43 Amendments of Eleonora EVI related to 2017/2009(INI)
Amendment 4 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 4 a (new)
Citation 4 a (new)
- having regard to Report No 30/2016 (Environmental indicator report 2016) of the European Environment Agency (EEA),
Amendment 27 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas the EU and its Member States are all signatories to the Paris Agreement, and as such are committed to limiting global warming to well below 2°C, and thereforewith the goal of curbing it to 1.5°C to limiting the worst risks of climate change, both phenomena which undermineing sustainable development;
Amendment 37 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
Ea. whereas, according to the EEA, it is highly likely that 11 of the 30 Environment Action Programme priority objectives will not be achieved by the 2020 deadline;
Amendment 42 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. WelcomeConsiders the communication on a European action for sustainability, which serves as the EU’s response to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, to be insufficiently ambitious and to lack credible corrective measures to reverse the negative trend of a number of sustainability indicators;
Amendment 51 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. WelcomNotes the Commission’s commitment to mainstreaming SDGs into all EU policies and initiatives, guided by the three pillars of sustainable development, social, environmental and economic, and that it is still struggling to find any pragmatism in Community actions;
Amendment 64 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. WelcomNotes the Commission’s commitment to mainstreaming, albeit unsuccessfully so far, the SDGs into its Better Regulation strategy;
Amendment 78 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Recalls that the EU and its Member States are all signatories to the Paris Agreement, and therefore committed to limiting global warming to well below 2°C, with the goal of limiting it to 1.5°C;
Amendment 86 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Recognises that in order to meet the SDGs, multi-stakeholder engagement will be requireds from the EU, Member States, civil society, businesses, and third partners will have to engage actively; highlights, in particular, the key role that European citizens are urged to play to achieve the above-mentioned objectives;
Amendment 92 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Calls on the EU and its Member States to encourage active participation on the part of citizens to ensure that they play a crucial role in achieving the objectives of the 2030 Agenda and monitor its implementation;
Amendment 123 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Welcomes recent developments around resource and waste efficiency and the circular economy; calls on the Commission to retain an upward trajectory with targetscontinue making measures more ambitious, while supporting and guiding Member States as regards achieving waste reduction , incentivising policies for the reuse of materials, and abandoning waste disposal practices and operations such as landfills and incinerators; calls on the Commission to come up with an ambitious and comprehensive strategystrategy to eliminate the use onf plastics in goods with a short commercial life, while also keeping with the 2020 target for environmentally sound management of chemicals;
Amendment 126 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Welcomes recent developments around resource and waste efficiency and the circular economy; calls on the Commission to retain an upward trajectory with targets while supporting and guiding Member States as regards achieving waste reduction, incentivising policies for the reuse of materials, and abandoning waste disposal operations such as landfills and incinerators; calls on the Commission to come up with an ambitious and comprehensive strategy on plastics while also keeping with the 2020 target for environmentally sound management of chemicals;
Amendment 129 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Paragraph 7 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Stresses that Decision No 1386/2013/EU indicates that the current systems of production and consumption in the global economy generate a large amount of waste which, combined with a growing demand for goods and services to the point of resource exhaustion, are contributing to the rise in price of essential raw materials, minerals and energy while generating even more pollution and waste, increasing global greenhouse gas emissions, and accelerating soil degradation and deforestation; consequently, efforts need to be made on the part of the EU and its Member States to ensure the life-cycle assessment (LCA) of products and services as a way to evaluate their real impact with regard to sustainability;
Amendment 139 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Stresses that according to the latest ‘Planetary boundaries’ report, biodiversity loss is the biggest challenge the planet is facing; points out that 60% of animal species and 77% of protected habitats are in less than optimum conditions; stresses that the degradation of terrestrial and marine ecosystems, the spread of invasive species, overfishing, and the use of chemical nutrients and compounds in agriculture continue to represent sticking points which make it impossible to meet the sustainability goals for certain areas by 2020; calls on the EU and Member States in this respect to step up efforts to achieve their goals of halting biodiversity loss by 2020 and restoring at least 15 % of degraded ecosystems;
Amendment 143 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Urges the Commission and the Member States to quickly complete and bolster the Natura 2000 ecological network, while stepping up efforts to ensure that a sufficient number of special areas of conservation (SACs) are designated as such in accordance with the Habitats Directive and that a designation of that kind is combined with effective measures to protect biodiversity in Europe;
Amendment 149 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 b (new)
Paragraph 8 b (new)
8b. Considers that the EU must do much more to achieve Objective 15; urges the Commission, in particular, to prioritise the topic of environmental decontamination by proposing harmonised standards against the use and degradation of soil and presenting as soon as possible the action plan against deforestation and forest degradation that has been announced several times and the time schedule for its implementation;
