2021/2239(INI) The EU Action plan on Organic Agriculture
Lead committee dossier:
Progress: Procedure completed
| Role | Committee | Rapporteur | Shadows |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lead | AGRI |
SCHMIEDTBAUER Simone ( EPP)
|
ANDRIEU Eric ( S&D),
ALIEVA-VELI Atidzhe ( Renew),
GRUFFAT Claude ( Verts/ALE),
BIZZOTTO Mara ( ID),
VRECIONOVÁ Veronika ( ECR),
HAZEKAMP Anja ( GUE/NGL)
|
Lead committee dossier:
Legal Basis:
RoP 54
Legal Basis:
RoP 54Subjects
Events
2022/07/25
EC - Commission response to text adopted in plenary
Documents
2022/05/03
EP - Results of vote in Parliament
Documents
2022/05/03
EP - Decision by Parliament
Details
The European Parliament adopted by 611 votes to 14, with 5 abstentions, a resolution on an EU action plan for organic agriculture.
In 2019, the EU’s total agricultural area under organic farming grew to 13.8 million hectares. It currently accounts for 8.5 % of the EU’s total utilised agricultural area and the value of the EU’s organic market more than doubled between 2010 and 2019. The retail sales of organic products increased from EUR 18 billion to EUR 41 billion in the period 2009-2019.
General comments
Parliament welcomed the Commission communication on an action plan for the development of organic production, the objective of increasing the EU’s agricultural area under organic farming by 2030 through the development of supply and demand, and the Commission’s recognition of organic farming as one of the main components on the EU’s path towards more sustainable food systems. It considered that the development of organic farming , which delivers many positive externalities and benefits for climate change mitigation, biodiversity and soil protection, and will contribute to the achievement of the objectives of the farm to fork and biodiversity strategies.
Parliament is of the opinion that legislation and the OAPs must provide sufficient room for flexibility to take into account the differences in the nature and conditions of organic agriculture in the Member States. It urged the Commission to pay particular attention to supporting the
Member States which are lagging behind. The measures and instruments proposed in this respect should be based on thorough analyses and impact assessments.
In addition, the CAP budget should also properly reward organic farmers for the specific public goods that they deliver through the protection of the environment and of natural resources.
According to Members, for an EU action plan to succeed, it must stimulate and mobilise the Member States, as well as regional and local authorities. Member States are encouraged to establish their own national strategies for organic farming and to develop their own national and/or regional OAPs, in coordination with the National Strategic Plans. All stakeholders should be involved in a consultative process in the design and implementation of National Strategic Plans.
Organic production offers better economic returns to farmers but often involves higher production costs. Higher consumer prices may be a barrier to expansion but are currently necessary to support the organic sector. In this context, the resolution stressed the need to address the issue of affordability and accessibility of organic products.
Stimulating demand and ensuring consumer trust
Parliament supported the Commission in further promoting and sharing information about the EU organic logo among consumers, including through school schemes promoting the consumption of fruit, vegetables and milk, as well as in other institutions such as nursing homes. It also supports the promotion of local organic logos which exist in several Member States and offer the same guarantees as the EU organic logo.
Members expressed concern about misleading labels, packaging and advertising that makes it difficult for consumers to distinguish conventional products from organic products. They stated that frequent independent controls are the basis for consumers’ trust in organic products. They await the Commission’s future initiatives aimed at better guiding consumers in their choice of food through labelling, promotion and information campaigns , based on sound, independent and operational scientific foundations.
The resolution highlighted the importance of improving transparency in the organic food supply chain and of better traceability in all production and distribution processes in line with the demands from European consumers to have more information on the origin and production methods of the foodstuffs they consume.
Stressing the role of local, regional and national authorities in raising public awareness of all types of sustainable farming methods, Members suggested promoting farmers' markets at local and regional level to bridge the gap between producers and consumers.
Members also believe that positive and trade promoting actions are needed to further promote EU organic products at international level.
Incentives and reinforcing the entire value chain
Members considered that, in order to fulfil the ambitions of the National Strategic Plans, an adequate CAP budget , as well as compatibility with other European funds or programmes, is essential to create incentives to encourage farmers to convert to and maintain organic farming practices.
Noting the potential of short, local, seasonal and smart food supply chains , Parliament called on Member States to allocate sufficient resources to investments that facilitate the development of short food supply chains, for example by increasing the number of mobile slaughterhouses or on-farm processing facilities.
Stressing the need for clear contractual conditions and fair recognition of the work of organic farmers, Members recommended promoting tools such as supply chain contracts .
The Commission is urged to ensure greater deployment of digital technologies , such as precision farming and blockchain in organic farming to combat fraud and illegal production methods.
Improving sustainability
Members stressed the need for research and innovation to encourage the conversion to organic agriculture and to further develop robust farming systems and increase tolerance to drought, pests and disease. They encouraged a science-based approach regarding soil fertility and the need to develop, accept and incentivise innovations in novel plant nutrient sources in organic farming.
The Commission is called on to ensure that sufficient financial resources are allocated to research into organic seeds and animal breeding.
Lastly, the resolution called on the Commission to conduct comprehensive studies and analyses of the impact that an increase in organic farming would have in terms of both climate change and food security in the European Union.
Documents
2022/05/02
EP - Debate in Parliament
Documents
2022/04/11
EP - Committee report tabled for plenary
Details
The Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development adopted an own-initiative report by Simone SCHMIEDTBAUER (EPP, AT) on an EU action plan for organic agriculture.
In 2019, the EU’s total agricultural area under organic farming grew to 13.8 million hectares. It currently accounts for 8.5 % of the EU’s total utilised agricultural area and the value of the EU’s organic market more than doubled between 2010 and 2019. The retail sales of organic products increased from EUR 18 billion to EUR 41 billion in the period 2009-2019.
The Commission communication on an action plan for the development of organic production (organic action plan, OAP) emphasises that the Green Deal, and the farm to fork and biodiversity strategies under its umbrella, is the key to managing the transition towards a more sustainable food system, in particular strengthening farmers’ efforts to protect the environment, preserve biodiversity and tackle climate change. According to the report, the key role in attaining this objective is played by agriculture in general, and organic agriculture in particular.
Regulation (EU) 2018/848 on organic production and labelling of organic products, which will apply from 1 January 2022, aims to increase consumers’ trust in organic products through more stringent controls and rules for imports.
General comments
Members welcomed the Commission communication on an action plan for the development of organic production, the objective of increasing the EU’s agricultural area under organic farming by 2030 through the development of supply and demand, and the Commission’s recognition of organic farming as one of the main components on the EU’s path towards more sustainable food systems. They considered that the development of organic farming, which delivers many positive externalities and benefits for climate change mitigation, biodiversity and soil protection, and will contribute to the achievement of the objectives of the farm to fork and biodiversity strategies.
The committee is of the opinion that legislation and the OAPs must provide sufficient room for flexibility to take into account the differences in the nature and conditions of organic agriculture in the Member States. It urged the Commission to pay particular attention to supporting the Member States which are lagging behind. Furthermore, there is also a need to remove excessive administrative burdens .
The report stressed that the environmental benefits of organic farming should not only be supported by consumers of organic products willing to pay a higher price, but the CAP budget should also properly reward organic farmers for the specific public goods that they deliver through the protection of the environment and of natural resources.
According to Members, for an EU action plan to succeed, it must stimulate and mobilise the Member States, as well as regional and local authorities. Member States are encouraged to establish their own national strategies for organic farming and to develop their own national and/or regional OAPs, in coordination with the National Strategic Plans.
Stimulating demand and ensuring consumer trust
Members support the Commission in further promoting and sharing information about the EU organic logo among consumers, including through school schemes, which should give a larger share to organic products when the school schemes are revised, as well as in other institutions such as nursing homes. They expressed concern about misleading labels , packaging and advertising that makes it difficult for consumers to distinguish conventional products from organic products. According to the report, frequent independent controls are the basis for consumers’ trust in organic products and they called on the Member States to communicate clearly on the EU organic logo.
The report highlighted the importance of improving transparency in the organic food supply chain and of better traceability in all production and distribution processes in line with the demands from European consumers to have more information on the origin and production methods of the foodstuffs they consume.
Incentives and reinforcing the entire value chain
Members consider that, in order to fulfil the ambitions of the National Strategic Plans, an adequate CAP budget, as well as compatibility with other European funds or programmes, is essential to create incentives to encourage farmers to convert to and maintain organic farming practices, through adequately resourced rural development measures or financially attractive eco-schemes , or a combination of the two.
The report noted the potential of short, local and seasonal, and smart food supply chains and direct marketing opportunities, including farmers’ markets, for organic producers and rural economies to deliver environmental and animal welfare benefits, while also securing incomes, preserving and creating employment, ensuring the vitality of rural areas and bridging the gap between EU producers and consumers. Member States should allocate sufficient resources to investments easing the development of short food chains, such as through increasing the number of mobile slaughterhouses or on-farm processing facilities.
Stressing that innovative digital tools have the potential to significantly increase transparency and traceability, thereby combating fraud and illegal production methods, as well as improving consumer confidence, Members encouraged the Commission to ensure greater deployment of digital technologies, such as precision farming and blockchain in organic farming.
Improving sustainability
Members stressed the need for research and innovation to encourage the conversion to organic agriculture and to further develop robust farming systems and increase tolerance to drought, pests and disease. They encouraged a science-based approach regarding soil fertility and the need to develop, accept and incentivise innovations in novel plant nutrient sources in organic farming.
The Commission is called on to ensure that sufficient financial resources are allocated to research into organic seeds and animal breeding .
Lastly, the report called on the Commission to conduct comprehensive studies and analyses of the impact that an increase in organic farming would have in terms of both climate change and food security in the European Union.
Documents
2022/03/31
EP - Vote in committee
2022/01/26
EP - Amendments tabled in committee
Documents
2021/12/16
EP - Committee referral announced in Parliament
2021/12/01
EP - Committee draft report
Documents
2021/06/22
EP - SCHMIEDTBAUER Simone (EPP) appointed as rapporteur in AGRI
Documents
- Commission response to text adopted in plenary: SP(2022)413
- Results of vote in Parliament: Results of vote in Parliament
- Decision by Parliament: T9-0136/2022
- Debate in Parliament: Debate in Parliament
- Committee report tabled for plenary: A9-0126/2022
- Amendments tabled in committee: PE700.717
- Committee draft report: PE700.500
- Committee draft report: PE700.500
- Amendments tabled in committee: PE700.717
- Commission response to text adopted in plenary: SP(2022)413
Activities
- Simone SCHMIEDTBAUER
Plenary Speeches (2)
- Clara AGUILERA
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Eric ANDRIEU
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Rosa D'AMATO
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Paolo DE CASTRO
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Zbigniew KUŹMIUK
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Ulrike MÜLLER
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Stanislav POLČÁK
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Anne SANDER
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Juozas OLEKAS
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Sandra PEREIRA
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Dino GIARRUSSO
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Benoît LUTGEN
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Ivan Vilibor SINČIĆ
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Carmen AVRAM
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Daniela RONDINELLI
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Atidzhe ALIEVA-VELI
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Mazaly AGUILAR
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Isabel CARVALHAIS
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Claude GRUFFAT
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Colm MARKEY
Plenary Speeches (1)
Votes
Un plan d’action de l’UE pour l’agriculture biologique - EU action plan for organic agriculture - EU-Aktionsplan für biologische Landwirtschaft - A9-0126/2022 - Simone Schmiedtbauer - Proposition de résolution (ensemble du texte) #
2022/05/03 Outcome: +: 611, -: 14, 0: 5
PPE
The Left
NI| Amendments | Dossier |
| 313 |
2021/2239(INI)
2021/12/15
AGRI
1 amendments...
