2021/2079(INI) | [ParlTrack]

Draft opinion
Recital A

A. whereas the agri-food sector is of strategic importance for islands and the outermost regions in terms of using natural resources more sustainably; whereas the new representative concentration pathway (RCP) climate scenario RCP4.5 forecasts acute future problems for agriculture, water availability and accessibility and food security;

Amendment 10 #

Draft opinion
Recital B a (new)

B a. Whereas farmers in island regions face specific difficulties, especially decreased competitiveness, due to the fact that they have to bear high transport costs and cannot benefit from economies of scale, given that land is a scarce resource on many islands; whereas they often have to cope with difficult climatic and topographic conditions;

Amendment 11 #

Irène TOLLERET, Adrián VÁZQUEZ LÁZARA, Atidzhe ALIEVA-VELI

Draft opinion
Recital B a (new)

B a. Whereas many of Europe's outermost islands are also volcanic islands, which adds to their geographical handicaps a high risk of natural disasters and serious damage to agricultural production.

Amendment 12 #

Draft opinion
Recital B a (new)

B a. Whereas islands, especially outermost regions, are very vulnerable to economic crises and, following the Covid- 19 epidemic, they have suffered more severe supply difficulties than mainland areas.

Amendment 13 #

Cristina MAESTRE MARTÍN DE ALMAGRO, Clara AGUILERA, Giuseppe FERRANDINO, Paolo DE CASTRO, Isabel CARVALHAIS

Draft opinion
Recital B a (new)

Ba. whereas the specific characteristics of insular and outermost areas have been amplified by the adverse impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, creating particular difficulties for farmers;

Amendment 14 #

Draft opinion
Recital B a (new)

B a. whereas insular territories in the Union account for 80% of European diversity and represent a landscape and environmental treasure that requires specific protection;

Amendment 15 #

Cristina MAESTRE MARTÍN DE ALMAGRO, Clara AGUILERA, Giuseppe FERRANDINO, Paolo DE CASTRO, Isabel CARVALHAIS

Draft opinion
Recital B b (new)

B b. whereas these regions are at a strong disadvantage due to competition from third countries, which do not respect the same environmental and food safety production standards, and have much lower labour costs, making it very difficult to afford new investments intended to improve their competitiveness and to adapt to new EU legal requirements.

Amendment 16 #

Draft opinion
Recital B b (new)

B b. whereas a substantial part of the socio-economic development of islands is based on sectors with a high temporary rate as it is the case for agriculture and tourism; whereas this socio-economic development is sometimes threatened by the islands’ own geological, geographical, climatic specificities, and diverse characteristics;

Amendment 17 #

Draft opinion
Recital B b (new)

B b. Whereas islands are highly vulnerable in the face of climate change and extreme weather events, such as hurricanes, this situation being especially problematic for insular Outermost Regions, as they are located further away from the continents,in vast ocean basins;

Amendment 18 #

Draft opinion
Recital B b (new)

Bb. whereas all Member States will need to comply with the farm to fork strategy as an essential part of the European Green Deal in order to develop fair, healthy and environmentally friendly food supply systems;

Amendment 19 #

Draft opinion
Recital B c (new)

B c. Whereas the impact of the Farm- to-Fork strategy on EU agricultural production may have severe consequences in these regions due to their weak competitiveness vis-à-vis imports from third countries and the challenges they face in the diversification of their productions.

Amendment 2 #

Cristina MAESTRE MARTÍN DE ALMAGRO, Clara AGUILERA, Giuseppe FERRANDINO, Paolo DE CASTRO, Isabel CARVALHAIS

Draft opinion
Recital A

A. whereas the agri-food sector is of strategic importance for islands in terms of using natural resources more sustainably; whereas the new representative concentration pathway (RCP) climate scenario RCP4.5 forecasts acute future problems for agriculture, the ecological balance, water availability and food security;

Amendment 20 #

Draft opinion
Recital B c (new)

B c. whereas islands have faced specific difficulties during the COVID-19 pandemic due to their geographical isolation and difficulties in accessing basic supplies from mainland territories, such as fuel or water;

Amendment 21 #

Irène TOLLERET, Adrián VÁZQUEZ LÁZARA, Atidzhe ALIEVA-VELI

Draft opinion
Recital B d (new)

B d. Whereas services of general interest are not fully developed in all islands, mainly due to insufficient investments in basic infrastructures, such as roads, water supply or waste management facilities, which further hinders the development of viable agricultural production.