Amendment 161 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Recognises that many of the aims of the SDGs are at the heart of the 7th Environment Action Programme but that the measures taken in certain crucial areas are not yet sufficient to guarantee that they will be achieved; welcomes the focus on biodiversity, natural resources and ecosystems, and the acknowledged link between these elements and human health;
Amendment 163 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Paragraph 9 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Deplores the fact that the 7th Environment Action Programme remains largely neglected and that its contribution to achieving the SDGs is in fact limited;
Amendment 167 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Urges the Member States to step up their efforts to guarantee the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all European citizens, considering that today approximately 4.5% of the total population of the EU does not have full access to drinking water;
Amendment 176 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Recalls that the 2030 Climate and Energy framework sets targets for a reduction in GHG emissions of at least 40 %, meeting at least 27 % of EU energy demand with renewables, and increasing energy efficiency by at least 30 %; requests the Commission to undertake a study to ascertain whether these targets will be sufficient to help the EU meet the SDGs and its commitments under the Paris Agreement; points out that to limit global warming to 1.5°C as stipulated in the Paris Agreement, it is necessary to ensure a reduction in emissions of up to 95% by 2050;
Amendment 190 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Calls on the Commission to produce a report on the flagship EU carbon reduction schemcarry out a fitness check of Directive 2003/87/EC to ensure (the EU Emissions Trading Scheme - EU ETS) in order to ascertain whether the current trajectory for reductions will be enough to help the EU meet the SDGs and its commitmentsat it is actually effective in making the expected contribution to GHG reduction efforts in the EU under the Paris Agreement;
Amendment 196 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Acknowledges that in moving towards any new economic and social model, there will inevitably be communities centred around traditional heavy industry that will over time become obsolete; calls on the Commission to stream funding from sources such as the EU ETS in order to finance a ‘Just Transition Fund’ to help such communitiepromote the adoption of the best technologies and production practices capable of ensuring the best environmental standards and creating secure, stable and sustainable jobs;
Amendment 201 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Notes that one of the current and future push factors in third-country migration is extreme climate and environmental events; insists that the Commission must take this seriouslyinclude this in its external action, and reflect in all actions that mitigating the worst effects ofbut at the same time actively support actions geared towards reducing emissions by promoting renewable energy sources and adapting to climate change is an line with the priorityies of the EU;
Amendment 207 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Presses the Commission to provide more incentives and guidance on multinationals and businesses transferring funds to sustainable finance and divestment from fossil fuels; calls for the post-2020 MFF to be fully compatible with the SDGs whiultiannual Financial Framework to redirect the EU budget towards the imple mensuring a substantial increase in Official Development Assistance (ODA) financingtation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, ensuring that sufficient funding is allocated to effectively achieving the SDGs;
Amendment 212 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14a. Urges the European Union to swiftly do away with subsidies that are damaging to the environment and all forms of direct or indirect support for the exploitation of traditional energy sources such as fossil fuels and nuclear energy, given that exploitation of that kind is goes very strongly against the cardinal principles of a circular economy and sustainability;
Amendment 221 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Recognises that resilient and sustainable infrastructure is a key principle of achieving a low-carbon sustainable future and brings a number of co-benefits; considers that any transition to a sustainable society can only be achieved by ramping up our share of renewable energy, making technologies available which have to do with the use of renewables and energy storage systems, and continuing efforts to achieve better energy efficiency in building stock, appliances and the power grids;
Amendment 223 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15a. Calls on the Commission and its Member States to prioritise sustainable mobility by improving local public transport systems in line with the specific characteristics of every country and on the basis of the real needs of its citizens; considers that EU financial support for the development of the transport sector and infrastructures should pursue objectives that bring real added value to the Member States and that this form of support should not be used to carry out contentious projects;
Amendment 229 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Notes that changes in environment and climate pose one of the most significant riskenvironmental degradation and climate change are the main obstacles to establishing and maintaining peace and justice;
Amendment 234 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Calls on the Commission to emphasise to investors, trade unions and citizens the benefits of moving the workforce away from unsustainable jobs in out-of-date heavy industry, and towards green, clean, high-quality employmentactively inform all stakeholders about the benefits of transforming unsustainable production into activities that support the principles of a circular economy and sustainability;
Amendment 238 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17a. Recalls that, according to the EEA, there is a lack of evidence at European level of a reduction in labour taxes to boost environmental services as laid down in the objectives of the 7th Environment Action Programme;
Amendment 240 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 b (new)