Amendment 131 #
6a. Expresses its concern about misleading labels, packaging and advertising that makes it difficult for consumers to distinguish conventional products from organic products; emphasizes that the terms 'locally produced' or 'regionally produced' should only be used if the main ingredients of the food product concerned are actually from that region, and that the terms 'authentic' or 'natural' should never be allowed for industrially processed foods;
source: 700.717
2022/01/26
AGRI
312 amendments...
Amendment 1 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 1 — having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), and in particular Articles 39
Amendment 10 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B B. whereas Europe’s food system should deliver food and ensure food security in a way that contributes to social well-being, maintains ecosystem health a
Amendment 100 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Stresses that Member States should engage all stakeholders, especially organic farmers and associations, cooperatives, local and
Amendment 101 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Stresses that Member States
Amendment 102 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Stresses that Member States should engage all stakeholders, especially organic farmers and associations, local and regional authorities, consumer and private sector representatives
Amendment 103 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Stresses that Member States should engage all stakeholders, especially organic farmers and associations, local and regional authorities, consumer and private sector representatives and the hospitality industry, in a consultative process when
Amendment 104 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Stresses that Member States should engage all stakeholders, especially organic farmers and associations, local and regional authorities, consumer and private sector representatives and the hospitality industry, as well as citizens, in a consultative process when adopting their national OAPs to achieve the best possible synergies;
Amendment 105 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Stresses that Member States should engage all stakeholders, especially organic farmers and associations, local and regional authorities, consumer and private sector representatives
Amendment 106 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 a (new) 4a. Highlights that yield differences between organic and conventional crops vary by agro-ecological region within the EU, ranging from -4% to -76% across product groups as outlined by JRC; points out that conversion to organic production in regions where this leads to large yield drops would amount to an increased ecological footprint of food production elsewhere; points out that in the common market organic products reach consumers across national boundaries and therefore its production must be considered for the EU as a whole;
Amendment 107 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 5. Acknowledges that organic production often involves higher production costs and, therefore,
Amendment 108 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 5. Acknowledges that organic production often
Amendment 109 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 5. Acknowledges that organic production often involves higher production costs and, therefore, needs higher market prices to recover those costs; points out that higher prices may represent a barrier to expansion but that they are necessary to ensure the
Amendment 11 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B B. whereas Europe’s food system
Amendment 110 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 5. Acknowledges that organic production often involves higher production costs and, therefore, needs higher market prices to recover those costs; points out that
Amendment 111 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 5. Acknowledges that organic production often involves higher production costs and, therefore, needs higher market prices to recover those costs; points out that higher consumer prices may represent a barrier to expansion but that they are necessary to ensure the continuation of organic farming and its further uptake; notes that higher prices must be backed by corresponding performance, in this case process quality;
Amendment 112 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 5. Acknowledges that organic production often involves higher production costs and, therefore, needs higher market prices to recover those costs; points out that higher prices may represent a barrier to expansion but that they are necessary to ensure the continuation of organic farming and its further uptake; reiterates that the added value of organic farming should primarily benefit producers;
Amendment 113 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 5. Acknowledges that organic production often involves higher production costs and, therefore, needs higher market prices to recover those costs; points out that higher prices may represent a barrier to expansion but that they are necessary to ensure the continuation of organic farming and to make its further uptake possible in the first place;
Amendment 114 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 5. Acknowledges that organic production often involves higher production costs and, therefore, may need
Amendment 115 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 a (new) 5a. Stresses that organic products are more perishable than conventional agricultural products and there is a higher risk of food waste; calls on the Commission to identify effective measures to guarantee a minimum income for organic farmers, thereby compensating them for any losses; highlights the need for measures to combat organic food waste, and calls on the Commission to identify and promote eco-schemes for organic products that fail to sell on the open market;
Amendment 116 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 a (new) 5a. Points out that a target based on area or production may be counterproductive as it would lead to market imbalance in which organic producers will be squeezed into accepting lower prices; considers therefore that an area-based value should serve as a context indicator instead of a target value;
Amendment 117 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 a (new) 5a. Underlines the importance of exempting healthy food products, such as organic fruit and vegetables, from VAT and to introduce a higher VAT rate for unhealthy food products; expresses its support for the introduction of a zero rate on organic fruit and vegetables;
Amendment 118 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 a (new) 5a. Warns against an increase in consumer prices of food produced through conventional agriculture as a result of the obligation to expand the amount of land used for organic farming;
Amendment 119 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 a (new) 5a. Recognises the strategic role of agrifood wholesalers in establishing final food prices;
Amendment 12 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B a (new) Ba. whereas Regulation (EU) 2018/848 on organic production and labelling of organic products obliges farmers to comply with a conversion period during which they have to apply all rules on organic production; whereas this period may last up to 3 years; whereas farmers during this period have to bear higher costs of production without benefiting from higher market prices for organic products;
Amendment 120 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 6. Recognises the importance of speeding up the development of organic aquaculture in the EU; notes that a quarter of all fisheries products come from aquaculture; points out, however, that most aquaculture consumption comes from imports, which represent 60% of the total supply; notes, therefore, that there is potential for enormous growth, which we must harness in order to develop European aquaculture, especially organic aquaculture;
Amendment 121 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 6. Recognises the importance of speeding up the development of organic aquaculture in the EU; underlines that access to organic juveniles is problematic in the case of some species;
Amendment 122 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 6. Recognises the importance of speeding up the development of organic aquaculture in the EU, as well as strengthening consumers' demand and trust in these products;
Amendment 123 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 6. Recognises the importance of speeding up the development of organic aquaculture and wild organic picking areas in the EU;
Amendment 124 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 6.
Amendment 125 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 6. Recognises the importance of speeding up the market development of organic aquaculture in the EU;
Amendment 126 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 a (new) 6a. Takes the view that action at EU level, including in particular the Green Deal strategy, should aim at regularly raising environmental awareness on a global scale; regrets that free trade agreements often accept glaring differences in agricultural production standards between the EU and third countries with regard to environmental protection and animal welfare - which discourages EU farmers from further environmental investments, including in organic production;
Amendment 127 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 a (new) 6a. Underlines the need to coordinate the measures on organic aquaculture with the new Strategic Guidelines for European aquaculture for 2021-2030 and its development in the Member States and the regions;
Amendment 128 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 a (new) 6a. Is of the opinion that legislation and OAPs must provide sufficient room for flexibility for Member States' different organic practices and prerequisites, such as climate zones and length of growing seasons;
Amendment 129 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 b (new) 6b. Stresses the need for modern and innovative methods when developing new organic seeds and agriculture practices, maintaining high level of protection of human health and the environment;
Amendment 13 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C C. whereas organic agriculture offers many environmental benefits and has the potential to help the agricultural sector play its part in the fight against climate change and in addressing key challenges such as soil fertility and biodiversity loss; whereas organic farming notably prevents the emission of large volumes of greenhouse gas thanks to its banning of synthetic nitrogen fertilizer, which is agriculture’s largest contribution to climate change 1a, as well as the obligation for organic farmers to introduce legumes in long crop rotations; _________________ 1a 1 Tian, H. et al (2020): A comprehensive quantification of global nitrous oxide sources and sinks. Nature 586 Sutton, M., Howard, C. et al. (Eds.) (2011): The European Nitrogen Assessment: Sources, Effects and Policy Perspectives. Cambridge University Press.
