30 Amendments of Eric ANDRIEU related to 2015/2227(INI)
Amendment 7 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital -A (new)
Recital -A (new)
Amendment 25 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas population growth, higher average incomes – in spite of growing inequalities – and changing consumer behaviour will lead to revised dietary preferences, in particular resulting in higher demand for processed foods and animal proteins such as meat and dairy;
Amendment 29 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas the global food security issue will only be resolved by tackling the problem of food wastage found in all countries of the world, but especially if each country has the capacity to develop its own agriculture along sustainable development lines; whereas from this point of view international cooperation is extremely important for innovation in production models, technical progress, training, research, extension services and technological developments;
Amendment 48 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas consumers are demanding food production in sufficient quantity and with higher environmental and health standards and greater nutritional and health value, while the agricultural sector needs to diversify and innovate to provide good and affordable food for all;
Amendment 69 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G a (new)
Recital G a (new)
Ga. whereas the development of more sustainable models of agriculture intended not only to provide food for people but also to produce non-food goods and services represents significant potential for creating new jobs in each region, not only related to food production (human and animal), but also to the bioeconomy, green chemistry, renewable energies and tourism, inter alia; whereas these are also very often jobs that cannot be relocated;
Amendment 78 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital I
Recital I
I. whereas the competitiveness and sustainability of the common agricultural policy (CAP) isare mentioned as one of the key goals in Article 4(a) of Regulation (EU) No 1305/2013, and increasingthe various regulations reforming the CAP in 2013, and whereas ensuring secure food supplies, increasing agricultural productivity and, ensuring reasonable pricesconsumer prices and ensuring a fair standard of living for the agricultural community, as mentioned in Article 39 TFEU, can be best achieved through innovation; whereas innovation also allows agriculture to fulfil other, horizontal-policy Treaty goals related to the environment, health and other areas;
Amendment 80 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital J
Recital J
J. whereas the memorandum of understanding between the Commission and the EIB signed on 14 July 2014 explicitly encourages further investments in innovative agriculture, providing tools to foster the uptake of investments in agriculture and including a proposal from the Commission aimed at supporting and expanding financial tools in the farming sector in order to combat price fluctuations; whereas, however, these tools are far from sufficient for effectively combating price volatility;
Amendment 98 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Notes that agriculture has always developed new practices, techniques and production methods that have increased outputs and improved the adaptability of farming practices to new and changing circumstances; notes further that agriculture is aand forestry are key parts of our natural world which thus provides goods and services that go beyond producing food and can be enhanced by fostering new developments; is convinced that innovation is a prerequisite for maintaining this progress;
Amendment 106 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Considers that innovation is an important factor in the changes that will affect agriculture and that it is a factor in the new economy based on knowledge, intelligence and development sustainability, aided by the revival of lost knowledge and the pragmatic observation of operators in the field;
Amendment 108 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
1b. Considers that innovation is essential for improvement in labour productivity and income in agriculture because it allows value-added to be created and shared and the quantity and quality of goods and services produced to be increased, but also because it helps to reduce certain production costs and make businesses more efficient (inputs, investment, etc.) and sometimes more self- sufficient, thus reducing certain risks in respect of their supplies;
Amendment 115 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Is strongly convinced that economic development and sustainable production are not mutually exclusive and are achievable mainly through innovation, in particular in the field of agronomy; stresses the need to support innovation in technology and governance by providing regulatory coherence, clarity and room for entrepreneurship, and urges the Commission to ensure that innovation is explicitly taken into account in forthcoming reviews and reforms of relevant legislation; highlights the fact that European agriculture is able to produce high-quality and high-added value products together with profitable, knowledge-based solutions in order to feed a growing and more demanding world population;
Amendment 116 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Is strongly convinced that economic development and sustainable production are not mutually exclusive and are achievable mainly through innovation; stresses the need to support innovation in technical production methods, new technologyies and human governance by adapting the content of public policies such as the CAP and research and development – support which must be achieved by providing regulatory coherence, clarity and room for entrepreneurship, – and urges the Commission to ensure that innovation is explicitly taken into account in forthcoming reviews and reforms of relevant legislation; highlights the fact that European agriculture is able to produce high-quality and high-added value products and services together with profitable, knowledge-based solutions in order to feed a growing and more demanding world population and sustainable solutions based on a knowledge-based economy and society as set out in the Europe 2020 strategy;
