24 Amendments of Nicola CAPUTO related to 2018/0166R(APP)
Amendment 1 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Emphasises that the common agricultural policy (CAP), one of the most integrated policies, plays a crucial role in delivering key EU objectives such as food security; points out that the rules with which farmers must comply governing food, health and environmental protection have increased, while the relative share of agriculture in the EU budget keeps declining; underlines the need to support farmers' transition towards environmentally friendly farming practices and to valorise the delivery of environmental goods;
Amendment 4 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Notes that a significant share of the proposed 50 % budget increase for LIFE+ for 2021-2027 is directed towards the new Clean Energy Transition sub-programme; supports the establishment of a comprehensive programme for energy transition, but considers that this should not be to the detriment of funding for nature and biodiversity, the circular economy, and climate adaptation and mitigation; reiterates, therefore, its call for the financial resources for these priorities to be doubled; considers it necessary that new, effective mechanisms are to ensure a more equitable distribution and greater effectiveness of LIFE funds between Member States need to be further developed in order to boost Member States’ capacity to submit more good quality projects and provide a better geographical balance of the integrated projects;
Amendment 5 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Insists on the strategic importance of the multiannual financial framework (MFF) for sectors relying on long-term investment such as the transport sector; highlights that transport infrastructures are the backbone of the single market, the basis for growth and job creation, and crucial to ensuring the four fundamental freedoms pertaining to persons, capital, goods and services;
Amendment 6 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
1b. Stresses the importance of the goals set by COP 21 (the Paris Agreement) with regard to transport in order to combat climate change; stresses that financial means should be available to ensure a modal shift from road to rail and to waterborne and inland waterway transport, as well as to encourage Member States to invest in smart, sustainable, integrated public transport;
Amendment 6 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Emphasises that the common agricultural policy (CAP) plays a crucial role in delivering key EU objectives such as food security; points out that the rules with which farmers must comply governing food, health and environmental protection have increased, while the relative share of agriculture in the EU budget keeps declining, notwithstanding the increase proposed for the overall funding of the EU budget;
Amendment 13 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Stresses that an updated and more effective CEF programme should cover all modes of transport, including road and rail infrastructure, as well as inland waterways; considers that is should prioritise greater links between comprehensive networks and modes of transport that contribute to reducing CO2 emissions, and focus on interconnections and the completion of the network in peripheral areas; reiterates the importance of enhancing interoperability through the European Railway Traffic Management System and enabling the full use of the Single European Sky initiative; calls for the completion of the European digital air traffic management system;
Amendment 15 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Calls for funding for the total EU budget to be raised to a higher level than the European Commission's proposal of increasing the current figure of 1 % to 1.11 % of EU-27 gross national income (GNI), resulting in a budget of EUR 1 135 billion (at 2018 constant prices) for the period 2021-2027;
Amendment 19 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Reiterates its call for the CAP budget to be maintained in the 2021-2027 MFF at least at the level of the 2014-2020 budget for the EU-27 in real terms, given the fundamental role of this policy in ensuring that agriculture in the EU is economically, environmentally and socially sustainable; reaffirms its view that agriculture must not suffer any financial disadvantage as a result of political decisions such as the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the EU or the funding of new European policies, including in regard to challenges that EU agriculture is called on to face in the European and international context;
Amendment 20 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Reiterates its call for the CAP budget to be maintained in the 2021-2027 MFF at least at the level of the 2014-2020 budget for the EU-27 in real terms, given the fundamental role of this policyand added value of this policy; stresses the need to increase funding in line with responses to the various cyclical crises in sensitive sectors ; reaffirms its view that agriculture must not suffer any financial disadvantage as a result of political decisions such as political conflicts with trading partners, the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the EU or the funding of new European policies ;
Amendment 21 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Reiterates the importance of safeguarding funds for infrastructure within the framework of the Neighbourhood Policy in order to ensure deployment on the TEN-T and cross- border infrastructure coordination;
Amendment 29 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Calls for the creation of a specific budget line for tourism, in order to move towards a genuine European tourism policy that can significantly contribute to growth and job creation;
Amendment 31 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Considers that the new MFF needs to ensure that common policies, and particularly the CAP, have a proper level of common funding; believes the common agricultural policy to be a key EU policy that seeks to increase agricultural productivity, ensure a fair standard of living for farmers, stabilise markets and enhance competitiveness; believes that a more modern common agricultural policy has to support the transition to an even more sustainable agricultural sector and the development of dynamic rural areas, while continuing to guarantee healthy, safe and high quality food for over 500 million consumers; considers that, at a period in time when the EU is facing a great many significant challenges, maintaining funding for the CAP at a proper level will guarantee the (economic, environmental and social) sustainability of agriculture in the EU in order to protect farm incomes and jobs and safeguard production of environmental public goods, contributing decisively to the economic stability and viability of rural areas as a whole;
