71 Amendments of Joëlle MÉLIN related to 2020/2273(INI)
Amendment 6 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 2
Citation 2
Amendment 15 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 4 a (new)
Citation 4 a (new)
– having regard to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) report of 27 October 2020 entitled ‘The Mediterranean: Mare plasticum’,
Amendment 30 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 a (new)
Citation 8 a (new)
– having regard to the European Environment Agency (EEA) report of 23 November 2020 entitled ‘Air quality in Europe - 2020 report’,
Amendment 51 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 13 a (new)
Citation 13 a (new)
– having regard to the Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats (Bern Convention),
Amendment 98 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas the international trade fostered by the free trade agreements that are ratified by the Commission affects biodiversity and ecosystems;
Amendment 110 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C b (new)
Recital C b (new)
Cb. whereas the Aarhus Convention is an effective means of accessing information, promoting public participation in decision-making and accessing justice in environmental matters;
Amendment 121 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C c (new)
Recital C c (new)
Cc. whereas densification generally entails the risk of cutting city dwellers off from nature and exposing them to multiple nuisances (air pollution, noise, etc.);
Amendment 140 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 1
Subheading 1
Current biodiversity and ecosystem status
Amendment 179 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Points out that, according to the latest figures, there are 1 525 ecoregions on the planet, divided into three categories: terrestrial ecoregions, freshwater ecoregions and coastal and marine ecoregions; stresses that each ecoregion is home to a variety of ecosystems and natural environments;
Amendment 183 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 b (new)
Paragraph 2 b (new)
2b. Emphasises that ecosystems not only support the life of the organisms living within them but also provide services of benefit to humans; recalls that these services account for the equivalent of USD 33 000 billion per year (1.8 times the global gross national product);
Amendment 217 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Points out that, according to the latest edition of the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species (version 2020.3), of the 128 918 species studied, 35 765 are classified as threatened;
Amendment 223 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3b. Recalls that around 20 % of the world’s coral reefs disappeared and a further 20 % became degraded during the last decades of the 20th century, and that around 35 % of mangrove areas were lost over the same period;
Amendment 231 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 2
Subheading 2
Protection and restoration in the light of the threats to all ecosystems
Amendment 249 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Expresses strong support for the targets of protecting at least 30 % of the Union’s marine and terrestrial areas, and of strictly protecting at least 10 % of these areas, including primary and old-growth forests; stresproposes that these should be binding and implee implementation of commitmenteds by Member States to achieve these targets in accordance with science- based criteria and biodiversity needs; underlines that in addition to increasing protected areas, the quality of protected areas should be ensured and clear conservation plans implemented, respecting the will of the EU Member States, as they alone will be able to take realistic and appropriate measures to protect nature and biodiversity in their national territory;
Amendment 287 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Stresses the importance of European cross-border biodiversity projects such as REDVERT (the Green and Blue Network of the Basque Eurocity);
Amendment 303 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4b. Emphasises the importance, across the whole European territory, of different networks of environmental corridors with a green component (natural spaces, permanent plant cover) and blue component (water courses, canals, wetlands);
Amendment 352 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Stresses that, according to a study published in Global Change Biology, 1 200 ‘green infrastructure projects’ have been built in sensitive or protected areas of Western Europe and they have a direct impact on flora and fauna and on protected ecosystems as a whole; emphasises that, in addition to the installation of an exponential number of infrastructure projects such as wind turbines in sensitive or protected areas, the unbridled race to establish infrastructure for these installations must be halted as it is directly or indirectly affecting these protected areas, creating irreversible imbalances; believes that an impact study must be carried out for any new facilities in sensitive or protected areas from the moment they are installed, taking into consideration harm occurring throughout their entire life cycle from pre-project stage through to end-of-life destruction and the return to environmental standards in the area;
Amendment 376 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Paragraph 5 b (new)
5b. Recalls that light pollution is increasing in the European Union today; emphasises that the Milky Way is no longer visible to 60 % of Europeans, in summer or winter;