Amendment 130 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 c (new) 6a. Expresses its concern about misleading labels, packaging and advertising that makes it difficult for consumers to distinguish conventional products from organic products; emphasizes that the terms 'locally produced' or 'regionally produced' should only be used if the main ingredients of the food product concerned are actually from that region, and that the terms 'authentic' or 'natural' should never be allowed for industrially processed foods;
Amendment 132 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 a (new) 6a. Considers, however, that increased support for the promotion of organic products should not be at the expense of other sustainable products, such as geographical indications, which strongly contribute to the economic growth in many rural areas and are the flagship of European agriculture;
Amendment 133 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 d (new) 6d. Welcomes the launch of an annual EU organic day; believes that it represents an opportunity to improve the visibility and the recognition for organic farming and raise awareness of the benefits of organic production;
Amendment 134 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 7. Supports the Commission in further promoting and sharing information about the EU organic logo among consumers, including through organic school schemes; welcomes the earmarking of an increased budget towards the promotion of the organic logo, but notes that it is still not sufficient to support the target of 25% of the EU agricultural surfaces in organic by 2030, and should thus be increased in the coming years, with a clear priority towards promotion of the EU organic logo towards EU consumers; notes that school schemes should be the basis for a pedagogic discussion around nutrition and sustainable food and be accompanied by measures aimed at informing and educating children about better diets, rather than be a simple food distribution; calls on the Member States, to organise regular information and promotion campaigns for consumers, notably in canteens, on what organic farming is and its advantages, in particular regarding health and the environment, and on its benefits for farmers; emphasises that it is of paramount importance that consumer surveys on organics are followed by actions to further raise awareness of organic farming;
Amendment 135 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 7. Supports the Commission in further promoting the EU organic logo among consumers, including through organic school schemes; emphasises that it is of paramount importance that consumer surveys on organics are followed by actions to further raise awareness of
Amendment 136 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 7. Supports the Commission in further promoting the EU organic logo among consumers, including through organic school schemes, nursing homes and other institutions; emphasises that it is of paramount importance that consumer surveys on organics are followed by actions to further raise visibility and awareness of organic farming’s benefits to health, well-being and quality of life;
Amendment 137 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 7. Supports the Commission in further promoting the EU organic logo among consumers, including through organic school schemes which should give a larger share of the sector to organic products when the school schemes will be revised; emphasises that it is of paramount importance that consumer surveys on organics are followed by actions to further raise awareness of
Amendment 138 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 7. Supports the Commission in further promoting the EU organic logo among consumers, including through organic school schemes; emphasises that it is of paramount importance that consumer surveys on organics are followed by actions to further raise awareness of organic farming, without allowing an incorrect or subversive representation of the sustainability and safety of conventional farming methods in the Union;
Amendment 139 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 7. Supports the Commission in further promoting the EU organic logo among consumers, including th
Amendment 14 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C C. whereas organic agriculture offers many environmental benefits and has the potential to help the agricultural sector play its part in the fight against climate change and in addressing key challenges such as soil fertility and biodiversity loss, as well as resilience in the face of economic changes;
Amendment 140 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 7. Supports the Commission in further promoting the EU organic logo among consumers, including through organic school schemes for fruit and vegetables; emphasises that it is of paramount importance that consumer surveys on organics are followed by actions to further raise awareness of the benefits organic farming;
Amendment 141 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 a (new) 7a. Recalls that the new sustainable food labelling should not conflict with existing environmental frameworks such as the EU ecolabel or the organic logo; highlights that many unsubstantiated and even misleading environmental claims and advertising methods are currently being used and recalls the need to introduce a regulatory framework establishing a clear, swift and efficient pre-approval procedure for all sustainability claims and labels; stresses that such a framework would protect consumers from untruthful sustainability claims while ensuring that businesses that genuinely strive for more environmentally friendly operations are duly rewarded for their efforts; stresses the need for inspections by public control authorities of any label allowed on food products;
Amendment 142 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 a (new) 7a. Emphasises the role to be played by supermarkets and the various food supply chains in promoting and supporting the EU organic logo, highlighting its value and avoiding confusion among consumers, for example in cases where organic livestock production must have additional animal welfare stamps when the official organic livestock certification already comprises 14 animal welfare checks;
Amendment 143 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 a (new) 7a. Welcomes the Commission's future initiatives aimed at better guiding consumers in their choice of food and helping them to change their consumption habits through the introduction of nutritional and environmental labelling, based on sound, independent and operational scientific foundations and complete and coherent methodologies, if they complement the European organic logo in a useful way;
Amendment 144 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 a (new) 7a. Highlights that promotion and information campaigns for organic produce must be science-based in order to ensure a level playing field for other sustainable farming practices being implemented;
Amendment 145 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 a (new) 7a. Supports promoting the consumption of organic food in European schools as it can be an important driver for the development of the organic sector;
Amendment 146 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 b (new) 7b. Reminds that demands from professional kitchens differ from those of the households; stresses the importance to create added value for the supply chain and increase the processing level of organic products to respond for the needs of professional kitchens;
Amendment 147 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 8. Believes that increasing green public procurement (GPP) in the Member States can serve as a strong stimulus for action towards the organic target and support a healthier, more environmentally-friendly diet in schools, hospitals, retirement homes and jails; believes that the EU institutions should lead by example; calls on the Commission to research current structural and logistical barriers
Amendment 148 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 8. Believes that increasing green public procurement (GPP) in the Member States can serve as a strong stimulus for action towards the organic target; believes that in order to increase the use of GPP, it is essential to incorporate coordination with the sector, through its representative organisations, with a view to ensuring that the procurement runs smoothly; believes that the EU institutions should lead by example; calls on the Commission to research current structural and logistical barriers and to promote the use of GPP criteria in the Member States, as well as actions to improve information, education and the promotion of organics in order to make this measure more effective;
Amendment 149 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 8. Believes that
Amendment 15 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C C. whereas organic agriculture may offer
Amendment 150 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 8. Believes that increasing green public procurement (GPP) in the Member States can serve as a strong stimulus for action towards the organic target, but can also reduce organic waste; believes that the EU institutions should lead by example and promote eco-schemes; calls on the Commission to research current structural and logistical barriers and to promote the use of GPP criteria in the Member States;
Amendment 151 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 8. Believes that increasing green public procurement (GPP) in the Member States can serve as a strong stimulus for action towards the organic target; believes that the EU institutions should lead by example; calls on the Commission to research current structural and logistical barriers and to promote the use of GPP criteria in the Member States, and believes that any targets on GPP, such as quotas, must also encompass products derived from animals;
Amendment 152 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 8. Believes that
Amendment 153 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 8. Believes that increasing green public procurement (GPP) in the Member States can serve as a strong stimulus for action towards the demand for organic
Amendment 154 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9. Points out that local and regional authorities, together with farmers associations, play an important role in supporting the structuring of the organic sector in terms of production, logistics and trade, facilitating the creation of organised cooperation between producers and consumers, raising awareness at local level and developing educational programmes for preschools and schools. In this sense, practices such as the farmers’ markets experience represent an effective tool in bridging the gap between producers and consumers. The technical assistance provided by local and regional authorities and farmers associations to organic or in- conversion farmers, plays a crucial role facilitating the outlining and effective implementation of such practices, therefore their role should be recognized and adequately promoted;
Amendment 155 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9. Points out that local and regional authorities play an important role in supporting territorialised food strategy, as well as the structuring of the organic sector in terms of production, collective processing, logistics and trade, facilitating the creation of organised cooperation between producers and consumers, raising awareness at local level and developing educational programmes for preschools and schools; highlights that these initiatives require strong support, advice and training, that should be backed up by funds from the CAP and the various structural funds;
Amendment 156 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9. Points out that local, regional and
Amendment 157 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9. Points out that local and regional authorities play an important role in supporting the structuring of the organic sector in terms of production, logistics and trade, easing the access to land for organic farmers facilitating the creation of organised cooperation between producers and consumers, raising awareness at local level, and particularly by supplying organic food in canteens and developing educational programmes for preschools and schools;
Amendment 158 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9. Points out that local and regional authorities, together with farmers’ associations and agrifood wholesalers, play an important role in supporting the structuring of the organic
Amendment 159 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9. Points out that local and regional authorities play an important role in supporting the structuring of the organic sector in terms of production, logistics and trade, facilitating the
Amendment 16 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C C. whereas organic agriculture offers
Amendment 160 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9. Points out that local and regional authorities play an important role in
Amendment 161 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 a (new) 9a. Points out that local and regional authorities have long been involved in supporting the development of organic farming, in particular through the management and implementation of regional rural development programmes; therefore urges the European Commission to establish a platform for monitoring and evaluating the implementation of the action plan, bringing together all stakeholders, particularly representatives of local and regional authorities;
Amendment 162 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 b (new) 9b. Emphasises that, when involving local and regional authorities, a place- sensitive approach is required in line with the precepts of the Territorial Agenda 2030, to address the different needs of rural, peri-urban and urban areas across Europe;
Amendment 163 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 10. Highlights that the success of the OAP will depend on stronger involvement of the private sector to stimulate demand, especially in countries with less developed organic markets and production; calls on the Commission to identify a set of instruments to enable the Member States to ensure that retail chains actively help to promote and provide information on the importance of organic consumption, and to create local organic farming supply chains;
Amendment 164 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 10. Highlights that
Amendment 165 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 10. Highlights that the success of the OAP will depend on stronger involvement of the private sector to stimulate demand, especially in countries with less developed organic markets and production; calls on Member States to define a minimum rate of organic products in the procurement for public and private canteens;
Amendment 166 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 10. Highlights that the success of the OAP will depend on stronger involvement of the private sector to stimulate demand, especially in countries with less developed organic markets and production; underlines that an increase in organic production must foremost come from higher private demand and not from political incentives;
Amendment 167 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 10. Highlights that the success of the OAP will depend on stronger involvement of the private sector to stimulate demand and fair incomes for farmers, especially in countries with less developed organic markets and production;
Amendment 168 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 a (new) 10a. Highlights the importance of improving transparency in the organic food supply chain 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 innovative digital tools such as blockchain and mandatory labelling on the origin of all EU food products have the potential to significantly increase transparency and traceability, thereby combatting fraud and illegal production methods, as well as improving consumer confidence;
Amendment 169 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 a (new) 10a. Invites the European Commission and Member States to actively contribute to a better structuration of organic supply chains and to the capacity-building of organic producers' organisations;
Amendment 17 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C C. whereas organic agriculture can offer
Amendment 170 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11. Underlines that it is essential for the Commission, the Member States and stakeholders to engage actively in identifying ways in which the existing certification and control mechanisms can be made more robust to prevent fraud in organic production and trade, both in the EU and in non-EU countries
Amendment 171 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11. Underlines that it is essential for the Commission, the Member States and stakeholders to engage actively in identifying ways in which the existing certification and control mechanisms can be made more robust to prevent fraud in organic production and trade, both in the EU and in non-EU countries, as well as to prevent additional administrative burdens and costs for farmers, including by using IT solutions; stresses that special attention must be paid to the establishment of certification bodies and authorisation procedures;
Amendment 172 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11. Underlines that it is essential for the Commission, the Member States and stakeholders to engage actively in identifying ways in which the existing certification and control mechanisms can be made more robust to prevent fraud in organic production and trade, both in the EU and in non-EU countries, and better adapted to the reality on the ground and the farmers already involved in organic farming, as well as to prevent additional administrative burdens and costs for farmers, including by using IT solutions;
Amendment 173 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11. Underlines that it is essential for the Commission, the Member States and stakeholders to engage actively in identifying ways in which the existing certification and control mechanisms can be made more robust to prevent fraud in organic production and trade, both in the EU and in non-EU countries, as well as to prevent additional administrative burdens and costs for farmers, including by using IT solutions; calls on the Commission to create a special funds to cover costs of certification;
Amendment 174 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11. Underlines that it is essential for the Commission, the Member States and stakeholders to engage actively in identifying ways in which the existing certification and control mechanisms can be made more robust to prevent fraud in organic production and trade, both in the EU and in non-EU countries, as well as to prevent additional administrative burdens and costs for farmers, including by using IT solutions; welcomes the switch to a compliance-based system for imported organic products;
Amendment 175 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11. Underlines that it is essential for the Commission, the Member States and stakeholders to engage actively in identifying ways in which the existing certification and control mechanisms can be made more robust to align organic control and certification with the Farm to Fork strategy objective of 25% organic land by 2030 and to prevent fraud in organic production and trade, both in the EU and in non-EU countries, as well as to
Amendment 176 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 a (new) 11a. Notes that the EU organic logo is often in competition with national logos offering similar promises but whose production standards and controls are less serious; highlights that it is imperative to avoid the, sometimes deliberate, confusion between these initiatives and organic farming that could lead to a decrease in confidence in organic products; notes that the EU organic regulation and frequent independent third party controls organic stakeholders are subjected to constitute the base for consumers’ trust in organic products; calls on Member States to deliver a clear communication on the EU organic logo and to support environmentally-friendly farming and food initiatives proportionally to their actual impact;
Amendment 177 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 a (new) 11a. Urges the Commission to strengthen customs checks by means of direct, unified control mechanisms in coordination with the Member States and in full compliance with the principle of subsidiarity in order to prevent food fraud, adulteration and imports of products not complying with EU organic production standards, as well as to avoid the risk of putting the EU organic sector at a competitive disadvantage owing to a lack of global convergence of standards and increased costs for consumers;
Amendment 178 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 a (new) 11a. Stresses that it is necessary to step up control and certification activities for organic products entering from non-EU countries, including greater involvement of the customs authorities, so as to ensure both the quality and the safety of products for final consumers and fair competition between EU and non-EU producers;
Amendment 179 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 a (new) 11a. Underlines that it is necessary to intensify the control and certification activities of the organic product entering from non-EU countries also with a greater involvement of the customs authorities, in order to guarantee both the final consumers with respect to the quality and safety of the productions, and a fair competition between intra and extra EU producers;
Amendment 18 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C C. whereas organic agriculture offers many environmental benefits and has the potential to
Amendment 180 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 b (new) 11b. Regrets the absence in the organic action plan of any references to the difficulties and heavy costs created for the sector by the necessity of putting in place suitable measures during cultivation, harvest, transport, storage and processing to keep non-authorised products e.g. GMOs out of the organic production chain;
Amendment 181 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 c (new) 11c. Highlights the additional difficulties that would be created for the organic sector if the traceability and labelling requirement were to be weakened for organisms issued from gene editing techniques compared to transgenic organisms;
Amendment 182 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 d (new) 11d. Calls on the Commission to seriously explore the difficult coexistence of organic production with conventional farmers using non-authorised products, e.g. pesticides or GMOs, and to integrate its findings in the building of its future draft proposal regarding new genetic engineering techniques; calls for contamination by pesticides and GMOs to be considered as covered by the polluter pays principle;
Amendment 183 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 12. Considers that concrete action to promote exports of EU organic products is needed; acknowledge, in this regard, the potential of the existing EU promotion policy for organic production; underlines that any promotion policy should recognise the wide range of sustainable production methods, practises and products in the EU; requests that the Commission report regularly on forthcoming negotiations with the EU’s trading partners to inform Parliament about the potential for expansion of the organic market;
Amendment 184 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 12. Considers that
Amendment 185 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 12.