Amendment 22 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Calls on the Commission to maintain appropriate funding, including through the programmes for the outermost regions and smaller Aegean islands, particularly the Programme of Options Specifically Relating to Remoteness and Insularity (POSEI) for farming, applying the requisite fair increase, to enhance agricultural competitiveness, ensure sustainable management of natural resources and support harmonised and balanced territorial development on EU islands; reiterates, further, the importance of ensuring 85% cofinancing for the outermost regions under the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD);

Amendment 23 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Calls on the Commission to maintain appropriate funding, including through ~~the~~specific programmes for the outermost regions and for smaller Aegean islands, to enhance agricultural competitiveness, ~~ensure sustainable management of natural resources and support balanced territorial development on EU islan~~safeguard the development of traditional farming activities, protect the regions' supplies of essential agricultural products, ensure sustainable management of natural resources and support balanced territorial development; stresses that the current appropriations for these programmes are insufficient to meet the regions' specific needs;

Amendment 24 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Calls on the Commission to maintain appropriate funding, earmarked for specific measures, including through the programmes for the outermost regions and smaller Aegean islands, to enhance agricultural competitiveness, ensure sustainable management of natural resources, develop short supply chains, promote easier access to new technologies and support balanced territorial development on all EU islands;

Amendment 25 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Calls on the Commission to maintain appropriate funding, including through the programmes for the outermost regions and smaller Aegean islands, to enhance agricultural competitiveness, ensure sustainable management of natural resources, strict protection of ecosystems representing biodiversity hotspots and support balanced territorial development on EU islands;

Amendment 26 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Calls on the Commission to ~~maintain appropri~~increase the dedicated funding, including ~~through the~~by expanding programmes for the outermost regions and smaller Aegean islands, to enhance agricultural competitiveness, without distortion, so as to ensure sustainable management of natural resources and support balanced territorial development on EU islands and in the EU's outermost regions;

Amendment 27 #

Cristina MAESTRE MARTÍN DE ALMAGRO, Clara AGUILERA, Giuseppe FERRANDINO, Paolo DE CASTRO

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Calls on the Commission to maintain appropriate funding, including through the programmes for the outermost regions and smaller Aegean islands, to enhance ~~agricultural~~ competitiveness~~, ensure~~ for sustainable farming practice by providing schemes which are supporting sustainable management of natural resources and support balanced territorial development on EU islands;

Amendment 28 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Calls on the Commission to maintain a~~ppropriate funding, including through the~~dequate levels of funding via POSEI programmes for ~~the~~ outermost regions and ~~smaller~~ Aegean islands in its entirety within the CAP and without budget cuts, to enhance agricultural competitiveness, ensure sustainable management of natural resources and support balanced territorial development on EU islands;

Amendment 29 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Calls on the Commission to maintain appropriate funding, including through the programmes for the outermost regions of the Union (POSEI scheme) and smaller Aegean islands, to enhance agricultural competitiveness, ensure sustainable management of natural resources and support balanced territorial development on EU islands;

Amendment 3 #

B. whereas agriculture on islands isand their economic development are hampered by their remote location, isolation and insularity, small holdings, limited diversity in production, dependence on local and continental European markets, the climate crisis, environmental degradation, biodiversity loss and a lack of energy, fresh water and digital ~~infrastructure~~, road, port and health infrastructure, and whereas islands in the outermost regions face a double insularity;