Amendment 382 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 c (new)
Paragraph 5 c (new)
5c. Recalls that artificial light is increasing by around 2 % each year globally;
Amendment 383 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 d (new)
Paragraph 5 d (new)
5d. Recalls that light pollution has a direct impact on land, air and marine diversity, and particularly on insects, as demonstrated in the study ‘Light pollution is a driver of insect declines’;
Amendment 387 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 e (new)
Paragraph 5 e (new)
5e. Expresses its concern that the Commission has no plans to propose that Member States recognise a right to darkness or to establish a network of Dark Sky Reserves or a European action plan on light pollution;
Amendment 388 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 f (new)
Paragraph 5 f (new)
5f. Expresses its concern at the inappropriate use of lighting, which can cause disturbance to protected species, including in areas protected by the Natura 2000 network;
Amendment 408 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Stresses that free trade agreements have a direct impact on the degradation of European and global ecosystems due to an increased carbon footprint and to over- exploitation of the natural resources of the poorest countries, which seriously affect biodiversity;
Amendment 414 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 b (new)
Paragraph 6 b (new)
6b. Recalls that only a policy that defends localism will enable environmental preservation, through a smaller environmental footprint from movements of people and goods;
Amendment 417 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 4
Subheading 4
Changes in land, subsoil and sea use
Amendment 438 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Highlights that soil and subsoil biodiversity is the basis for key ecological processes; notes with concern the increased soil and subsoil degradation and the lack of specific EU legislation; calls on the Commission to submit a legislative proposal for the establishment of a common framework for the protection and sustainable use of soil that includes a specific decontamination target;
Amendment 449 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Emphasises that, according to the results of the CORINE programme (coordination of information on the environment) monitoring, land use in Europe has remained relatively stable since 2000, with approximately 25 % covered by permanent arable and crop land, 17 % by pasture and 34 % by forest;
Amendment 450 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 b (new)
Paragraph 7 b (new)
7b. Notes that, first and foremost, towns and concrete infrastructure continue to spread and, although artificial surfaces cover less than 5 % of all EEA territory, a considerable proportion (an area slightly smaller than Slovenia) was nonetheless concreted or asphalted over between 2000 and 2018;
Amendment 451 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 c (new)
Paragraph 7 c (new)
Amendment 452 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 d (new)
Paragraph 7 d (new)
7d. Points out that since most European cities are built on and surrounded by fertile land, the land occupied and covered by artificial surfaces is generally productive agricultural land; notes, however, that the loss of agricultural land seems to have slowed significantly and almost stopped over the 2012-2018 period;
Amendment 453 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 e (new)
Paragraph 7 e (new)
7e. Recalls that urban areas are expanding in Europe, often to the detriment of fertile agricultural land; points out that concrete and asphalt surfaces make the ground impermeable, preventing it from performing its functions such as storing water, producing food and biomass, regulating the climate, providing protection from harmful chemicals and providing habitats;
Amendment 472 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Recalls that the EU has committed to achieving land degradation neutrality by 2030, but that this target is unlikely to be achieved; calls on the Commission, therefore, to present an EU-leve full strategy to Member States on desertification and land degradation;
Amendment 488 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Calls on the Commission to set specific ambitious targets on urban and peri-urban biodiversity, nature-based solutions and green infrastructure and to develop a Trans-European Network for Green Infrastructure (TEN-G) linked to the Trans- European Nature Network (TEN-N);
Amendment 497 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Stresses the importance of improving the ‘nature in the city’ concept; notes that nature is a means of mitigating all city-related pressures, whether they are harmful to humans or to the environment;
Amendment 502 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 b (new)
Paragraph 9 b (new)
9b. Points out that, in order to bring nature into our lives, the environment must be at the heart of the numerous European projects, and not the reverse;
Amendment 524 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Expresses its support for the 2030 targets of bringing at least 25 % of agricultural land under organic farm management, which should become the norm in the long term, and ensuring and proposing to the Member States that at least 10 % of agricultural land consists of high-diversity landscape features, which should be implemented at farm level, targets which should both be incorporated into EU legislation; considers it imperative that farmers receive support and training in the transition towards agroecological practices;