Amendment 186 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 12. Considers that concrete
Amendment 187 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 12. Considers that concrete action to promote exports of certain EU organic products is needed as soon as the sector is capable of meeting domestic demand in Europe; requests that the Commission report regularly on forthcoming negotiations with the EU’s trading partners to inform Parliament about the potential for expansion of the organic market;
Amendment 188 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 12. Considers
Amendment 189 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 12. Considers that concrete action to promote
Amendment 19 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C a (new) Ca. whereas organic farming has the potential of ensuring an ambitious balance between the three levels of sustainability; whereas this potential must be supported through actions aimed at improving the quality and availability of production inputs, as well as through increased research and technological development, capable of strengthening EU organic farming and production;
Amendment 190 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 12.
Amendment 191 #
12a. Recalls that a population-wide shift in consumption patterns is needed towards more healthy foods, diets and lifestyles, including increased consumption of sustainably and regionally produced plants and plant- based foods, such as fresh fruits and vegetables and whole grains, and to address the overconsumption of meat and ultra-processed products, as well as products high in sugars, salt and fats, which will also benefit the environment and animal welfare;
Amendment 192 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 a (new) 12a. Emphasises the need to improve the quality and quantity of organic sector reporting by providing clear, complete and concrete data;
Amendment 193 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 a (new) 12a. Calls on the Commission to negotiate an annex to the WTO Agreement to enable direct financial support for exports of organic food to the EU’s trade partners;
Amendment 194 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 b (new) 12b. Considers that European funds must promote only organic products produced in Europe, from the raw material through to its processing, in order to avoid unfair competition;
Amendment 195 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 b (new) Amendment 196 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 13. Considers that an adequate common agricultural policy (CAP) budget should be provided to create incentives for farmers to convert to and maintain organic farming practices at national level, through rural development measures or newly introduced eco-schemes, or a combination of the two;
Amendment 197 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 13. Considers that, alongside validation of the National Strategic Plan, an adequate common agricultural policy (CAP) budget should be provided to create incentives for farmers to convert to and maintain organic farming practices at national level, through rural development measures or newly introduced eco- schemes, or a combination of the two; regrets that only 64% of the certified organic areas are receiving organic support payments and that the support for organic farming represents only 1,5% of the total expenditures of the CAP whereas 9% of the agricultural areas are under organic management; calls on the Members States to support generational renewal in organic farming; regrets the decline of the CAP’s budget for two decades at the same time as the requirements imposed to the agricultural sector are growing and calls on the Commission to propose a fund dedicated to the development of organic farming in the next multiannual financial framework at the latest, and without pre-allocation between Member States;
Amendment 198 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 13. Considers that an adequate common agricultural policy (CAP) budget should be provided to create incentives for farmers to convert to and maintain organic farming practices at national level, through rural development measures or newly introduced eco-schemes, or a combination of the two; calls on the Member States to support generational renewal in organic farming; considers that the Commission, in the process of approval of strategic plans, should ensure that Member States have allocated sufficient funding for the conversion to organic farming, especially through eco-schemes; points out that the conversion to organic farming will not be possible without adequate incentives and financial support;
Amendment 199 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 13. Considers that an adequate common agricultural policy (CAP) budget should be provided to create incentives
Amendment 2 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A A. whereas the Commission communication on an action plan for the development of organic production (organic action plan, OAP) emphasises that the Green Deal is the key to managing the transition towards a more sustainable food system; whereas a key role in attaining this objective is played by agriculture in general, and organic agriculture in particular;
Amendment 20 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C a (new) Ca. whereas organic farming is an opportunity for farmers and young people wishing to enter the farming profession, as it is the form of farming that offers both the best economic and environmental performance, while having positive effects on employment and reducing the health and environmental costs of farming;
Amendment 200 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 13. Considers that an adequate common agricultural policy (CAP) budget should be provided to create incentives for farmers to convert to and maintain organic farming practices at national level, through rural development measures or newly introduced eco-schemes, or a combination of the two; calls, in this context, for the newly introduced eco-schemes to be accessible to conventional farming and to organic farming in equal measure; calls on the Member States to support generational renewal in organic farming;
Amendment 201 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 13. Considers that
Amendment 202 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 13. Considers that
Amendment 203 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 13. Considers that an adequate common agricultural policy (CAP) budget, and compatibility with funding from other European funds or programmes, should be provided to create incentives for farmers to convert to and maintain organic farming practices at national level, through rural development measures or newly introduced eco-schemes, or a combination of the two; calls on the Member States to
Amendment 204 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 13. Considers that an adequate common agricultural policy (CAP) budget should be provided, where possible, to create incentives for farmers to convert to and maintain organic farming practices at national level, through rural development measures or newly introduced eco- schemes, or a combination of the two and sources of funding other than the CAP; calls on the Member States to support generational renewal in organic farming;
Amendment 205 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 13. Considers that an adequate common agricultural policy (CAP) budget
Amendment 206 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 13. Considers that an adequate common agricultural policy (CAP) budget should be provided to create incentives for farmers to
Amendment 207 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 a (new) Amendment 208 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 a (new) 13a. Considers that organic farming is the cornerstone of the transition to a sustainable food system and that it should therefore be one of the priorities of the CAP, receiving a level of support more adequate to its real impact, as it meets society's expectations and offers future prospects for the agricultural world;
Amendment 209 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 a (new) 13a. Emphasises that in order to stimulate demand and cultivate trust among consumers, it is essential to focus on consumers’ real needs; notes that those needs must be identified though clear and relevant assessments, particularly in terms of the cost-benefit- price ratio;
Amendment 21 #
Ca. whereas agricultural diversity and shorter chains between farmer and consumer are the foundation of a healthy and sustainable food system;
Amendment 210 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 a (new) 13a. Stresses the importance of financially attractive eco-schemes and an adequately resourced second pillar to ensure that the sector has sufficient financial support over the coming funding period;
Amendment 211 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 a (new) 13a. Emphasizes that organic, regional and sustainable agriculture should be the norm, and that the Common Agricultural Policy should be used to help farmers in their transition to organic and sustainable agriculture;
Amendment 212 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 b (new) 13b. Calls for CAP National Strategic Plans to fully contribute to the Farm to Fork targets and ambition, and to include a national target for organic land based on an analysis of the organic sector’s current development and potential in each Member State; calls on the European Commission to only approve CAP National Strategic Plans if they demonstrate their contribution to European Green Deal objectives, given Member States respective baselines, and to make sure that all CAP National Strategic Plans together meet the Union wide targets;
Amendment 213 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 b (new) Amendment 214 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 b (new) 13b. Underlines that the move to organic farming must incorporate a transition period so that farmers do not suffer direct and immediate economic consequences; points out that this transition must be preceded by in-depth market research to ensure that the increase in organic farming does not outpace the level of demand for organic products, so as to avoid food waste and price dumping;
Amendment 215 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 c (new) 13c. Considers that national CAP Strategic Plans should set payments rates proportionate to the ambition and benefits of the farming systems and standards they support and should ensure these payments rates provide a comparative advantage to organic conversion and maintenance, compared to less ambitious standards or single practices that deliver fewer environmental benefits;
Amendment 216 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 d (new) 13d. Stresses that the environmental benefits of organic farming should not be supported only by consumers of organic products willing to pay a higher price, and that national CAP Strategic Plans should properly reward organic farmers for the public goods that they deliver, through the protection of the environment and of natural resources, through the reduction of inputs and higher animal welfare standards;
Amendment 217 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 e (new) 13e. Stresses that CAP support for organic conversion and maintenance could be funded via rural development measures, via Eco-schemes or through a combination of both; insists that Eco- schemes should be designed to be compatible and complementary with agri- environmental and climate measures (AECMs), including organic farming measures, set in the second Pillar;
Amendment 218 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 f (new) 13f. Is deeply concerned that CAP funding is mainly used for agricultural systems that are detrimental to the climate, the environment, biodiversity and animal welfare;
Amendment 219 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 14. Notes the potential of short, local and seasonal food supply chains and direct marketing opportunities for organic producers and rural economies to deliver economic and environmental benefits by securing incomes and creating employment, while contributing to animal welfare, as well as environmental, biodiversity and climate protection; Calls on the Commission and the Member States to identify measures to support the creation and promotion of local food markets and encourage the establishment of short supply chains, so as to maintain the quality of organic products;
Amendment 22 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D D. whereas it is essential to ensure that consumers are in a position to make informed choices when purchasing food; whereas it is necessary to ensure that consumers are correctly informed about the importance of consuming organic products for better health and quality of life;
Amendment 220 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 14. Notes the potential of short, local and seasonal food supply chains and direct marketing opportunities for organic producers and rural economies to deliver economic and environmental benefits by securing incomes and creating employment, while contributing to animal welfare, as well as environmental, biodiversity and climate protection; highlights that short, local and seasonal food supply chains constitute an important lever for sustainable development within the territories and for the re-location of food systems, while at the same time strengthening the resilience of our agricultural model and our food sovereignty;
Amendment 221 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 14. Notes the potential of short, local and seasonal food supply chains and direct marketing opportunities for organic producers and rural economies to deliver economic and environmental benefits by securing incomes and creating employment, while contributing to animal welfare, as well as environmental, biodiversity and climate protection; calls on the Member States to allocate sufficient resources to support for investments allowing the development of short food chains in particular to increase the number of mobile slaughterhouses or on-farm processing facilities;
Amendment 222 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 14. Notes the potential of short, local and seasonal food supply chains and direct marketing opportunities for organic producers and rural economies to deliver economic and environmental benefits by securing incomes
Amendment 223 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 14. Notes the potential of short, local and seasonal food supply chains and direct marketing opportunities for organic producers and rural economies to deliver economic and environmental benefits by
