Activities of Ricardo SERRÃO SANTOS related to 2015/2225(INI)
Plenary speeches (2)
Technological solutions for sustainable agriculture (A8-0174/2016 - Anthea McIntyre) PT
Technological solutions for sustainable agriculture (short presentation) PT
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on technological solutions for sustainable agriculture in the EU PDF (327 KB) DOC (130 KB)
Amendments (45)
Amendment 2 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 2 a (new)
Citation 2 a (new)
- having regard to Regulation (EU) 1305/2013 of the European Parliament and the Council of 17 December 2013 on support for rural development by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 1698/20051a ; ___________ 1a OJ L 347, 20.12.2013, p. 487
Amendment 3 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 2 b (new)
Citation 2 b (new)
- having regard to Directive 2001/18/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 March 2001 on the deliberate release into the environment of genetically modified organisms and repealing Council Directive 90/220/EEC1a ; ___________ 1a OJ L 106 , 17.04.2001, p. 0001
Amendment 13 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas the global population is expected to reach 9.6 billion by 2050, meaning there will be 2.4 billion extra people to feed; our societies are facing multiple challenges in which agriculture is involved and must play its part. These challenges are: the food challenge: worldwide food security must be ensured in terms of both quantity and quality (health and nutritional quality increasingly linked with health in order to deal with malnutrition, obesity, cardio-vascular disease, etc.); the environmental challenge: we need to respond to the depletion and degradation of natural resources (land, water, air, biodiversity, natural mines, etc.) and to manage them better; the climate challenge: global warming is generating extreme weather events that result in droughts or floods causing substantial damage to the population groups affected and posing severe risks for their food security; the energy challenge: as fossil fuels run out we must give serious thought now to meeting our future energy needs by means of renewable energy sources and to improving our energy efficiency;
Amendment 19 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas global food production must increase by 60-110 %adapt to meet this demand;
Amendment 25 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas there is a pressing demand to produce more, as well as safe and nutritious, food for EU and global citizens, which must be reconciled with concerns over rapid degradation of natural ressources;
Amendment 31 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
C a. whereas sustainable agriculture requires the combination of environmental, social and economic criteria, for which technological solutions may be one important contributor;
Amendment 35 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas agriculture accounts for 70 % of the world’s fresh water use, and water availability and the effective use of irrigation systems is already a major limitation on agricultural production in some regions of the EU and globally;
Amendment 37 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
Da. whereas making farming more sustainable is becoming an ever more important objective for operators, given the need to control costs in order to safeguard incomes, on the one hand, and to enhance the protection of environmental resources, on the other;
Amendment 38 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
D a. whereas agricultural practices impact on the biological, chemical and physical quality of soils, with consequences over soil erosion and fertility;
Amendment 50 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G a (new)
Recital G a (new)
G a. whereas insufficient crop protection solutions for specialty crops endangers the quality, diversity and sustainable production of food crops in the EU, with serious consequences for employment and biodiversity loss, and a direct impact that has been estimated to account for more than €1 billion, including production loss and additional costs for farmers;
Amendment 56 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H a (new)
Recital H a (new)
H a. whereas the diversity and quality of plant genetic resources play a crucial role in agricultural resilience and productivity, thus being a determining factor for long- term farming as well as food security;
Amendment 60 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital I a (new)
Recital I a (new)
Ia. whereas technological solutions must be used to enhance an agricultural development model and a sustainable common agricultural policy that combines economic, environmental and social performance; whereas these solutions and alternatives exist to the current development model that now dominates in agriculture, and whereas they are based on technological change and changes in production models informed by agro- ecology (conservation farming, organic farming, integrated farming, agro- forestry, etc.); whereas these technological innovations must be strengthened to allow the development of the agricultural resources of all territories and must be accessible to all farmers;
Amendment 63 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital J
Recital J
J. whereas precision farming involves the use of automation and other technologies to improve the precision and efficiency of key agricultural management practices, using systems-based approaches to collect and analyse data and optimise interactions between the weather, soil, water and crops, and is ultimately designed to lower pesticide, fertiliser and water usage; whilst improving soil fertility and optimising yieldsereas these reductions in inputs must be part of a broader, more comprehensive readjustment of agricultural systems adapted to each ecosystem and each production region;
Amendment 73 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital K
Recital K
K. whereas the approvals process, including the criteria for defining active substances and for new substances constituting an alternative to plant protection products, is becoming increasingly challenging for EU agriculture and citizens;
Amendment 77 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital L a (new)
Recital L a (new)
L a. whereas it is urgent to guarantee the efficient transfer of research findings from science to farmers;
Amendment 89 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Considers PF to be essential for achieving sustainable agriculture in the EU but recognises the constraints for its widespread adoption, including the reliability and manageability of this technology and its adaptability to smaller and irregular farmland areas farm types, whatever their size and production, whether crop and/or animal farming;