Amendment 543 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10a. Calls for a halt to the construction of wind parks, which disturb marine and terrestrial ecosystems; emphasises that this infrastructure permanently alters some species and still presents recycling and replacement difficulties;
Amendment 577 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11a. Emphasises the importance of the role of the Member States in controlling their Exclusive Economic Zones and reaffirms Member States’ sovereignty in their waters;
Amendment 629 #
12a. Calls for an in-depth study of protected areas throughout Europe as it is essential to conduct a recent scientific evaluation of the effectiveness and application of current protected terrestrial areas in order to prepare for possible new protected areas;
Amendment 635 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
Amendment 676 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Stresses that the Union’s tree planting initiatives should be based on proforestation, sustainable reforestation, the promotion of agroforestry and the greening of urban areas; calls on the Commission to ensure that these initiatives are carried out only in a manner compatible with and conducive to the biodiversity objectives;
Amendment 680 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14a. Stresses that biodiversity can be enhanced in keeping with a commercial aspect; recalls that European forests (managed within a financial context) play an important role in maintaining and improving biodiversity due to the increased knowledge of professionals in the sector; calls for a re-evaluation of the profession of forest warden, which is essential for the management of European forests;
Amendment 683 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 b (new)
Paragraph 14 b (new)
14b. Emphasises that biodiversity protection should take place in cooperation with the territory’s stakeholders so that it adds to the final value of the products (wood of better quality, commercial enhancement of exports);
Amendment 686 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 c (new)
Paragraph 14 c (new)
14c. Notes that Member States must shift towards sustainable forest management, emphasising the importance of the role forests play in carbon storage;
Amendment 687 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 d (new)
Paragraph 14 d (new)
14d. Calls for support for foresting and reforesting initiatives to be focused on integrated approaches in national and cross-border territories, taking into account local socio-economic conditions;
Amendment 688 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 e (new)
Paragraph 14 e (new)
14e. Stresses that anthropogenically managed plantations can be valuable in terms of biodiversity, particularly at sites outside of forests; emphasises that, in some cases, human work does allow for improvements in the potential biodiversity index (PBI) and can positively influence the soil and subsoil regeneration cycle;
Amendment 726 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Expresses its concern that the majority of the ranges of terrestrial species will decrease significantly in a 1.5 to 2 °C scenario; highlights, therefore, the need to prioritise nature-based solutions and stakeholder knowledge in the territories in meeting climate mitigation goals and in adaptation strategies and to increase the protection of natural carbon sinks in the EU;
Amendment 749 #
17. Calls on the Commission to prepare a long-term EU action plan on climate and biodiversity that improves coherence and interconnections for future actions, and integrates commitments under the post- 2020 Global Biodiversity Framework and the Paris Agreement; emphasises the importance of coordination with Member States;
Amendment 789 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Welcomes the Commission’s targets of reducing the use of more hazardous and chemical pesticides by 50 %, the use of fertilisers by at least 20 % and nutrient losses by at least 50 % by 2030, which should be made binding; considers that the derogation envisaged in Article 53(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009 should be clarified and must only be applied for health and environmental reasons;
Amendment 841 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19a. Points out that in a Special Report on the protection of wild pollinators in the European Union, the European Court of Auditors notes that the Commission’s initiatives have not borne fruit; emphasises the importance of coordinated action by Member States on this crucial issue for the future of biodiversity and ecosystems;
Amendment 846 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 b (new)
Paragraph 19 b (new)
19b. Recalls that a global evaluation report published in 2019 assessing the situation of insects worldwide confirmed that the number of insects generally appeared to be following a downward trend; recalls that butterflies and bees, in particular, are among the species most affected; notes that 35 % of our food resources depend on insects and 80 % on bees;
Amendment 856 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20a. Deplores the initiative to ban combustion engines by 2035; points out that, according to the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (EAMA), fewer than 1 % of European drivers were using electric or hybrid vehicles in 2019; recalls that electric engines are a source of pollution due to the extraction of rare metals, the necessary water consumption and the dispersal of polluting particles around the extraction points;