Amendment 224 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 14. Notes the potential of short, local and seasonal food supply chains and direct marketing opportunities for organic producers and rural economies to deliver economic and environmental benefits by securing incomes and preserving and creating employment, while contributing to animal welfare, as well as environmental, biodiversity and climate protection; points out that market development holds a key to the sustainable development of the organic sector;
Amendment 225 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 14. Notes th
Amendment 226 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 14. Notes the potential of short, local and seasonal food supply chains
Amendment 227 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 14. Notes the potential of s
Amendment 228 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 a (new) 14a. At the same time, it points out that organic farms, whose production is smaller in terms of volume and thus more costly, may have less bargaining power in commercial contracts and may therefore be particularly vulnerable to unfair commercial practices, especially in the form of delayed payment for perishable goods, last minute cancellations or forcing suppliers to pay for unsold and wasted products; therefore, it stresses the particular importance of supervision of this part of the supply chain by the national authorities competent for protecting fair market competition;
Amendment 229 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 a (new) 14a. Stresses the need for long supply chains to be regulated by a "supply chain approach", which guarantees sustainability and quality of production and, at the same time, ensures clear contractual conditions and fair recognition to agricultural producers for their work. Tools such as the supply chain contracts should be promoted in this sense;
Amendment 23 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D D. whereas it is essential to ensure that consumers are in a position to make informed choices when purchasing food and to take action against food manufacturers who deliberately mislead consumers with their labels, packaging and advertising;
Amendment 230 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 a (new) 14a. Calls on the Commission to present a draft regulation to Parliament and the Council, making it mandatory for market chains to sell a minimum of 75% of local food with short supply chains;
Amendment 231 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Welcomes the Commission’s support for the development of bio-districts within Member States, as they are multifunctional in nature and create synergies between farmers, consumers, the hospitality industry and cultural enterprises; urges the Member State to use "sectorial interventions" and all available measures to improve the organisation of producers for all relevant sectors, and particularly for organic producers in order to finance the exceptional downgrading of organic products for the conventional market in case of temporary overproduction;
Amendment 232 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Welcomes the Commission’s support for the development of bio-districts within Member States, as they are multifunctional in nature and create synergies between farmers, consumers, the hospitality industry and cultural enterprises; calls on the Commission to provide the Member States with information on the instruments they could use to promote the implementation of ‘bio-districts’;
Amendment 233 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Welcomes the Commission’s support for the development of bio-districts within Member States, as they are multifunctional in nature and create synergies between farmers, consumers, the hospitality industry and cultural
Amendment 234 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Welcomes the Commission’s support for the development of bio-districts within Member States, as they are multifunctional in nature and create synergies between farmers, consumers, the hospitality industry and cultural enterprises; calls on the Commission to pay special attention to urbanised areas in the development of these bio-districts;
Amendment 235 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Welcomes the Commission’s support for the development of bio-districts within Member States, as they are multifunctional in nature, promote short supply chains and create synergies between inter alia farmers, consumers, the hospitality industry and cultural enterprises;
Amendment 236 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Welcomes the Commission’s support for the development of
Amendment 237 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Welcomes the Commission’s support for the development of bio-districts within Member States, as they are multifunctional in nature and create synergies between farmers, consumers, the hospitality industry and catering, and cultural enterprises;
Amendment 238 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 a (new) 15a. Calls on the Commission to drive the balance between offer and demand by mobilizing the crisis management measures from the Common Market Organisation Regulation in order to downgrade to the conventional market potential structural overproductions; considers that ensuring prices which are stable and high enough to cover production costs is the most powerful incentive to convert farmers to organic production;
Amendment 239 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 16. Stresses the fundamental importance of expanding the structured exchange of knowledge and best practices on organic farming among Member States and farmers; believes in the benefits of growing collaboration between scientists, advisory services, the education sector, farmers and society in this respect; highlights the important role to be played by farm advisory services, which Member States must include in
Amendment 24 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D D. whereas it is essential to ensure that consumers, who place an increasing importance on the quality of what they eat, are in a position to make informed choices when purchasing food;
Amendment 240 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 16. Stresses the fundamental importance of expanding the structured exchange of knowledge and best practices on organic farming among Member States and farmers; believes in the benefits of growing collaboration between scientists, advisory services, the education sector, farmers and society in this respect; highlights the important role to be played
Amendment 241 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 16. Stresses the fundamental importance of expanding the structured exchange of knowledge and best practices on organic farming among Member States and farmers; believes in the benefits of growing collaboration between scientists, advisory services or consultants, the education sector, farmers and society in this respect; highlights the important role to be played by farm advisory services, which Member States must include in their CAP strategic plans, in the development of the organic sector;
Amendment 242 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 16. Stresses the fundamental importance of expanding the structured exchange of knowledge and best practices on organic farming among Member States and farmers; believes in the benefits of growing collaboration between scientists, advisory services, the education sector, farmers and their associations and organizations, and society in this respect; highlights the important role to be played by farm advisory services, which Member States must include in their CAP strategic plans, in the development of the organic sector;
Amendment 243 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 16. Stresses the fundamental importance of expanding the structured exchange of knowledge and best practices on organic farming among Member States and farmers; believes in the benefits of growing collaboration between scientists, advisory services, the education sector, farmers, farmers’ associations and society in this respect; highlights the important role to be played by farm advisory services, which Member States must include in their CAP strategic plans, in the development of the organic
Amendment 244 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 16. Stresses the fundamental importance of expanding the structured exchange of knowledge and best practices on organic farming among Member States and farmers; believes in the benefits of growing collaboration between scientists, advisory services, the education sector, farmers, farmers’ associations and society in this respect; highlights the important role to be played by farm advisory services, which Member States must include in their CAP strategic plans, in the development of the organic sector;
Amendment 245 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 16. Stresses the fundamental importance of expanding the structured exchange of knowledge and best practices on organic farming among Member States and farmers; believes in the benefits of growing collaboration between scientists, advisory services, the education sector, farmers and society in this respect; highlights the important role to be played
Amendment 246 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 a (new) 16a. Notes that one of the main obstacle to the increase of organic surfaces is the difficulty for new farmers wishing to start producing in organic to access land; calls on the member states to give priority access to land to new organic farmers; moreover, calls on Member States to ensure that surfaces already converted to organic production are passed to organic farmers when the farmer retires, and to create or develop systems to accompany the transmission of organic farms;
Amendment 247 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 a (new) 16a. Recommends that the Commission evaluates the national organic action plans submitted by the Member States, considering the existing differences in the organic sector at national level; urges the Commission to pay particular attention to supporting those Member States lagging behind, while providing further guidance for those that have already contribute to attain the 25% target;
Amendment 248 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 a (new) 16a. Is convinced that good information on organic farming in vocational education, e.g. in production, processing, artisanal food production and kitchens, is an important element and a foundation for the development of the organic sector;
Amendment 249 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 17. Considers that the use of digital technologies
Amendment 25 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D D. whereas it is essential to ensure that consumers and food services are in a position to make informed choices when purchasing food;
Amendment 250 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 17.
Amendment 251 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 17. Considers that the use of digital technologies, including precision farming and blockchain,
Amendment 252 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 17. Considers that the use of digital technologies, including precision farming and blockchain, as well as scientific innovations such as plant breeding innovations capable of improving the resistance of varieties and fostering the diversity of genetic resources and food production systems, can play a role in the development of organic farming;
Amendment 253 #
17a. Considers that products imported as organic into Europe should comply with the same rules imposed on our farmers; stresses, to this end, the importance of supporting and coordinating control structures and bodies to ensure effective verification of the conformity of products with single market requirements;
Amendment 254 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 a (new) 17a. Emphasises that the measures to promote EU agricultural products could also help to encourage wider use of organic farming within the internal market and in third countries just like other types of agricultural production, especially products with quality marks (GIs)’;
Amendment 255 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 a (new) 17a. Welcomes the contribution of organic farming to the reduction of the use of synthetic pesticides; calls on the Commission to increase the availability of biocontrol solutions and natural substances by improving and speeding up the evaluation and authorisation process for natural substances;
Amendment 256 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 a (new) 17a. Underlines the need to create the conditions for equal access to organic plant protection products and fertilisers in the Member States in order to ensure fair competition among Europe’s organic farmers;
Amendment 257 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 a (new) 17a. Recognise the potential of a common European agriculture data space to increase the consumer knowledge and trust as well as to make the organic supply chain traceable;
Amendment 258 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 b (new) 17b. Supports working towards 100% organic meals in nurseries, kindergarten and school canteens, with meat and other animal products being the exception and not the standard on the menu;
Amendment 259 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 c (new) 17c. Emphasizes the important role that cities could play by focusing on sustainable, local and non-toxic cultivation of fruit and vegetables, and expresses its supports for the promotion of organic urban agriculture, such as the production of fruit and vegetables in yards, parks and gardens in and around cities, produced and consumed by residents;
Amendment 26 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D D. whereas it is essential to ensure that consumers are in a position to make informed and conscious choices when purchasing food;
Amendment 260 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 d (new) 17d. Points out that prevention is the basis of good health care, that healthy eating plays an important role when it comes to preventing illness and discomfort, that preventive healthcare reduces healthcare costs as a whole and that hospitals and nursing homes should therefore invest in organic, healthy and tasty food, with meat and other animal products being the exception and not the standard on the menu;
Amendment 261 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 e (new) 17e. Urges governments to lead by example and to ensure that food in the company restaurants of government buildings is purchased organically and regionally or fair trade, and that vegetarian and vegan options are offered by default;
Amendment 262 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 18.
