5 Amendments of Anthea McINTYRE related to 2015/2227(INI)
Amendment 146 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Encourages the uptake of precision agriculture that provides new whole-farm management approaches, such as GPS/GNSS-technology driven machinery which, in combination with Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPASs, or drones) , can work arable land to the nearest centimetre; agrees that these techniques could significantly reduce both the use of plant protection products and fertiliser and water use, and combat soil erosion; calls on the Commission to remove the barriers to adopting precision farming, whilst recognising the constraints and adaptability of this technology to smaller and irregular farming types; calls on the Commission to remove the barriers to adopting precision farming to ensure that the benefits of this technology are available to all our farmers, in particular those linked to complex and fragmented ICT systems and investment level issues; encourages Member States to support these practices, in particular by using the opportunities under the new rural development rules under Regulation (EU) No 1305/2013 and to make full use of the EC-EIB financial instruments to reduce the investment needs and risks for farmers wishing to adopt these technologies;
Amendment 236 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Calls for more efforts to be made to develop an integrated pest management system by supporting research into non- chemical alternatives and low-risk measures and pesticides which are more environment-friendly; calls on the , especially for product use on minor and speciality crops; stresses that the approvals process and criteria for defining active substances is becoming increasingly challenging for EU agriculture and calls on the Commission to come forward with an action plan and to set up an expert group in order to work towards a more sustainable pest management system; stresses the need to maintain a diverse range of plant protection products which include both chemical and biological products; highlights the potential of a pest management that improves the interaction between plant breeding efforts, natural combat systems and pesticide use; notes that biological control mechanisms relating to pests and diseases could reduce the use of pesticides and may contribute to better plant resilience;
Amendment 249 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Calls for a continuous development of innovative new breeding techniques for plants, as this is of vital importance for the efficient development of new varieties, contributing to the development of plants with higher yields, greater nutritional value and better resistance to pests, diseases and adverse weather conditions; believes that many new breeding techniques provide unprecedented opportunities to reduce the environmental impact of conventional agriculturebenefit health and the environment, for example meeting the increasing demand for fish oils by engineering the metabolic processes in camelina plants to provide a terrestrial, sustainable source of omega-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids; disapproves of the current administrative and regulatory burdens; urges the Commission to encourage new techniques and ensure access to biological materials for SMEs in the breeding sector, and expects it to give primacy to innovation in this respect;
Amendment 264 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Highlights the possibility of using financial instruments to help improve stable returns and margins; notes that only five Member States have taken up the extended possibilities under the new Rural Development Programme to make use of market-compatible financial instruments in order to address market gaps; calls on the Commission to facilitate access to capital, since lack of such access is often a barrier to innovation; Regrets that the opportunity for co-funded capital investment in the RDPs is not being used for investment in technologies such as precision farming and calls on the national and regional authorities in their design of the next RDPs to support the development and uptake of these investment opportunities;
Amendment 271 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Calls on the Commission to work with the EIB in order to createWelcomes the EC- EIB Memorandum of Understanding which provides new financing opportunities for Member States that establish forms of financial support such as guarantee funds, revolving funds or investment capital to facilitate access to credit for farmers and groupings of farmers such as cooperatives, helping on-farm investment for modernisation while also offering financing opportunities for young farmers to expand their businesses, as well as to ensure investment in public-sector research combined with public-private partnerships in order to test and launch innovative products;