Amendment 30 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Calls on the Commission to ~~maintain~~promote appropriate funding, including through the programmes for the outermost regions and smaller Aegean islands, to enhance agricultural competitiveness, ensure sustainable management of natural resources and support balanced territorial development on EU islands;

Amendment 31 #

Irène TOLLERET, Adrián VÁZQUEZ LÁZARA, Atidzhe ALIEVA-VELI

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1a. Recalls the conclusions set out in the 2016 European Commission report1-A on the implementation of the POSEI, which stressed the programme's key role in safeguarding traditional activities, diversifying farming production for local consumption, and ensuring a decent supply of farming products; stresses, further, that according to the same report, without the specific POSEI scheme, any cessation of farming production could affect coverage of certain specific needs, including employment, environmental matters and the territorial aspect of the regions. _________________ 1-A COM (2016) 797 final

Amendment 32 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1 a. Welcomes the maintenance of the POSEI funds in the current EU financial framework, and stresses the role played by this program in supporting agricultural production and supply in outermost regions through specific tools; nevertheless, asks the Commission to make an in-depth evaluation of the financial needs of those regions to help them achieve the ecological transition and to improve their economic resilience.

Amendment 33 #

Cristina MAESTRE MARTÍN DE ALMAGRO, Clara AGUILERA, Giuseppe FERRANDINO, Paolo DE CASTRO, Isabel CARVALHAIS

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1 a. Calls on the Commission to maintain the long-term co-financing rate for the outermost regions at 85% for the EAFRD in order to ensure the socio- economic development of these territories and thereby alleviate the problems arising from their remote location;

Amendment 34 #

Cristina MAESTRE MARTÍN DE ALMAGRO, Clara AGUILERA, Giuseppe FERRANDINO, Paolo DE CASTRO, Isabel CARVALHAIS

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 b (new)

1 b. Urges the Commission to increase the financial allocations for POSEI in the event of exceptional situations, such as the current one faced by the agricultural sector in the island of La Palma (Canary Islands) after the eruption of the volcano which began on 19 September 2021; calls for urgent action by the EU to ensure that the aid reaches the affected farmers in a rapid and effective manner; recalls that the eruption endangers a unique agricultural sector such as the Canary Islands banana industry, with estimated losses that exceed 100 million euros;

Amendment 35 #

Cristina MAESTRE MARTÍN DE ALMAGRO, Clara AGUILERA, Giuseppe FERRANDINO, Paolo DE CASTRO, Isabel CARVALHAIS

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Stresses the need to strengthen both the integrated territorial development approach towards islands and initiatives such as those on smart villages and digital innovation hubs with regard to islands in order to support sustainable agriculture and food production; highlights the importance of promoting the smart use of energy and water in order to ensure that islands make the most out of their scarce resources available;

Amendment 36 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Stresses the need to strengthen both the integrated territorial development approach towards islands, such as integrated territorial investments and community-led local development, and initiatives such as th~~ose on s~~e Smart vVillages and dEuropean Digital iInnovation hHubs with regard to islands in order to support sustainable agriculture and food production as well as agro-tourism;

Amendment 37 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Stresses the need to strengthen both the integrated territorial development approach towards islands and the outermost regions and initiatives such as those on smart villages and digital innovation hubs with regard to islands and the outermost regions in order to support ~~sustainable~~diversified agriculture and sustainable and competitive food production;

Amendment 38 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Stresses the need to strengthen both the integrated territorial development approach towards islands and initiatives such as those on smart villages and digital innovation hubs with regard to islands in order to support sustainable agriculture and food production with special focus on environmentally friendly mode practices;

Amendment 39 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2 a. Stresses the need for the further implementation of the Cork II declaration on a better life in rural areas which was signed by more than 340 rural development stakeholders to reflect on the current challenges and opportunities facing Europe’s rural areas and how best to respond to these.