Amendment 263 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 18. Stresses the need for research and innovation to overcome restrictions in organic agriculture, such as the availability of organic protein feed, vitamins, alternative plant protection products, notably biocontrol solutions, fertilisers and genetic resources, the need to replace some problematic inputs both in farming and processing, and to encourage meeting societal expectations on animal welfare and efficient resource use; welcomes the Commission’s intention to earmark Horizon Europe funding in this respect; calls on the Commission to stimulate and foster cooperation between research communities working on organic and conventional food and farming, and participative research, notably through EIP AGRI;
Amendment 264 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 18. Stresses the need for research and innovation to overcome restrictions in organic agriculture, such as the availability of organic protein feed, vitamins, plant protection products, fertilisers and genetic resources and to encourage meeting societal expectations on animal welfare and efficient resource use; reminds the importance of livestock manure as an organic fertilizer and encourages its sustainable use in the cultivation cycle; welcomes the Commission’s intention to earmark Horizon Europe funding in this respect; calls on the Commission to stimulate and foster cooperation between research communities working on organic and conventional food and farming;
Amendment 265 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 18. Stresses the need for research and innovation to overcome restrictions in
Amendment 266 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 18. Stresses the need for research and innovation to overcome restrictions in organic agriculture, such as the availability of organic protein feed, vitamins, plant protection products, fertilisers and genetic resources, which would increase the tolerance to drought, pests, diseases etc., thus increasing the yields, and to encourage meeting societal expectations on animal welfare and efficient resource use; welcomes the Commission’s intention to earmark Horizon Europe funding in this respect; calls on the Commission to stimulate and foster cooperation between research communities working on organic and conventional food and farming;
Amendment 267 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 18. Stresses the need for research and innovation to
Amendment 268 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 18. Stresses the need for research and innovation to overcome restrictions in organic agriculture and livestock production, such as the availability of organic protein feed, vitamins, plant protection products, fertilisers and genetic resources and to encourage meeting societal expectations on animal welfare and efficient resource use; welcomes the Commission’s intention to earmark Horizon Europe funding in this respect; calls on the Commission to stimulate and foster cooperation between research communities working on organic and
Amendment 269 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 18. Stresses the need for research and innovation to overcome restrictions in organic agriculture, such as the availability of organic protein feed, vitamins, plant protection products in particular biocontrol, fertilisers and genetic resources and to encourage meeting societal expectations on animal welfare and efficient resource use; welcomes the Commission’s intention to earmark Horizon Europe funding in this respect; calls on the Commission to stimulate and foster cooperation between research communities working on organic and conventional food and farming;
Amendment 27 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D a (new) Da. whereas organic products are more perishable than conventional agriculture products and there is a higher risk of food waste;
Amendment 270 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 18. Stresses the need for research and innovation to overcome restrictions in organic agriculture, such as the availability of organic protein feed in sufficient quantities, vitamins, plant protection products, fertilisers and genetic resources and to encourage meeting
Amendment 271 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 a (new) 18a. Welcomes in particular that the organic action plan aims at finding concrete and operational ways to further improve animal welfare in organic production; calls on the Commission to come up with dedicated sub-actions and objectives on this issue; in particular, highlights the need for improvements regarding: the lay-out of buildings and exterior spaces receiving animals, feed composition and balance, optimal densities and group sizes, alternative to mutilations, and fulfilment of animals’ behavioural needs; calls on the Commission to increase its support for research, notably participative research, capacity building and exchanges of best practices in these domains;
Amendment 272 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 a (new) 18a. Calls on the Commission while reviewing the Directive on sustainable use of pesticides to define the biocontrol products and their four categories (microorganisms, invertebrates biocontrol agents, semiochemicals and natural substances) as well as to lighten the approval procedure for basic substances according their level of risk in particular for substances authorised for a food use, and the procedure for extension of use to approved basic substances; considers that biocontrol products could ever replace 40% of synthetic pesticide uses that the many companies involved in the biocontrol sector continue to innovate to reduce the consumption of synthetic pesticides;
Amendment 273 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 a (new) 18a. Welcomes the contribution of organic farming to the reduction in the volume of synthetic plant protection products used; reminds the Commission and the Member States of the European Parliament resolution of 15 February 2017 on low-risk pesticides of biological origin; calls on the Commission, therefore, to increase the availability of solutions such as low-risk products of biological origin, biocontrol and natural substances by improving and accelerating the assessment and authorisation process for natural substances;
Amendment 274 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 a (new) 18a. Considers that the principle of recycling from waste in organic farming should be more widely implemented for recycled sources of nutrients to avoid long-term nutrient deficits; calls the Commission to assess new recycled materials, containing essential plant nutrients (phosphorus, potassium and nitrogen), for future addition to the EU organic farming Regulation’s list of input materials incoherence with organic farming principles, quality, safety and consumer confidence;
Amendment 275 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 a (new) 18a. Underlines that bio-fertilizers and bio-based soil improvers are important components of organic farming practices; stresses therefore the need to incentivise innovation with regard to the production of bio-fertilizers and bio-based soil improvers from various types of biomass waste such as animal manure and food waste;
Amendment 276 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 a (new) 18a. Stresses that agricultural products with quality marks contribute to sustainable development via their manufacturing processes, given that they are more likely to be local products, linked directly to the land; notes that producers already have to comply with strict specifications;
Amendment 277 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 a (new) 18a. It highlights the importance of actions to improve traceability and supervision, as well as the system of controls both in the EU and in third countries in order to prevent fraud in the production and trade of organic products and thus foster consumer confidence;
Amendment 278 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 a (new) 18a. Calls for more research and information on the potential benefits of using plant biostimulants in organic farming, and how they contribute to nutrient absorption and better performance in this production model;
Amendment 279 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 a (new) 18a. Calls on the Commission to conduct comprehensive studies and analyses of the impact of the increase in organic farming on both climate change and food security in the European Union;
Amendment 28 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E E. whereas in 2019, the EU’s total agricultural area under organic farming grew to 13.8 million hectares; whereas it currently accounts for 8.5 % of the EU’s total utilised agricultural area; whereas between 2010 and 2019 the value of the EU’s organic market has more than doubled; whereas the increase of organic production outpaces the development of the organic market in parts of the EU; whereas production exceeds demand in various agricultural sectors in some countries;
Amendment 280 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 b (new) 18b. Highlights the urgent need for the development of the production of organic plant proteins and to stimulate the production of organic legumes, including in forage systems, in the European Union, in order to decrease the dependency of the organic sector to imports; urges the Commission to draw up a dedicated strategic plan in this regard;
Amendment 281 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 b (new) 18b. Highlights that long mineralization duration resulting in nutrient losses, and shortcomings in the use of waste in organic farming (including pathogen detection, low nutrient status, long mineralization duration, and odour production) should be addressed through adequate processing and nutrient separation;
Amendment 282 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 b (new) 18b. Stresses the need to support the development of safe, effective and affordable alternative to plant protection products as an important element of the development of organic production;
Amendment 283 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 c (new) 18c. Notes that research has shown that imbalances in nutrient budgets (in terms of surpluses for one nutrient combined with deficits of other nutrients) are a common challenge faced by organic farms systems; points, in line with the scientific conclusions, that suitable solution could be to address these by promoting the use of an adequate farm- specific combination of different external inputs, on top of biological nitrogen fixation; add that to achieve it, appropriate nutrient inputs allowing recombination of macro-nutrients will be needed for organic farms1a; _________________ 1a Reimer, M., Hartmann, T.E., Oelofse, M. et al. Reliance on Biological Nitrogen Fixation Depletes Soil Phosphorus and Potassium Reserves. Nutr Cycl Agroecosyst 118, 273–291 (2020). https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s 10705-020-10101-w#citeas
Amendment 284 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 d (new) Amendment 285 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 e (new) 18e. Considers that the use of plant biostimulants, in combination with fertilisers, could help to overcome nutrient limitation typical of organic systems by improving nutrient availability, uptake and assimilation, and consequently contributing to the reduction of the gap between organic and conventional yields; therefore, in line with scientific findings, calls for more research and information about the potential benefits derived from applications of plant biostimulants in organic farming systems, in order to allow their wider uptake;
Amendment 286 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 19. Highlights the importance of sufficiently available, high-quality organic seeds, heterogeneous material and high- yielding plant varieties; points out their potential in strengthening resilience against plant diseases and the impact of climate change; encourages the Commission and the Member States to step up efforts to improve the functioning of the organic seed market and believes that transitional periods would be helpful in achieving this; calls on the Commission to increase the budgets allocated to the research for organic seed and animal breeding; highlights the importance of supporting programmes for the preservation and selection of local breeds, which, given their robustness, are particularly suited to organic farming;
Amendment 287 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 19. Highlights the importance of sufficiently available, high-quality organic seeds, heterogeneous material and high- yielding plant varieties; points out their potential in strengthening resilience against plant diseases and the impact of climate change; encourages the Commission and the Member States to step up efforts to improve the functioning of the organic seed market and believes that transitional periods would be helpful in achieving this, with specific actions to stimulate and take advantage of the use of organic seeds;
Amendment 288 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 19. Highlights the importance of sufficiently available, high-quality organic seeds with material in organic-certified conditions, heterogeneous material and high-
Amendment 289 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 19. Highlights the importance of sufficiently available, high-quality organic seeds, heterogeneous material and high- yielding plant varieties, also varieties that are locally adopted; points out their potential in strengthening resilience against plant diseases and the impact of climate change; encourages the Commission and
Amendment 29 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E E. whereas in 2019, the EU’s total agricultural area under organic farming grew to 13.8 million hectares; whereas it currently accounts for 8.5 % of the EU’s total utilised agricultural area; whereas between 2010 and 2019 the value of the EU’s organic market has more than doubled; whereas the increase of organic production outpaces the development of the organic market in parts of the EU, while production of organic products is very low or inexistent in other parts;
Amendment 290 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 19. Highlights the importance of sufficiently available, high-quality organic seeds, heterogeneous material, native varieties and high-
Amendment 291 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 a (new) 19a. In order to facilitate the application of the Water Framework Directive and its objective of ensuring sufficient supply of drinking water and to preserve human health and the environment, considers that agricultural areas located in catchment areas of the river basin management plans of the Member States should be eligible, for support from the ecoregime of the new CAP, in order to develop organic farming and to protect these sensitive areas, from pollution by pesticides and their metabolites and synthetic fertilisers and in particular nitrogen fertilisers;
Amendment 292 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 a (new) 19a. Underlines the need for harmonised European systems for the certification of inputs for organic farming in order to prevent the proliferation of private certifications with different requirements and control systems; calls on the Commission to accelerate its EU- wide harmonisation through the PADPE;