Amendment 118 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Considers that, in order to respond to the key challenges for agriculture, the CAP should be overhauled so as to allow the sustainable development of European agriculture; to produce in large quantity and with better quality requires major adjustments based on changes in production models and taking greater account of the resources of each ecosystem, and these changes need to be able to be based on innovative practices carried out by farmers themselves, on their own or in partnerships with other actors, for example research bodies; these experiences should be evaluated and taken into greater account in greening the CAP; other innovations of this kind should be sought with additional resources via the measure on the European Innovation Partnership on Agricultural Productivity and Sustainability in agriculture and forestry, which was introduced by the last CAP reform within the second pillar;
Amendment 124 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 b (new)
Paragraph 2 b (new)
2b. European public policy must provide more support for innovation by funding risk-taking ventures by innovators, by making arrangements for access to and the widest possible dissemination of knowledge and data and by setting up initial and ongoing training (including apprenticeships) for all so that everyone can take up the new practices and technologies; innovation also has an important social component consisting of mobilising and creating synergies between stakeholders around common and shared themes and projects; this strategy of cooperation and alliances will boost confidence in the future and give momentum to development so as to meet not only the challenges faced now but also the wider expectations and new needs of our societies;
Amendment 130 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Encourages the Commission to come forward with solutions to stimulate the uptake of ICT-based management systems, real-time data monitoring, sensor technology and the use of detection systems for the optimisation of production systems or precision agriculture, which inter alia could mean adapting to changing production and market conditions leading to more efficient use of natural resources, increased crop performance, reduction of the environmental footprint, efficient accounting of CO2 storage by agricultural land, especially fields and hedgerows, and the associated benefits, better understanding of animal behaviour, and improved animal health and welfare;
Amendment 138 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Is convinced that information gathered by robotics, sensor technology, automatic control and other technological innovations in the context of Internet of Things (IoT) technologies and Big Data will enable real- time monitoring, better decision-making, and improved operations management along the whole food chain; welcomes the creation of the Alliance for Internet of Things Innovation (AIOTI) Working Group 06 on ‘smart farming and food safety’, and stresses in this respect the importance and relevance of the European Digital Single Market for agriculture in terms of tackling problems of interoperability, standards for better convergence and questions of data ownership; considers that this single digital market is extremely important for all rural regions, especially those that are most remote;
Amendment 160 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Encourages innovative solutions in animal housing systems and energy efficiency in buildings used for animal husbandry, that can contribute to a higher level of animal welfare and consequently lead to higher levels of animal health, by reducing the need for veterinary medicinal products, including antimicrobials; stresses that the application of antimicrobials should be prudent and responsible and would be improved by improving the entire production chain with more efficient and faster diagnostic tools that rely on data, better real-time monitoring, targeted precautionary measures and new ways of dispensing in order to combat antimicrobial resistance;
Amendment 164 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Supports extensive animal husbandry methods and calls for the development of innovative technologies for the accurate assessment of the environmental benefits of grassland and pastures maintained by this type of farming and recognising the benefits thereof as a complement to crop production;
Amendment 168 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Welcomes the innovatory production of plant and animal protein for feed and food through; notes that, in strategic terms, this would significantly reduce EU dependence on outside supply and that, in technical terms, it requires the availability of crop varieties that can be grown in our climate, thereby promoting biodiversity, soil improvement through more diversified crop rotation and greater farm supply autonomy, involving also growing insects that can deliver an efficient conversion of organic residual streams into protein and nutrients with a lower climate impact and using less water than most conventional farm animals; is concerned that the current legislation on processed animal protein does not take into account the specificities of the production process for insects, since use of insect proteins is obstructed by outdated regulatory frameworks that make slaughterhouse requirement applicable to insects; urges the Commission to clarify this issue;
Amendment 180 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Emphasises the enormous potential of technology and innovation for the development of new products and servicesgoods and products (relating to food and feed, machinery, biochemistry, biocontrol...) and job creation along the whole agri-food value chain; highlights the creation of new jobs in the agricultural sector, which is of pivotal importance for rural development, and considers that developing modern agricultural practices will make agriculture more attractive to young farmers and entrepreneurs alike; calls on the Commission to look into the possibilities of incentivising farmers to raise public awareness concerning the workings of the agri-food chain and new production methods;
Amendment 193 #
12. Highlights that a sizeable proportion of biotic waste streams are already used as, for example, animal feed or base material for biofuels; considers, however, that these materials should generate even higher outputs by aiming for the most added value and by using new technologies such as biorefining, insect breeding, solid state fermentation, biogas extraction and the extraction of minerals from manure; notes the lack of economies of scale forunderutilisation of other resources from biomass, such as agricultural by- products and waste streams, and encourages the Commission to support their reuse in the energy sector and elsewhere by facilitating EU-wide recognition systems and special rural development programmes, that could involve farmers and other stakeholders such as the local authorities in small- scale projects; notes that the recognition systems and special rural development programmes could also facilitate cross- border circulation and to improve synergy and coherence with other EU policies;