Amendment 4 #

Draft opinion
Recital B

B. whereas agriculture holdings on islands ~~is hamper~~, most of them small farms, are challenged by their remote location, ~~small holdings,~~a limited diversity inof production, due to local and climatic conditions, a high dependence on local markets, the climate crisis, environmental degradation, biodiversity loss and a lack of energy, often a lack of fresh water and digital infrastructure;

Amendment 40 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2a. Points to the importance of the existence of a regular and effective maritime and air transport sector, including airport infrastructure with decent conditions, to the development of EU islands' farming sectors, particularly islands suffering the constraints of their outermost position;

Amendment 41 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 b (new)

2b. Believes that live animals should continue to be transported by sea, given the heavy dependence on exports of some islands' farming sectors, mainly the smallest islands, which cannot ship animal carcasses owing to their small size and resulting lack of infrastructure;

Amendment 42 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Stresses that biodiversity on islands is characterized by unique biogeographic, phylogenetic and functional characteristics, hold a disproportionate amount of the world's biodiversity, and they have also experienced a disproportionate loss of it; Stresses that targeted regional policies and actions to protect and restore the unique biodiversity of islands as well as to preserve the scarce natural resources on them, such as soil and water, are required to safeguard their agricultural productivity and ~~natural resources and~~secure the island livelihoods;

Amendment 43 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Stresses that targeted regional policies and actions to protect and restore the unique biodiversity of islands are required to safeguard their agricultural productivity and natural resources and island livelihoods; for this reason, strongly advises against any weakening of environmental regulations in islands and calls on the Commission and member states to prefer instead a strengthened support of farmers towards biodiversity friendly practices, including through higher funding and co-financing rates,

Amendment 44 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Stresses that targeted regional policies and actions to protect and restore the unique biodiversity of islands are required to safeguard their agricultural productivity and natural resources and island livelihoods; Considers that set eligibility conditions should ensure the protection of the irreplaceable values of overseas territories and should not compromise these for the sake of development;

Amendment 45 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Stresses that targeted regional policies and actions to protect and restore the unique biodiversity of islands and the outermost regions are required to safeguard ~~their~~and sustain local agricultural productivity ~~and~~for small family farms and also for medium-sized and large farms, natural resources and island livelihoods;

Amendment 46 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Stresses that targeted regional policies and actions, such as more coordinated technical assistance, to protect and restore the unique biodiversity of islands are required to safeguard their agricultural productivity and natural resources and island livelihoods, while helping to achieve European Green Deal objectives;

Amendment 47 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Stresses that targeted regional policies and actions, fostered and supported by the European Union, to protect and restore the unique biodiversity of islands are required to safeguard their agricultural productivity and natural resources and island livelihoods;

Amendment 48 #

Cristina MAESTRE MARTÍN DE ALMAGRO, Clara AGUILERA, Giuseppe FERRANDINO, Paolo DE CASTRO

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Stresses that targeted ~~regional~~ policies and actions to protect and restore the unique biodiversity of islands are required to safeguard their agricultural productivity, particularly traditional products, and natural resources and island livelihoods;

Amendment 49 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3 a. Regrets that EU policies do not always take into account the specific characteristics of the most remote island territories and that the needs of these regions are under-represented in European legislation; recalls that the EU lacks a specific strategy to address the problems and challenges of outermost regions; calls on the European Commission to consider launching a strategy to study and analyse the needs of these territories in detail;

Amendment 5 #

Draft opinion
Recital B

B. whereas agriculture on islands is hampered by their remote location, the small size of holdings, the dependence on energy from mainland, the limited diversity in production, the dependence on local markets, as well as by the climate crisis, the environmental degradation, biodiversity loss and athe lack of ~~energy,~~ fresh water supply and digital infrastructure;

Amendment 50 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3 a. Highlights the need to adapt as much as possible to climate change, notably in the food and farming sector; stresses that a resilient agriculture using locally adapted crops has better chances to withstand the effects of climate change; calls on the Member states to make the best use of funds available, and notably of the cohesion funds to support farmers in making the necessary changes in that regard;

