10 Amendments of Nicola CAPUTO related to 2017/9999(INI)
Amendment 4 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Points out that owing to the low cost of agricultural production stemming from its large-scale holdings and well suited natural and weather conditions, Australia has a very competitive, export- focused agricultural sector and points out that it continuously seeks to create sale areas for its products on international markets; emphasises, therefore, that securing increased access to the vast EU market throughis of keen interest to Australian agricultural exporters and that the removal or lowering of EU tariff and non- tariff barriers in the sector will undoubtedly be a priority for Australia as part of the proposed negotiations;
Amendment 21 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Notes that agriculture is a very sensitive sector and that a final and balanced outcome in the agriculture chapter must give due consideration to the interests of all European producers, for instance by introducing transitional periods or appropriate quotas or not making any commitments in the most sensitive sectors; considers that only then can it boost competitiveness and be beneficial to both consumers and producers;
Amendment 26 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3b. Calls for the inclusion of effective bilateral safeguard measures to prevent a surge in imports that would cause, or threaten to cause, serious injury to European producers in sensitive sectors;
Amendment 27 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 c (new)
Paragraph 3 c (new)
3c. Stresses that the precautionary principle, on which EU food safety regulations are based, and the ‘farm-to- fork’ approach, which establishes stricter EU rules, as well as the EU sanitary and phytosanitary standards and procedures, should be maintained in the framework of the negotiations;
Amendment 34 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Wishes to draw attention to the extremely sensitive nature of some sectors of the European farming industry, such as beef and veal, sheepmeat, sugar, cereals and dairy products; points out that those sectors have recently experienced major crises, as a consequence of surplus production and price volatility, and that special emergency support schemes have had to be adopted by the EU institutions to make it possible for the affected farmers to manage crises of that kind; takes the view that a further opening-up of the EU market in these sectors could seriously disrupt them and have disastrous consequences for European producers;
Amendment 43 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Takes the view that the EU must refrain from making any sort of commitment concerning the most sensitive agricultural products, such as beef and veal and sheepmeat and special sugars, for example, and should leave those products out of the negotiations;
Amendment 68 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Emphasises the cumulative impact of the concessions that the EU has made in the agricultural sector, in both multilateral and bilateral agreements, and; calls for this impact to be taken into account when assessing what concessions could be offered to Australia, therefore, for the evaluation of all EU agricultural concessions that are a part of the proposed negotiations by taking into full consideration the concessions already agreed by the WTO (e.g. hormone-treated beef compensation) and by Canada (CETA) and those which could be agreed upon shortly with Mercosur, Mexico, New Zealand and the United States (if the TTIP discussions recommence);
Amendment 78 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Points out that, following Brexit, all tariff quotas which might be granted to Australia will apply to a smaller EU market consisting of 27 Member States and 443 million consumers; points out that Brexit will inevitably affect the economic impact of such quotas, particularly in sectors in which the UK represents a significant amount of consumption and/or imports; emphasises that from now on the EU will have to take careful account of Brexit when deciding what concessions it can offer;
Amendment 100 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Calls on the Commission to secure appropriate legal protection on the Australian market for EU geographical indications and quality EU agricultural products, as well as measures to deal with improper use and misleading information and practices; calls also on the Commission to secure protection regarding the labelling, traceability and genuine origin of agricultural products as an essential element of a balanced agreement;
Amendment 101 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Calls on the Commission to carry out without delay an analysis on the impact of a potential EU-Australia agreement which details the effects by sector and country, including the outermost regions and overseas countries and territories, so that it is possible to evaluate fully the potential advantages and disadvantages of such a trade agreement for all European producers; calls on the Commission to include the consequences of the UK leaving the EU in the study, focussing in particular on the existing quotas;