Amendment 293 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 a (new) 19a. Underlines the need to provide Europe’s organic producers with more biocontrol technologies and to encourage their wider use to ensure that farmers have easier access to such tools, which are crucial for sustainable development and for achieving the objectives of the Green Deal;
Amendment 294 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 a (new) 19a. Stresses that pesticide residues, which are present in the environment, may potentially affect organic products as well; points out therefore that organic farmers, who guarantee high environmental standards in production, must not be burdened with risks for which they are not responsible;
Amendment 295 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 a (new) 19a. Supports the stimulation or organic (traditional) crop breeding for the development of healthy and resilient varieties;
Amendment 296 #
19b. Points out that a zero tolerance approach towards pesticide residues on organic products would greatly damage the sector; suggests that in order to tackle this issue, the European Commission should put forward initiatives aiming to simplify the registration of plant protection products suitable for organic farming, promote further harmonisation of the handling of pesticide residue findings, by considering all the pros and cons of the different approaches taken by the Member States, and promote the study of and research into new treatments compatible with organic production;
Amendment 297 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 b (new) 19b. Highlights that the social dimension should not be forgotten when it comes to organic farming and food production; emphasises the importance of protecting the individual and collective labour and social rights of farm labourers and workers, including seasonal and mobile workers employed along the EU organic food supply chain; calls on the Commission to also address the issue of gender inequality in policies aiming at developing organic food and farming in the European Union;
Amendment 298 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 c (new) 19c. Emphasises that a key driver to stimulate demand for organic products is to ensure they are as attractive to consumers as conventional products notably in terms of taste, nutrition and convenience; highlights that organic ingredients with natural nutritional properties are nature-based solutions, essential to organic food production and should be promoted as alternatives to additive substances; calls therefore for legal certainty over the use of such organic ingredients, in line with the objective of the Farm to Fork Strategy to “make sure that everyone has access to sufficient, nutritious, sustainable food (…) while meeting dietary needs and food preferences”;
Amendment 299 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 20. Supports the Commission’s intention to extend the EU Market Observatories’ analysis to organic products, also in order to allow the mobilisation of the regulatory tools available in the event of market imbalances and crises; stresses the importance of intensifying collection and improving availability of accurate and timely data on the organic sector, particularly on production,
Amendment 3 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A A. whereas the Commission
Amendment 30 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E E. whereas in 2019, the EU’s total agricultural area under organic farming grew to 13.8 million hectares; whereas it currently accounts for 8.5% of the EU’s total utilised agricultural area; whereas there are still wide disparities between the Member States; whereas between 2010 and 2019 the value of the EU’s organic market has more than doubled; whereas the increase of organic production outpaces the development of the organic market in parts of the EU;
Amendment 300 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 20. Supports the Commission’s intention to extend the EU Market Observatories’ analysis to organic products, if it does not generate disproportionate institutional costs; stresses the importance of intensifying collection and improving availability of accurate and timely data on the organic sector, particularly on production, consumption, trade within the EU and with non-EU countries and delivery on sustainability, including farm gate and retail prices, consumer preferences, supply chain structures, added value and farmers’ share in supply chains, in order to shape and monitor EU policy on organic production, evaluate consumption and production trends and increase transparency and confidence in the organic sector through determining environmental, economic and social effects;
Amendment 301 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 20. Supports the Commission’s intention to extend the EU Market Observatories’ analysis to organic products; stresses the importance of intensifying collection and improving availability of accurate and timely data on the organic sector, particularly on production, consumption, trade within the EU and with non-EU countries and delivery on sustainability, including farm gate and retail prices, consumer preferences, supply chain structures, added value and farmers’ share in supply chains, in order to
Amendment 302 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 20. Supports the Commission’s intention to extend the EU Market Observatories’ analysis to organic
Amendment 303 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 – subparagraph 1 (new) More attention to animal welfare
Amendment 304 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 a (new) 20a. Welcomes the statement of the Commission that organic farming should remain the model in terms of animal welfare protection and entail a guarantee for the consumer that animals were well treated along the chain and could fulfil their natural needs and behaviours whether at farm level or during transport, as animals should be spared any avoidable pain, distress or suffering, including at the time of killing;
Amendment 305 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 a (new) 20a. Stresses that legislation must be able to provide organic producers with organic plant health solutions; calls, further, for adequate resources to be allocated to EFSA and related EU agencies to allow approval of low-risk substances in time for their use at EU level;
Amendment 306 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 a (new) 20a. Underlines the importance of supporting the organic livestock farming both to enhance animal production but also to support the positive environmental impact of farming on the soil and on the environment in general;
Amendment 307 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 a (new) 20a. Calls on the Commission to approve in a notification procedure, for Member States that joined the EU in or after 2004, public aid for organic farming from both national and local budgets;
Amendment 308 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 b (new) 20b. Welcomes that the Commission is working on improving animal welfare in organic farming, as society associates organic farming with the highest standards of animal welfare, and asks for specific attention to improving the welfare of offspring;
Amendment 309 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 c (new) 20c. Calls on the Commission to further develop rules on husbandry, mutilation, transport and slaughter for organic production, especially in light of its work on animal welfare labelling;
Amendment 31 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E a (new) Ea. whereas, at present, organic production and consumption differ greatly among Member States, and the proportion of agricultural land used for organic farming ranges from 0.5% to over 25%;
Amendment 310 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 d (new) 20d. Stresses that animal farming causes major negative impacts on public and animal health, the climate, the environment, nature and biodiversity, and thus calls on the Commission to ensure that its policies and funding programmes solely promote a shift to less and improved animal farming and reduced meat, dairy and eggs consumption in Europe;
Amendment 311 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 e (new) 20e. Emphasizes the urgent need to address animal welfare issues, on-farm, during transport and slaughter, and to enforce existing animal welfare rules in organic farming;
Amendment 312 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 f (new) 20f. Recalls that the market for animal products from cage-free, free range and organic systems, as well as the market for plant-based alternatives, is growing in the EU;
Amendment 313 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 g (new) 20g. Points out that reducing and replacing animal products by promoting a shift to more plant-based diets, should be considered as a solution to meet the Commissions' objective to make food systems fair, healthy and environmentally-friendly;
Amendment 32 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E a (new) Ea. whereas unhealthy diets cause 20% of food waste in the EU and 950,000 deaths per year, mostly due to cardiovascular diseases and cancers;
Amendment 33 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E b (new) Eb. whereas it is essential to ensure that the increase in the amount of land used for organic farming matches the market’s ability to absorb organics;
Amendment 34 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F F. whereas the OAP includes 23 actions, providing a
Amendment 35 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F a (new) Fa. whereas organic farming ensures a good balance between the various aspects of sustainability, fostering soil, water and biodiversity protection and animal welfare; whereas it is important to support actions to improve the quality and quantity of inputs for farming, as well as research and innovation, which are required to support expanding organic farming;
Amendment 36 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F a (new) Fa. whereas Regulation (EU) 2018/848 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2018 on organic production and labelling of organic products and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 834/2007, which will apply from 1st January 2022, is aiming notably for an increased consumers’ trust in organic products through more stringent controls and rules for imports;
Amendment 37 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F a (new) Fa. whereas organic farming has a potential to contribute to environmental protection and biodiversity and at the same time revitalise rural areas, creating employment, supporting the sustainability of small farms, bringing consumers and producers closer, enhancing the connections with the local economy and stimulating positive economic multipliers;
Amendment 38 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F a (new) Fa. whereas the ‘Strategic guidelines for a more sustainable and competitive EU aquaculture for the period 2021 to 2030’ were published in May 2021 and will be developed in the National Strategic Plans;
Amendment 39 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F a (new) Fa. whereas environmental and animal welfare standards in the EU are already among the highest in the world; whereas the new CAP introduces new ambitious measures to encourage sustainable production, including organic farming;
Amendment 4 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A A. whereas the Commission communication on an action plan for the development of organic production (organic action plan, OAP) emphasises that the Green Deal
Amendment 40 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F a (new) Fa. whereas there are big differences between Member States concerning the total EU agricultural land under organic farming, varying from 0.5% to 25.3%1a; _________________ 1a European Commission, Factsheet organic farming in the EU, 25 March 2021.
Amendment 41 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F a (new) Fa. whereas European funds should promote organic products produced in Europe, from the raw material through to its processing;
Amendment 42 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F b (new) Fb. whereas the retail sales of organic products increased by over 145% from €18 billion to €41 billion in the period 2009-20191b; _________________ 1b European Commission, Factsheet organic farming in the EU, 25 March 2021.
Amendment 43 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F b (new) Fb. whereas it is necessary to avoid creating an opposition between conventional and organic farming;
Amendment 44 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F c (new) Fc. whereas organic farmland has 30% more biodiversity, is beneficial to pollinators, limits the use of artificial fertilisers, herbicides and pesticides, and plays an important role in improving animal welfare1c; _________________ 1c European Commission, Factsheet organic farming in the EU, 25 March 2021.
Amendment 45 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F d (new) Fd. whereas organic food should be made affordable and accessible to everyone, regardless of their income;
Amendment 46 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F e (new) Fe. whereas consumers in Europe are insufficiently informed about the origin of food and the human and animal (un)friendly and (un)sustainable production of food products;
Amendment 47 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F f (new) Ff. whereas knife and fork are our mightiest weapons against climate change, biodiversity loss, poverty, hunger and animal suffering;
Amendment 48 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F g (new) Fg. whereas consumers should be rewarded instead of punished for choosing and buying sustainable, organic products;
Amendment 49 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F h (new) Fh. whereas animal welfare is an essential part of sustainability;
Amendment 5 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A a (new) Aa. whereas, after 12 months the list of almost all of the secondary legislation needed for the entry into force of Regulation (EU) 2018/848 is now ready, although that is not the case for the Delegated Regulation regulating organic salt; whereas this text will have to give priority to the natural processes, without additives or carbon emissions during preparation, that characterise sea salt, for it to be given organic certification;
Amendment 50 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Welcomes the Commission’s recognition of organic farming as one of the important components on the EU’s path towards more sustainable food systems
Amendment 51 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Welcomes the communication from the Commission on an action plan for the development of organic production, and the Commission’s recognition of organic farming as one of the important components on the EU’s path towards more sustainable food systems and the ambition of increasing the EU’s agricultural area under organic farming by 2030; while organic farming is the most developed form of environmentally- friendly agriculture, recognises, at the same time, the potential for other sustainable farming methods to contribute to the Green Deal’s objectives;
Amendment 52 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Welcomes the Commission’s recognition of organic farming as one of the
Amendment 53 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1.