Amendment 51 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3 a. Notes that island agricultural and food products are of unique quality due to islands' specific microclimatic and topographic conditions; calls for the creation of a quality label for island products; is of the view that this will increase competitiveness in particular of smaller islands and empower small farmers;

Amendment 52 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Calls on the Member States to utilise all available tools under cohesion policy to reinforce the self-sustainability of islands, inter alia through the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources, and make them an integral part of the transition towards sustainable food systems, thus turning geographical handicaps into opportunities; is of the view that promoting the role of islands in the sustainable food chain through the EU regional policy instruments could generate additional job opportunities and halve the depopulation trend in island regions;

Amendment 53 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Calls on the Member States to utilise all available tools under cohesion policy to reinforce the self-sustainability of islands and make them an integral part of the transition towards sustainable food systems, thus turning geographical handicaps into opportunities; points out that this transition is more difficult and slower for regional islands such as the outermost regions, where the costs of their geographical and structural disadvantages have hindered their ability to invest in and seize opportunities, including in the farming sector;

Amendment 54 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Calls on the Member States to utilise all available tools under cohesion policy to reinforce the food, agricultural and economic self-sustainability of islands and the outermost regions and make them an integral part of the transition towards sustainable food systems, thus turning geographical handicaps such as insularity and remote location into opportunities;

Amendment 55 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Calls on the Member States to utilise all available tools under cohesion policy to identify and promote opportunities for interaction between the various European channels of assistance, in order to reinforce the self-sustainability of islands and make them an integral part of the transition towards sustainable food systems, thus turning geographical handicaps into opportunities;

Amendment 56 #

Cristina MAESTRE MARTÍN DE ALMAGRO, Clara AGUILERA, Giuseppe FERRANDINO, Paolo DE CASTRO

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

Amendment 57 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Calls on the Member States to utilise all available tools under cohesion policy to reinforce food sovereignty and the self-sustainability of islands and make them an integral part of the transition towards sustainable food systems, thus turning geographical handicaps into opportunities;

Amendment 58 #

Cristina MAESTRE MARTÍN DE ALMAGRO, Clara AGUILERA, Giuseppe FERRANDINO, Paolo DE CASTRO, Isabel CARVALHAIS

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4 a. Calls on the Commission to take into account the specific problems faced by European islands during COVID-19; calls on the Commission to take into account their impact on agriculture and livestock farming in islands where the isolation and cessation of the economy put at risk the access to basic supplies as fuel and water from mainland territory;

Amendment 59 #

Cristina MAESTRE MARTÍN DE ALMAGRO, Clara AGUILERA, Giuseppe FERRANDINO, Paolo DE CASTRO, Isabel CARVALHAIS

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4 a. Stresses the need to support remunerative and environmentally friendly short supply chains and the development of a farming sector geared in priority towards local consumption, as opposed to the situation in some islands where the farming sector is mainly producing for commercialisation on the mainland;

Amendment 6 #

Draft opinion
Recital B

B. whereas agriculture on islands is hampered by their remote location, insularity and environmental specificities, small holdings, limited diversity in production, dependence on local markets, the climate crisis, environmental degradation, biodiversity loss and a lack of energy, limitations in the access to fresh water and digital infrastructure;

Amendment 60 #

Irène TOLLERET, Adrián VÁZQUEZ LÁZARA, Atidzhe ALIEVA-VELI

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4 a. Calls on the Member States to strengthen support from cohesion funds for the improvement of basic infrastructure on islands, in order to reduce the exodus to other regions and to ensure better conditions for the development of the agricultural activity.