Amendment 94 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Emphasises that precision irrigation can rationalise the use of water for irrigation, generating a 20% saving by comparison with traditional methods, and make irrigation significantly more efficient;
Amendment 104 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Welcomes the progress made by the European Space Agency (ESA) in developing PF; takes the view that the ESA's Sentinel 2B satellite, which is to be placed in orbit in late 2016, will give a very clear picture of the amount of land taken up by crops and forests, with the result that agricultural policies can be monitored and implemented more effectively, the use of water and fertilisers can be rationalised and optimum harvesting periods can be identified; calls on the Commission and the Member States to support the use of satellite-based systems which can, in the context of farming, optimise the use of resources, reduce energy costs and facilitate the work of farmers, while increasing productivity and generating benefits for the environment;
Amendment 119 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Is of the view that the loss of genetic diversity over the past century threatens food/feed security and undermines EU policies on sustainable agriculture, biodiversity protection and adaptation strategies under climate change; considers all plant and animal varieties, including landraces and their wild and semi-wild relatives, as essential for maintaining genetic diversity, breeding programmes and the production of nutritious and sufficient food;
Amendment 120 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Is of the view that the loss of genetic diversity over the past century threatens food/feed security and undermines EU policies on sustainable agriculture, biodiversity protection and adaptation strategies under climate change; considers all plant and animal varieties, including landraces and their wild relatives, as essential for maintaining genetic diversity, breeding programmes and the production of nutritious and sufficient food of sufficient (health and nutritional) quality and linked with health;
Amendment 125 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Stresses the need for greater dialogue between genetic banks, research, breeders and end-users in order to build resilience and support for sustainable food production throughout Europe;
Amendment 127 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Points out that the EU's seed banks contain a significant quantity of genetic material which could be used for plant research and to produce new varieties, in order to meet the challenges of sustainable farming;
Amendment 129 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Highlights the previous support from DG Agriculture and Rural Development (AGRI) and DG Research and Innovation (RTD) for genetic resource conservation activities, e.g. the European Native Seed Conservation Network (ENSCONET), but calls for successor programmes to continue the support for crop and livestock genetic conservation activities, including the use of genetic resources through on farm measures, in order not to lose the significant EU dialogue and momentum gained;
Amendment 130 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Highlights the previous support from DG Agriculture and Rural Development (AGRI) and DG Research and Innovation (RTD) for genetic resource conservation activities, e.g. the European Native Seed Conservation Network (ENSCONET), but calls for successor programmes to continue the support for crop and livestock genetic conservation activities in order not to lose the significant EU dialogue and momentum gained; stresses the importance of opening up the conservation of genetic resources to a greater diversity of plant and animal species;
Amendment 149 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Supports the need for continuous progress in plant and animal breeding to increase not only the range of pest- and disease-resistant traits in crops, but also the range of food raw materials with nutritional and health-beneficial characteristics on the market; recognises the importance of marker-assisted selection (MAS) and SMART breeding, which are now well-integrated into many breeding programmes, but also the potential offered by precision breeding for crop improvement, techniques such as the use of zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs) and CRISPR in genome editing, oligonucleotide-directed mutagenesis (ODM) and the use of CMS hybrids in protoplast fusion or tissue culture based methods;
Amendment 161 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
Amendment 163 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Emphasises that it is crucial not to hamper the application of high-precision breeding techniques – without scientific reason – by subjecting them to unnecessary regulatory oversightrequires a political evaluation and decision regarding its regulatory oversight, based on a sound scientific basis;
Amendment 170 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Considers it timely for the Commission to publish the final report of the ‘New Techniques’ working group and to use its scientific findings, as well as sound legal analysis, as the basis for clarifying the legal status of the breeding techniques currently under scrutiny;
Amendment 178 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14a. Calls on the Commission to make proposals concerning the production and sale of seeds, to enable wider use to be made of all genetic resources, particularly those comprising heterogeneous material; considers that everybody should have access to these resources where they are in the public domain;
Amendment 185 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15a. Calls on the Commission to promote biocontrols, which are methods of protecting crops based on the use of living organisms or natural substances (macro- organisms: insects, nematodes; micro- organisms: viruses, bacteria, fungi; chemical messengers: pheromones; natural substances of animal, vegetable or mineral origin) in order to reduce the dependence of farming on pesticides;
Amendment 186 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 b (new)
Paragraph 15 b (new)