Amendment 40 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Reiterates the importance of securing appropriate funding for Joint Undertakings, among others SESAR, Shift2Rail and Clean Sky; considers that Shift2Rail should prioritise interoperability projects and maximise the benefits for interoperability in the Single European Rail Area;
Amendment 40 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Disagrees with the Commission’s proposal for the next MFF, which would entail substantial cuts to the CAP; highlights the fact that the extent of the cuts varies according to the parameters used for the comparison; disagrees with the Commission’s approach of providing two calculation methods for the MFF (current vs constant); recalls that the funding level must be maintained in constant prices
Amendment 42 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Disagrees with the Commission’s proposal for the next MFF, which would entail substantial cuts to the CAP in real terms; highlights the fact that the extent of the cuts varies according to the parameters used for the comparison; disagrees with the Commission’s approach of providing two calculation methods for the MFF (current vs constant);
Amendment 53 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Stresses the importance of direct payments as well as second-pillar funds for farmers; deplores in particular rural populations ; strongly opposes the severe cuts envisaged for the second pillar of the CAP, which makes a significant contribution to investment and employment in rural areasbrings a vital contribution to employment, investment, accessibility and territorial attractiveness in rural areas; calls for the rural development funding level to be restored to that of the 2014-2020 funding period ; stresses that it cannot be taken for granted that national co-funding will fill the budget gap;
Amendment 60 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Stresses the importance of maintaining current funding for direct payments as well as for second-pillar funds for farmers; deplores in particular the severe cuts envisaged for the second pillar of the CAP, which makes a significant contribution to investment and employment in rural areas; stresses that it cannot be taken for granted that national co-funding will fill the budget gap;
Amendment 65 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 – point a (new)
Paragraph 4 – point a (new)
(a) Reiterates that the overall EARDF and EAGF total for the coming period should be 382,855,000,000 in constant prices to correspond to 2014-2020
Amendment 66 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 – point b (new)
Paragraph 4 – point b (new)
(b) Stresses that the expectation that 40% of CAP will be spent on climate action can only be achieved if the funds for environmental and climate schemes are not subject to the reduction of payments (cap) outlined in Article 15 of the proposal establishing rules on strategic plans to be drawn up by Member States under the CAP;
Amendment 67 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Does not consider external convergence of direct payments among Member States to be necessary; considers that any alterations to the financial allocations to be assigned have to produce a fair distribution of direct payments among the Member States more in keeping with attributing greater value to farm activities such as labour or the added value produced; considers that, to this end, this redistribution could also be measured with reference to the ratio of farm income (including CAP support) to non-farm income, rather than with reference to the level of payments per hectare; considers that this possibility is also spelt out in the Communication from the European Commission on ‘The Future of Food and Farming’;
Amendment 82 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5 a. Underlines the need to have a legally binding and compulsory MFF mid-term review;
Amendment 93 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Welcomes the Commission’s proposal to allow the carry-over of crisis reserve funds; regrets the fact that the initial amounts to be used to constitute the fund will not be sourced from outside the CAP budget but will instead be taken from direct payments in 2020 and will not be paid back to farmers.Calls for the crisis reserve for the agricultural sector to be set up through the creation of a permanent Fund to manage agricultural crises; considers that a new item of expenditure should be created for this purpose, under the heading ‘Instruments outside the MFF ceilings’, and funded from the EU's general budget and not from funding for the CAP; is of the opinion that this reserve should also be used for the support envisaged for other sectoral interventions provided for under the first CAP pillar;
Amendment 114 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Emphasises the importance of introducing a special budget item under heading I(3) ‘Single Market’, with dedicated funding to underpin the smooth running of the single market for consumer protection and food safety, in particular with regard to safeguarding designation of origin (PGI) food products, the correct and mandatory indication of origin on labels and prevention of food fraud; considers that taking specific action such as this, including through crisis preparation and response and effective official controls, will in addition enable delivery of a high level of animal health and welfare and plant health, thereby protecting consumers and the environment, helping the single market run smoothly and making the EU more competitive;
Amendment 126 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 b (new)
Paragraph 7 b (new)
7b. Believes that stepping up customs inspections at the borders of imported agricultural products and foods from third countries is essential; believes it is important that dedicated funding be established for this under heading IV(11) ‘Border Management’, so that the Custom Union's full potential may be realised, safeguarding its financial interests and preventing illegal trade and fraud through proper homogeneous customs checks when agribusiness products are imported into the EU;