are advertised and distributed in the single market under the same brand name and with the same packaging~~; welcomes the Commission’s incentives to address the issue of dual food quality in the single market~~, since all European consumers enjoy the same rights, and calls on the Commission and Member States to step up action and cooperation to counteract such practices; welcomes the Commission’s incentives to address the issue of dual food quality in the single market; stresses the importance of applying existing food and consumer protection legislation with a view to identifying and eliminating double standards.

Amendment 42 #

Jérémy DECERLE, Hilde VAUTMANS

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Considers it unacceptable that quality differences exist between food products which are advertised and distributed in the single market under the same brand name and with the same packaging; welcomes the Commission’s incentives to address the issue of dual food quality in the single market.; encourages the Member States to implement the updated Unfair Commercial Practice Directive, which prohibits unjustified significant different composition or characteristics of food products that are identically marketed in different Member States, timely and correctly into national law;

Amendment 43 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

Amendment 44 #

Tonino PICULA

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Considers it unacceptable that quality differences exist between food products which are advertised and distributed in the single market under the same brand name and with the same packaging; welcomes the ~~Commission’s incentives to~~adoption of Directive (EU) 2019/2161 and the Commission’s incentives and supports the Joint Research Center's work and findings, which all aim at addressing the issue of dual food quality in the single market.;

Amendment 45 #

Ivo HRISTOV, Juozas OLEKAS

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Considers it unacceptable that quality differences exist between food products which are advertised and distributed in the single market under the same brand name and with the same packaging; welcomes the ~~Commission’s incentives to~~adoption of Directive (EU) 2019/2161 and the Commission’s incentives and supports the Joint Research Center's work and findings, which all aim at addressing the issue of dual food quality in the single market.;

Amendment 46 #

Bert-Jan RUISSEN

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5 a. Highlights that complex EU legislation and its transposition at national level has been identified by the Commission as one of the root causes for barriers on the internal market and distortion of the level playing field; calls on the Commission to strictly apply the ‘one-in, one-out’ principle for future legislative initiatives with the aim of simplification and reducing the administrative burdens.

Amendment 47 #

Veronika VRECIONOVÁ, Mazaly AGUILAR

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5 a. Calls on the Commission to adjust expenditure in the annual budgets of the Multiannual Financial Framework 2021- 2021 so that agricultural subsidies in all Member States are equalised to the same level by 2027, so as not to distort fair competition in the internal market, as the Commission undertook to do in the Accession Treaties for Eastern European countries;

Amendment 48 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5 a. All measures taken by the EU should be consistent with, and under no circumstances in violation of, the WTO principles".

Amendment 49 #

Veronika VRECIONOVÁ, Mazaly AGUILAR

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)

5 b. Legislative measures should primarily aim at the quality and parameters of the final (agricultural) product, rather than at production methods.

Amendment 5 #

Paolo DE CASTRO, Attila ARA-KOVÁCS, Juozas OLEKAS, Pina PICIERNO, Ivo HRISTOV, Marc TARABELLA, Carmen AVRAM

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Stresses that the proper functioning of the single market is key to safeguarding sufficient, affordable and high quality agri-food supplies across the EU and is the best tool to ensure ~~recovery for all~~competitiveness, vibrant rural areas, decent incomes, a fair standard of living and a prompt recovery for the European agricultural community; notes that in some Member States the COVID-19 pandemic has led to certain types of local restrictions; recalls that national measures cannot undermine the fundamental principles of the single market;

Amendment 50 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)

5 b. Calls on the Commission to withdraw its signature from the EU- MERCOSUR Trade Agreement;

Amendment 51 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 c (new)

5 c. Calls on the Commission not to negotiate trade or other agreements that would allow for increased imports of agricultural commodities and food from third countries into the EU;

Amendment 52 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 d (new)

5 d. Calls on the Commission to carry out an impact assessment of the various pieces of EU legislation on the marketability of Member States' farmers' produce in the single market, in particular with regard to the obstacles to the greater marketability of local production on local markets; calls on the Commission, following this analysis, to submit amendments to the relevant legislation without delay to the European Parliament and the Council for approval;

Amendment 53 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 e (new)

5 e. Calls on the Commission to submit to the European Parliament and the Council a legislative proposal to enable Member States to force retail chains to increase sales of local agricultural production at fair prices;

Amendment 54 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 f (new)

5 f. Calls on the Commission to submit for approval by the European Parliament and the Council a legislative proposal to enable Member States to regulate the margins of retail chains so that farm gate prices guarantee farmers and food processors a reasonable profit, thus enabling them to continue their agricultural production and food processing, and to ensure that consumers pay fair prices for high-quality food of European and, in particular, local origin;

Amendment 6 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Encourages the EU food and drink industry to continue their efforts to increase their 70% share of purchases and processing of the EU agricultural production; Stresses that the proper functioning of the single market is key to safeguarding agri-food supplies across the EU and is the best tool to ensure recovery for all; notes that in some Member States the COVID-19 pandemic has led to certain types of local restrictions; recalls that national measures cannot undermine the fundamental principles of the single market;

Amendment 7 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Stresses that the proper functioning of the single market is key to safeguarding agri-food supplies across the EU and is the best tool to ensure recovery for all; notes that in some Member States the COVID-19 pandemic has led to certain types of local restrictions; points out that the decline in hotel, restaurant and catering sector activity has had a devastating impact on the food production sector; recalls that national measures cannot undermine the fundamental principles of the single market;

Amendment 8 #

Álvaro AMARO

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Stresses that the proper functioning of the single market is key to safeguarding agri-food supplies across the EU and is the best tool to ensure recovery for all; notes that ~~in some Member States~~ the COVID- 19 pandemic has led to certain types of restrictions between Member States, and in some Member States, to local restrictions; recalls that national measures cannot undermine the fundamental principles of the single market;

Amendment 9 #