15b. Considers it important to reduce farmers' dependence on pesticides as much as possible and to develop other alternatives on grounds of health (farmers are often the first victims of them) or the environment (soil, water and air pollution) or for economic reasons; notes that these plant protection products which are placed on the market by increasingly concentrated private undertakings are becoming more and more expensive because of the growing importance of investment in research into increasingly complex molecules which prompts undertakings that produce these substances to abandon research into certain production sectors, creating technical impasses for farmers;
Amendment 188 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Welcomes the 2016 Commission Work Programme REFIT initiatives which commit the EU to carrying out an evaluation of Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009 and Regulation (EC) No 396/2005 which will take greater account of health and environmental concerns;
Amendment 190 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Calls on the Commission to include in its report to Parliament and the Council options for amending and improving the current legislation, and in particular on the functioning of mutual recognition of authorisations and, the zonal evaluations process and authorisations for uses of secondary importance and minor crops;
Amendment 195 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Highlights the importance of assessing the benefits of active substances in supporting sustainable agriculture as well as the risk and hazards associated with the use of products, and recalls that the precautionary principle should be used when the degree of uncertainty is too high to ensure public health or good agricultural and environmental conditions;
Amendment 197 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18 a. Stresses the urgent need for adequate funding and coordination to address the lack of crop protection solutions for minor uses and specialty crops, while welcoming the Integrated Pest Management -European Research Area Network (IPM-ERANET) working package 3;
Amendment 223 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Recognises that the development of agri-related technologies requires a multitude of skills sets that are specialist as well as transdisciplinary in approach – these include, but are not limited to, general plant, animal and environmental science, physiology and engineering, but also oceaonoloy, which has the potential of providing resources for agriculture;
Amendment 230 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Calls on the agricultural technologies sector to improve coordination and integration of on-farm demonstrations and use of demonstration and monitor farms to share best practice on regional, national and European level using currently available or new programmes, initiatives or resources;
Amendment 240 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Welcomes the progress made in applied research in recent years, but calls for greater efforts to involve farmers and other users of agricultural technologies and productthe European Innovation Partnership for competititve and sustainable agriculture, contained in the second pillar of the CAP, to be stepped up, which will make it possible to create partnerships of innovative actors, including farmers; notes that in Member States where public- private partnerships are promoted there has been a greater shift towards applied research and a higher involvement of end- users;
Amendment 246 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Considers it essential for the Commission and the Member States to develop projects in line with the concept of 'conservation farming' which focus exclusively on the development of more resource- efficient crop varieties and the conservation and improvement of soil structure, especially given the increasing scarcity of water availability and certain key components of fertilisers such as phosphate;
Amendment 250 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Considers it essential for the Commission and the Member States to develop projects which focus exclusively on the development of more resource- efficient crop varieties, especially given the increasing scarcity of water availability and certain key components of fertilisers such as phosphate, as well as on climate-smart farming practices, with adequate funding incentives for research and uptake by farmers; the merits of aquaponics, as a system for optimized management of water, energy and nutrients, should be duly evaluated, divulged and incentivised;
Amendment 251 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Considers it essential for the Commission and the Member States to develop projects which focus exclusively on theinnovative projects to produce food and non-food products (bio- economy, renewable energy, etc.) and services to development of a more resource- efficient crop varieties, especially given the increasing scarcity of water availability and certain key components of fertilisers suagriculture (better use of water, energy, food for crops and animals, etc.), and one which ais phosphatemore autonomous;
Amendment 258 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 a (new)
Paragraph 28 a (new)
28 a. Welcomes the recently launched European Innovation Partnership for Agricultural productivity and Sustainability (EIP-AGRI), with the aim of linking research and practical farming, and calls on the Commission to have an active role in boosting coordination, at the national and cross-border level, in order to promote an explicit innovation agenda linked to Horizon 2020 and to guarantee the adequate transfer of knowledge towards the end users;
Amendment 260 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Encourages the Commission and the Member States to do more to raise public awareness of the value of farming in the EU, to develop Trans-European Centres for Agricultural Innovation that would delivermonstrate and deliver projects to bring about much needed progress towards food security and sovereignty and sustainability;
Amendment 273 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32
Paragraph 32
32. Notes that rural areas, and in particular agriculture, are most exposed to actual and potential climate change, which makes them less attractive and more exposed to trends such as depopulation and aging of their population; recognises that agriculture must be allowed to adapt to meet changing circumstances using all available technological solutions;
Amendment 291 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35
Paragraph 35
35. Calls on the Commission to improve its regulatory framework in line with the principles of Better Regulation to ensure timely, efficient and effective decision- making procedures, which could contribute to geographically-balanced technological development in the EU;