Amendment 883 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21a. Notes that invasive exotic species are recognised as the third largest cause of global biodiversity erosion; stresses that, according to the latest estimates of the IUCN’s Red List, they form a threat to almost one-third of threatened land-based species and are involved in one-half of known extinctions;
Amendment 891 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 b (new)
Paragraph 21 b (new)
21b. Emphasises that numerous invasive exotic plants can cause problems for public health; points out that their pollen can be particularly allergenic to some, as in the case of ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia), to which 10 % of the French population is sensitive, and other plants whose sap can cause burns if it comes into contact with skin, such as giant hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum);
Amendment 898 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 c (new)
Paragraph 21 c (new)
21c. Calls on the Commission to ensure that spending related to invasive exotic species and the Union’s programmes take sufficient account of these impacts on the biodiversity of ultra-peripheral regions (UPR);
Amendment 936 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Calls on the Commission to provide an assessment of all subsidies harmful to the environment with a view to their phasing out by 2030 at the latest; reiterates its calls for the reorientation of taxation systems towards an increased use of environmental taxation;
Amendment 962 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
Amendment 994 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Recalls that Article 37 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights reflects the principle of ensuring environmental protection in Union legislation; considers that the right to a healthy environment should be recognised in the EU Charter and that the Union should also advocate a similar right internationally;
Amendment 1038 #
26a. Calls on the Member States to scale up the different scientific modules on biodiversity;
Amendment 1046 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 b (new)
Paragraph 26 b (new)
26b. Calls on the Member States to support innovative biodiversity and environmental practices via new technologies (artificial intelligence);
Amendment 1052 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
Amendment 1106 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 a (new)
Paragraph 28 a (new)
28a. Points out that, despite the ban on the international ivory trade, elephant poaching and ivory trafficking have reached unprecedented levels; notes that between 20 000 and 30 000 African elephants are illegally hunted every year; stresses that, in 2015, more than 40 tonnes of ivory were seized;
Amendment 1112 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 b (new)
Paragraph 28 b (new)
28b. Reiterates its call for a full ban on the trade in both raw and worked ivory to, from and within the EU, including ‘pre- convention’ ivory and rhino horns, and calls for similar restrictions for all other endangered species, such as tigers, together with all species listed in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES);
Amendment 1116 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 c (new)
Paragraph 28 c (new)
28c. Notes that an IUCN report reveals that some 229 000 tonnes of plastic waste are discharged into the Mediterranean every year, which is the equivalent of more than 500 shipping containers per day;
Amendment 1118 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 d (new)
Paragraph 28 d (new)
Amendment 1119 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 e (new)
Paragraph 28 e (new)
28e. Notes that with the current status quo, pollution in the Mediterranean is likely to increase to 500 000 tonnes per year by 2040;
Amendment 1129 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Notes that marine plastic pollution has increased tenfold since 1980, affecting at least 267 species; calls on the Union to lead negotiations with the sovereign Member States for an international agreement for plastic-free oceans by 2030;
Amendment 1168 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
Paragraph 30
30. UrgesProposes that Member States to fully comply with the obligations set out in existing EU nature legislation and calls on the Commission to swiftly pursue infringement procedures to remedy all cases of non-compliance and to allocate sufficient resources in order to overcome the current delays;
Amendment 1184 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30 a (new)
Paragraph 30 a (new)
30a. Stresses the importance of cooperation between Member States in order to increase their research on innovation to counter existing pollution;
Amendment 1193 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30 b (new)
Paragraph 30 b (new)
30b. Calls on the Member States to take appropriate measures to prevent future pollution by incorporating artificial intelligence from this moment on as this will make it possible to reduce certain effects on humans and on European ecosystems;
Amendment 1204 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31
Paragraph 31
31. Underlines that the successful implementation of the strategy depends on the involvement of all actors and sectors; calls on the Commission to create a stakeholder platform for discussion and to ensure an inclusive, equitable and just transition;