Paragraph 17 b (new)
17b. Calls on the Member States to prioritise the environmental and economic reconversion of industrial sites that in many areas of Europe cause high levels of pollution in environmental media and expose locals to serious health risks;
Amendment 243 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Considers that any future vision of Europe must embrace the SDGs as a key principle, and that in doing so Member States should be moving towards the sustainable models of industry, employment and environmental and climate management referred to i; calls, to this end, on the Commission’ to complete its White Paper of 1 March 2017 on the Future of Europe (COM(2017)2025) , which lacks the appropriate emphasis on the dimension of sustainability in the context of economic growth and the measures needed to achieve it;
Amendment 247 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18a. Calls on the Commission to subject the financing of projects with European funds to a prior assessment of sustainability and social acceptability to ensure that the EU solely supports projects that bring added value recognised by all stakeholders and are therefore not contentious;
Amendment 252 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Underlines the role that the EU Urban Agenda will play in implementing the global ‘New Urban Agenda’; welcomes initiatives such as the Green Leaf Award and the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy, and further emphasises the crucial importancconsiders that the role of cities and regions is crucial for delivering on the SDGs;
Amendment 260 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20a. Points out that the objective of reducing the impact of food production by 2020 is unlikely to be achieved; stresses that the consumption of red meat and saturated fatty acids in the EU continues to exceed safe nutritional values and that lower consumption of animal products generates fewer greenhouse gas and nitrogen emissions;
Amendment 263 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 b (new)
Paragraph 20 b (new)
20b. Considers that EU initiatives geared towards creating a sustainable future cannot disregard the wider debate on the role of animals as sentient beings and their wellbeing, which is often neglected in the prevailing production and consumption systems; the EU needs to overcome the current political and legislative shortcomings with regard to animal welfare, as demanded by an increasing number of European citizens;
Amendment 267 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Implores the Commission to continue stepping up action on serious measures to tackle poor air quality; recognises that the SDGs regarding health and sustainable living cannot be achieved without such actionpropose appropriate legislative solutions to tackle the problem of deaths caused by poor air quality and noise pollution; recognises that those objectives can be achieved effectively by prioritising intervention in the transport sector, which is responsible for causing both problems; points out that a rapid transition to alternative modes of transport is needed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the transport sector, where the measures proposed thus far have failed to generate the desired results;
Amendment 271 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Paragraph 21 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Notes that the Commission has addressed the problem of poor air quality by launching a number of infringement procedures, in particular against those continuously exceeding the NO2 limit values laid down in Directive 2008/50/EC; urges the Commission to show greater determination in exercising the same powers of control to prevent the placing on the single market of pollutant, diesel- powered cars that contribute significantly to the release of NO2 into the atmosphere over the above-mentioned limit values and that do not comply with EU rules on the type-approvals and emissions of passenger and light commercial vehicles;
Amendment 272 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21a. Points out that poor air quality causes almost half a million premature deaths in the EU every year and that the increase in NOx concentrations, particularly NO2 in urban areas, can be attributed in part to the poor attempts made by the Commission and Member States to manage the regulations on emissions from diesel vehicles; calls on the Commission to eliminate by 2018 the conformity factor to be applied to measurements of vehicle exhaust emissions in real driving conditions;
Amendment 278 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 b (new)
Paragraph 21 b (new)
21b. Points out that the reduction of noise pollution is one of the quality parameters that will not be achieved by 2020; stresses that, in the EU, at least 10 000 premature deaths are caused by noise-related illnesses and that in 2012 approximately a quarter of the population of the EU was exposed to noise louder than the limit values; calls on the Member States to prioritise monitoring noise levels and ensure that the limit values for external and internal environments are respected;
Amendment 292 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Calls on the Commission to come forward in the framework of the upcoming mid-term review of the common agricultural policy with proposals to incentivise the restoration of disused agricultural areas, further strengthen the greening measures as well as to ensure the attainment of SDG 2; 2.
Amendment 296 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Paragraph 22 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Calls on the Commission and the Member States to promote the agro-ecological transition, while minimising the use of pesticides that are detrimental to health and the environment and developing measures to protect and support organic and biodynamic agriculture within the scope of the CAP;
Amendment 302 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)
Paragraph 22 a (new)
22a. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to reform the EU rules on the approval of pesticides as soon as possible, and establish binding objectives to reduce their use;
Amendment 307 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)
Paragraph 23 a (new)
23a. Calls on the Commission to present a plan of action as soon as possible, with legislative and non- legislative proposals for the thematic areas whose sustainability objectives are unlikely to be achieved by 2020;