Amendment 201 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Is concernedConsiders that depleted soil quality is compromising future production, necessitating a change in farming methods and systems, given that the phasing out of animal husbandry has contributed to decrease in soil fertility on many farms owing to the inadequate organic content and insufficient use of organic fertilisers; is concerned also that the EU is highly dependent on the import of minerals for the production of artificial fertilisers such as phosphate and that the production of artificial fertilisers has a high ecological footprint; emphasises the possibility of processing animal manure into mineral concentrate that could be used to manufacture ‘green fertiliser’ that can reduce and eventually replace the need for artificial fertilisers, in the light of an efficiency level comparable to that of the latter; welcomes the fact that the production and use of mineral concentrates makes a significant contribution to the circular economy by closing the mineral loop, and asks the Commission to revise the EU fertiliser regulation and remove barriers in the nitrates directive so as to stimulate the development of mineral concentrate from animal manure;
Amendment 204 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13a. Advocates the use of biostimulation, an innovative technique using complex natural extract micro-dose mixtures to improve physiological cultivation methods and ensure optimum development; notes that it improves plant quality and nutrient assimilation, reduces chemical fertilizer input and water consumption and enhances abiotic stress tolerance, helping to cut both operating costs and pollution levels;
Amendment 205 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13a.. Is also concerned at the EU's continued dependence on imported protein feed such as soya and calls for an ambitious protein crop development policy in the European Union;
Amendment 214 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Points out that climate-smart farming practices could have a triple-win effect by increasing sustainable production, ensuring climate-resilient farming that is better able to cope with changing and adverse weather patterns, and reducing emissions from the agricultural sector by encouraging productive, resource-efficient and circular systems; stresses that the agricultural sector has the unique opportunitye and forestry can help combat global warming through the capacity of soil to actively capture CO2 by means of forestation, use of cover crops and leguminous crops, limiting tillage and absorbing greenhouse gases in the soil (carbon sinking); notes that, as shown by the COP 21 '4 per thousand' programme, an annual 4/1000 increase in the organic content of soil would be enough to offset all greenhouse gas emissions and achieve large-scale regeneration of depleted soils worldwide;
Amendment 229 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Considers soil quality to be of economic and ecological importance since a depletion of the ecological state would result in less productive soil, lower nutrient availability, increases in susceptibility of plants to pests and diseases, lower water holding capacity and diminished biodiversity; calls on the Commission to support innovative practices and the sharing of best practices such as crop rotation systems, permanent soil cover, limited tillage or fertilising with green legumes to avoid further soil degradation; believes that the interplay between organic matter and production needs to be better understood; welcomes research into innovative practices such as the use of microbial interventions and plant-soil interactions which could lower the environmental impact and reduce the use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides; recognises the importance of a sustainable soil use that takes account of site-specific needs;
Amendment 237 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Calls for more efforts to be made to develop an biological and 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 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; urges the Commission also to consider ways of encouraging biostimulation and biocontrol at European level; 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 247 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Calls for a continuous development of innovative new breeding techniques for plants facilitating greater biodiversity and the adaptation of reproductive material to the needs of organic farming and the prospect of global warming, 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 agriculture; 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 279 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Acknowledges that there is a great potential for better risk management and sees the current risk management and market management tools as underdeveloped, a situation which could result in short-term loss of productivity and long-term loss of innovation; calls on the Commission to investigate and report on the possibility of stimulating private insurance schemes covering adverse climatic events, animal or plant diseases, pest infestations or environmental incidents, as mentioned in Article 37 of Regulation (EU) No 1305/2013;
Amendment 300 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Stresses that the CAP should be more focused on farmers’ needs while not compromising policy goals; stresses the need for a more flexible legislative framework that is better aligned to deliver synergies with other sectors such as chemicals, health and technology, by enhancaround multi-partner strategies contributing to a better future for all involved, by promoting knowledge crossovers, integration of resource use and better understanding of reciprocal effects in order to optimise their interplay and better integrate with the circular economy; stresses further that a market-orientedcompetitive and sustainable CAP will enhance the innovative power and competitiveness of the European agricultural sector by reducing government intervention and stimulating entrepreneurshipof agriculture by encouraging public-private partnerships and shared value chains;