Amendment 61 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4a. Stresses that this cohesion policy must not obscure the need to support the islands’ export products, which are often areas of excellence that boost the reputation of the European Union;

Amendment 62 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4a. Calls on the Member States to carry out within their territories measures to promote the consumption of agricultural products from their island and peripheral regions;

Amendment 63 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 b (new)

4 b. Highlights the lack of sustainable solutions for transporting agricultural products between most islands and the mainland and for exporting and importing agricultural products from and towards islands, and urges the Commission and the Member States to factor the need to develop greener connections into their development plans for the islands;

Amendment 64 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 b (new)

4b. Stresses that cohesion policies must be based on clear scientific studies so that the proposed measures reduce economic dependence on a limited range of products;

Amendment 65 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Calls for the Commission to promote island policies during regional planning processes to support sustainable agriculture, food production and agro- tourism; urges it also to assess the real cost of insularity; believes that the introduction of an "Insularity Clause" in EU policies is necessary and that it can be a criterion for the allocation of resources from the Structural Funds, while at the same time an impact assessment of EU initiatives and actions on the islands can be carried out.

Amendment 66 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Calls for the Commission to promote island policies during regional planning processes to support sustainable agriculture, food production and agro- tourism; urges it also to assess the real cost of insularity. and double insularity of archipelagic regions, such as many of the outermost regions; points to the importance of making up-to-date and harmonised data available to make it possible to assess the impact that cohesion policy has on those regions;

Amendment 67 #

Cristina MAESTRE MARTÍN DE ALMAGRO, Clara AGUILERA, Giuseppe FERRANDINO, Paolo DE CASTRO, Isabel CARVALHAIS

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Calls for the Commission to promote island policies ~~during regional planning processes to support~~, focusing on key sectors such as blue economy, connectivity, sustainable agriculture, food production and agro- tourism~~; urges it also~~, addressing climate change, protecting biodiversity, introducing circular economy and shifting towards renewable energy; urges the Commission to assess also the real cost of insularity, taking into account vulnerabilities and assets of the outermost regions.

Amendment 68 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Calls for the Commission to promote island policies during regional planning processes to support sustainable agriculture, food production and agro- tourism with funds complementary to those from the EAFRD; urges it also to assess the real cost of insularity.

Amendment 69 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Calls for the Commission to promote island and outermost region policies during regional planning processes ~~to support sustainable agriculture, food produc~~for agro-tourism and agro- transformation, and ~~agro- tourism;~~ urges it also to assess the real cost of insularity for inhabitants and economic actors.

Amendment 7 #

Draft opinion
Recital B

B. whereas agriculture on islands is hampered by their remote location, small holdings, limited diversity in production, dependence on local markets, strong competition from third countries, the climate crisis, environmental degradation, biodiversity loss and a lack of energy, fresh water and digital infrastructure;

Amendment 70 #

Irène TOLLERET, Adrián VÁZQUEZ LÁZARA, Atidzhe ALIEVA-VELI

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5 a. Calls on the European Commission to make the management and implementation of the Programme of options specifically relating to remoteness and insularity (POSEI) more flexible so that farmers in the outermost regions can receive 100% of aid without being required to reach 70% of production in situations of force majeure and natural disasters, such as the recent volcanic eruption on the island of La Palma.

Amendment 71 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5 a. Calls on the European Commission to analyse the situation faced by the islands, especially the outermost regions, in the event of food supply difficulties such as those that occurred following the outbreak of the Covid-19 epidemic, and to propose appropriate measures adapted to the remoteness of these regions in the new food security and food safety contingency plan that it intends to present as part of the Farm-to- Fork strategy.

Amendment 72 #

Cristina MAESTRE MARTÍN DE ALMAGRO, Clara AGUILERA, Giuseppe FERRANDINO, Paolo DE CASTRO, Isabel CARVALHAIS

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5 a. Calls for the Long-Term Vision for Rural Areas to specifically integrate the particularities of outermost regions and Aegean islands; stresses that the Rural Observatory represents a unique opportunity for the production of adequate and updated high-quality data for island territories focused, amongst others, on access to land, establishing the grounds for the development of a holistic agricultural and economic development of islands;

Amendment 73 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5a. Stresses the differences that distinguish the outermost regions from other EU islands, as recognised in Article 349 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU); believes, in this context, that policies and instruments set up to mitigate the impact of insularity should take those circumstances into account.