Amendment 54 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Welcomes the Commission’s
Amendment 55 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Welcomes the Commission’s recognition of organic farming as one of the important components on the EU’s path towards more sustainable food systems and the ambition of increasing the EU’s agricultural area under organic farming by 2030 based on the development of demand; recognises, at the same time, the potential for other sustainable farming methods to contribute to the Green Deal’s objectives;
Amendment 56 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Welcomes the Commission’s recognition of organic farming as one of
Amendment 57 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Welcomes the Commission’s recognition of organic farming as one of the important components on the EU’s path towards more sustainable food systems and the ambition of increasing the EU’s agricultural area under organic farming by 2030; recognises, at the same time, the potential for other production models and sustainable farming methods to contribute to the Green Deal’s objectives;
Amendment 58 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Welcomes the Commission’s recognition of organic farming as one of the important components on the EU’s path towards more sustainable food systems and the ambition of increasing the EU’s
Amendment 59 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Welcomes the Commission’s recognition of organic farming as
Amendment 6 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A a (new) Aa. whereas organic agriculture farmers are considered ‘pioneers of the sustainable agriculture of the future’;
Amendment 60 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 a (new) 1a. Welcomes organic farming’s systemic approach to sustainability which delivers many positive externalities; recognises that organic farming is based on a stronger synergy between animals and land with benefits for climate change mitigation and adaptation and for soil protection; considers that the prohibition of synthetic pesticides and synthetic fertilizers for organic farming enhances water and air quality as well as biodiversity (30% more); recognises that animal welfare standards for organic farming are the highest ones;
Amendment 61 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 a (new) 1a. Welcomes the Farm to Fork and Biodiversity Strategies' targets to reach 25% organic land in the EU by 2030; highlights that the development of organic farming will contribute to many of the objectives of the Farm to Fork and Biodiversity Strategies;
Amendment 62 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 a (new) 1a. Stresses that we need a farming industry that progressively adapts to climate and environmental imperatives, and that organic farming is a core element for achieving these objectives;
Amendment 63 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 a (new) 1a. Calls on the European Commission to carry out an impact assessment for the target of 25% of agricultural area under organic farming by 2030;
Amendment 64 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 b (new) 1b. Insists on the need to overcome aspects of the agricultural systems inherited from the Green Revolution based on the agro-chemistry and on low oil prices; considers that organic farming and more largely agroecology are currently the more fruitful areas for experimentations and sustainable innovations by increasing the diversity of the agrosystems and optimising the interactions within them.
Amendment 65 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 b (new) 1b. Expresses its concern over the low share of the total EU agricultural land under organic farming in several Member States, with Malta (0.5%), Ireland (1,6%), Bulgaria (2,3%), Romania (2,9%), Poland (3,5%), The Netherlands (3,7%), Luxembourg (4,4%) and Cyprus (5%) having the lowest share1d; _________________ 1d European Commission, Factsheet organic farming in the EU, 25 March 2021.
Amendment 66 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 b (new) 1b. Points out that, with the introduction of the new Regulation (EU) 2018/848 on organic production in 2022, the Commission must ensure an orderly and measured transition from the old EU organic legislation so that the organic sector can familiarise itself with the new rules quickly and reliably;
Amendment 67 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 c (new) 1c. Welcomes the contribution of organic farming to the re-vitalisation of rural areas in the EU;
Amendment 68 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 d (new) 1d. Welcomes organic farming systemic approach to sustainability, which delivers benefits for climate change mitigation and adaptation, for biodiversity protection, for soil protection, for water quality, for pesticides and antibiotics reduction, while ensuring higher animal welfare standards; stresses that sustainability labelling initiatives should not undermine the organic logo and should be based on methodologies that encompass all aspects of environmental sustainability;
Amendment 69 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 2. Underlines that the development and growth of the organic sector must be accompanied by market-driven and holistic supply chain developments as well as policy driven measures to stimulate further supply and demand for organic food and to ensure consumer trust, and the combination of the two approaches should allow a balanced development in
Amendment 7 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B B. whereas Europe’s food system should deliver
Amendment 70 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 2. Underlines that the development and growth of the organic sector must be accompanied by market-driven and holistic supply chain developments as well as measures to stimulate further demand for organic food and ensure consumer trust, in order to safeguard the future profitability of the organic market and organic farming in the EU; recalls that in some cases there is no market for organic agricultural products, forcing farmers to sell them as conventional agricultural products at a lower price;
Amendment 71 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 2. Underlines that the development and growth of the organic sector and organic surfaces, as foreseen in the Farm to Fork strategy, must be accompanied by market
Amendment 72 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 2. Underlines that the development and growth of the organic sector must be accompanied by market-driven and holistic supply chain developments as well as
Amendment 73 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 2. Underlines that the development and growth of the organic sector must be
Amendment 74 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 2. Underlines that the development and growth of the organic sector must be
Amendment 75 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 a (new) 2a. Emphasises the need to develop mechanisms that will increase demand for organic products while identifying and providing support for the transition to organic production, as well as financial compensation for farmers in the organic sector, thereby helping to ensure that the increase in the amount of land used for organic farming matches the market’s ability to absorb organics;
Amendment 76 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 a (new) 2a. Highlights that stimulating agricultural sustainability and resilience of the EU foodsystem should be a priority; underlines that co-existence of different farming systems is important as diversity is key to food system security and resilience and benefits sustainable development; points out that there is no single farming model that fits all countries and regions and stresses that the benefits of the different sustainable farming models should be recognised;
Amendment 77 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 a (new) 2a. Stresses that the obligation to increase the share of organic food in total food sales will cause market chains to push for lower food prices; notes that this could in turn lead to financial difficulties and increase the risk of bankruptcy among organic farmers;
Amendment 78 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 a (new) 2a. Notes that organic farming also exacerbates emissions through greater food production elsewhere to compensate for the lower yields in organic agriculture;1a _________________ 1a Smith, L.G., Kirk, G.J.D., Jones, P.J. et al. The greenhouse gas impacts of converting food production in England and Wales to organic methods. Nat Commun 10, 4641 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019- 12622-7
Amendment 79 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 b (new) 2b. Highlights the risk of financial difficulties and/or bankruptcy among organic farmers, caused by market chain pressure to lower food prices, which is itself caused by the increase in the volume of organic food on the market, dictated by the obligation to expand the amount of land used for organic farming, as laid down in the rules for the strategic plans;
Amendment 8 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B B. whereas Europe’s food system should deliver food and ensure food security in a way that ensures a healthy society and a healthy planet, contributes to social well-being,
Amendment 80 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3. Points out that for an EU action plan to succeed, it must stimulate and mobilise the Member States, as well as regional and local authorities; expresses the view, therefore, that Member States should be encouraged to develop their own national OAPs with concrete, time-bound actions and targets, with regional implementation when appropriate; highlights the need to exchange know- hows and best practices, as some member States have more experience in designing and implementing ambitious national plans; calls on the Commission to include such exchanges in the framework of the planned public follow-up meetings;
Amendment 81 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3. Points out that for an EU action plan to succeed, it must stimulate and mobilise the Member States; expresses the view, therefore, that Member States should be encouraged to develop their own national OAPs with concrete, time-bound actions; calls on the Commission to take its responsibility by validating National Strategic Plans which have a high level of ambition in terms of development of organic farming and, above all, which involve enough financial resources and the most effective tools in order to achieve the objectives;
Amendment 82 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3. Points out that for an EU action plan to succeed, it must stimulate and mobilise the Member States
Amendment 83 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3. Points out that, for an EU action plan to succeed, it must stimulate and mobilise the Member States; expresses the view, therefore, that Member States should be encouraged to develop their own national
Amendment 84 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3. Points out that for an EU action plan to succeed, it must stimulate and mobilise the Member States; expresses the view, therefore, that Member States should be encouraged to develop their own national OAPs with concrete, time-bound actions, taking into account the different starting points of the Member States; points out that regional and local OAPs should also play a role in the development of the organic sector;
Amendment 85 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3. Points out that for an EU action plan to succeed, it must stimulate and mobilise the Member States; expresses the view, therefore, that Member States should be encouraged to develop their own national OAPs with concrete, time-bound actions; adds that regional and local OAPs must also play a role in the development of the organic sector;
Amendment 86 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3. Points out that for an EU action plan to succeed, it must stimulate and mobilise the Member States; expresses the view, therefore, that Member States should be encouraged to develop their own national
Amendment 87 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3. Points out that for an EU action
Amendment 88 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3. Points out that for an EU action plan to succeed, it must stimulate and mobilise the Member States; expresses the view, therefore, that Member States should be encouraged to develop their own national OAPs with concrete
Amendment 89 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3. Points out that for an EU action plan to succeed, it must stimulate and mobilise the Member States; expresses the view, therefore, that Member States should be encouraged to develop their own
Amendment 9 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B B. whereas Europe’s food system
Amendment 90 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3. Points out that for an EU action plan to succeed, it must stimulate and mobilise the Member States; expresses the view, therefore, that Member States should be encouraged to develop their own national OAPs with concrete, realistic and time-bound actions;
Amendment 91 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3. Points out that for an EU action plan to succeed, it must stimulate and mobilise the Member States; expresses the view, therefore, that Member States should be encouraged to develop their own national OAPs with concrete
Amendment 92 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 a (new) 3a. Regrets that the new regulation on organic farming risks creating some major hurdles to its implementation by EU producers, especially small farmers, and at the same time lowers existing standards, particularly as regards plant protection products, which could lead to consumer distrust; therefore calls on the European Commission to carry out an impact assessment of the new regulation three years after its implementation, with a view to make the necessary adjustments;
Amendment 93 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 a (new) 3a. Stresses that actions to support the development of the organic sector must by no means undermine the long-term economic sustainability of existing and new organic producers; underlines that a market-driven approach is key in order to avoid adverse consequences in the long run due to price collapse when supply of organic produce is not in pace with demand and considers an area-based target incompatible with this principle;
Amendment 94 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 a (new) 3a. Considers that to reach the objective of 25% of the agricultural area under organic conditions, at least 15% of the total CAP expenditures should be focused on organic farming measures whereas the current amount is only 1,5%;
Amendment 95 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 a (new) 3a. Calls on the European Commission and the Member States to play an active role in improving the structure of organic supply chains and building the capacity of organic producers’ organisations;
Amendment 96 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 b (new) 3b. Welcomes the extension of the scope of the organic farming regulation to certain products closely linked to agriculture which are not listed in Annex I of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, such as salt; however, expresses its concern about the report on organic salt published on 6 August 2021 by EGTOP, as it is in favour of extending the EU organic label to production methods that not comply with the principles of the EU regulation 2018/848; therefore calls on the European Commission not to follow the advice of EGTOP;
Amendment 97 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 b (new) 3b. Stresses that CAP support for conversion to and maintenance of organic farming may be funded via second-pillar rural development measures, eco-schemes or a clever combination of the two; calls for eco-schemes to be designed in a manner that renders them compatible with and complementary to agri- environment-climate measures (AECMs), including organic farming measures, which are set out in the second pillar;
Amendment 98 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Stresses that Member States should engage all stakeholders, especially organic
Amendment 99 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Stresses that Member States should engage all stakeholders, especially organic farmers and associations, the agri-food sector along the value chain, local and regional authorities, consumer and private sector representatives and the hospitality industry, including large-scale caterers, in a consultative process when adopting their national OAPs to achieve the best possible synergies;
source: 700.717
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