Amendment 74 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)

5 b. Calls on the European Commission to establish a separate chapter dedicated to the outermost regions in its impact assessments of the Farm-to- Fork and Biodiversity strategies, and to take into account the outcome of these assessments in order to adapt, if necessary, the legislative actions to the natural and economic difficulties of these regions and to the strong competition from third countries.

Amendment 75 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)

5 b. Calls on the European Commission to study the options available for earmarking POSEI funding and EAFRD rural development aid for agricultural and livestock farmers affected by natural disasters in the outermost regions.

Amendment 76 #

Irène TOLLERET, Adrián VÁZQUEZ LÁZARA, Atidzhe ALIEVA-VELI

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 c (new)

5 c. Calls for specific mechanisms to be strengthened within the framework of the CAP through the POSEI in order to reduce the dependence of the outermost regions on agricultural and agri-food supplies, and to strengthen food security and the capacity of these regions to access their markets, whether they be within their territory or the Union; to this end, calls for an increase in the POSEI budget from 2027 to meet the growing needs of these remote and island regions and to develop their local production, since they are saddled with significant additional production costs.

Amendment 77 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 c (new)

5 c. Considers it necessary to strengthen EU support to the modernisation of the agricultural activity in the islands, including through the promotion of precision farming, to help those regions meet the Green Deal objectives.

Amendment 78 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 d (new)

5 d. Points out, however, that since the Farm to Fork Strategy further restricts the use of plant protection agents in the Union, it should also take into account the specificities of tropical and subtropical crops in the ORs and limit access to Union markets for products that do not meet Union standards.

Amendment 79 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 e (new)

5 e. Calls for a specific regulation for the ORs on the common organisation of the markets so that the particular environmental, geographical and social circumstances of those territories falling under Article 349 TFEU can be taken into account.

Amendment 8 #

Draft opinion
Recital B a (new)

Ba. whereas, owing to their geographical situation and structural features (remoteness, insularity, smaller size, difficult topography and climate, economic dependence on certain products), the outermost regions face specific socio-economic problems, as recognised in Article 349 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, particularly with regard to agricultural production and supplies of essential food and agricultural products for consumption;

Amendment 80 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 f (new)

5 f. Calls for the utmost vigilance by the Commission in the liberalisation of the European market and the multiplication of trade agreements between the EU and third countries that produce the same agricultural products for export as the ORs, but under different social and environmental conditions, which distort competition; calls on the Commission to take effective action to ensure that trade agreements do not jeopardise measures supporting the ORs, particularly under the POSEI programme; calls on the Commission to reserve specific preferential treatment for products from the ORs, both on their local markets and on the EU market, and to fully protect sensitive agricultural products such as bananas, tomatoes, sugar, etc.; calls for the creation within the Commission of a working group on trade agreements.

Amendment 81 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 g (new)

5 g. Calls for strict compliance with European environmental and social standards applicable to tropical goods from third countries and for systematic import quotas for tropical products from such countries, based on existing trade flows; considers that specific surveillance and sanction mechanisms should be introduced to check compliance with these conditions; recommends imposing the principle of 'conformity' for imports from third countries, in particular for organic products;

Amendment 82 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 h (new)

5 h. Recalls the joint declaration of the three institutions attached to the Regulation on the revised stabilisation mechanism on the occasion of the accession of Ecuador to the Agreement between the European Union and Colombia and Peru: 'The Commission will continue to carry out regular analyses of the state of the market and the situation of Union banana producers after expiry of the stabilisation mechanism. If a serious deterioration in the state of the market or the situation of Union banana producers is found to have occurred, given the importance of the banana sector for outermost regions, the Commission will examine the situation, together with the Member States and the stakeholders, and decide whether appropriate measures should be considered. The Commission could also convene regular monitoring meetings with the Member States and the stakeholders'.

Amendment 9 #