44 Amendments of Ulrike MÜLLER related to 2021/2254(INI)
Amendment 35 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Amendment 43 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas gender equality is a basic value of the EU, recognised in the Treaties and in the Charter of Fundamental Rights, and should be an integral part of the preparation, implementation and evaluation of CAP interventions as laid down in Regulation (EU) 2021/21153, and in the preparation, implementation, monitoring reporting and evaluation of programmes of the cohesion policy as laid down in Regulation (EU) 1303/2013 and Regulation (EU)2021/1060;
Amendment 48 #
Ab. whereas there has been significant improvement of the level of internet connectivity in the rural areas in the last decade; whereas significant differences among the Member States still persist; whereas in some Member States up to 25 % of the households located in the rural areas still do not have access to the internet 2a. _________________ 2a https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/ view/ISOC_CI_IN_H__custom_2784346/ default/table?lang=en
Amendment 50 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A b (new)
Recital A b (new)
Ab. whereas women in rural areas are often under-represented in decision making bodies such as agricultural cooperatives, trade unions and municipal governments; whereas increasing women’s representation in such bodies is highly important.
Amendment 52 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A c (new)
Recital A c (new)
Ac. whereas access to water services, sanitation, road connectivity, healthcare, education, broadband internet and other basic services is essential for the development of the rural areas; whereas households in some rural areas still do not have access to essential basic services.
Amendment 72 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Highlights the diversity of rural areas across the EU; recalls that rural areas close to urban centres, in remote areas or mountainous zones, and in outermost regions and in sparsely populated areas face different challenges requiring targeted solutions;
Amendment 78 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Stresses that policies and actions at EU level combined with national and, regional and local ones are key to securing the prosperity and well-being of rural European citizens, as well as tackling the challenges they face, namely population decline and ageing, fewer quality job opportunities, a lack of access to high- quality services of general interest such as access to water services, sanitation, road connectivity, healthcare, education, broadband internet and other basic services, climate and environmental pressures, lower connectivity and limited access to innovation;
Amendment 83 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Stresses that policies and actions at EU level combined with local, national and regional ones are key to securing the prosperity and well-being of rural European citizens, as well as tackling the challenges they face, namely population decline and ageing, fewer quality job opportunities, a lack of access to high- quality services of general interest, climate and environmental pressures, lower connectivity and limited access to innovationopportunities for innovation and access to technological developments;
Amendment 87 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Underlines that demographic evolution within rural areas is crippled by population decline; notes that ageing population and youth rural exodus are examples of issues which need to be addressed while carrying out actions for rural areas;
Amendment 112 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Draws attention to the growing discontent among rural populations who feel their needs are insufficiently considered in political decision-making and who feel underrepresented, which creates fertile ground for civic and political disengagement and could lead to the development of various forms of extremisms; believes that in some Member States, elections in recent years have showcased that the rural urban divide is growing larger and it should compel public officials to address this feeling of economic and social detachment;
Amendment 118 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Stresses that rural areas are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of crisis, such as the COVID pandemic and the war in Ukraine but are also capable of offering new opportunities in response to such crisis; notes that, by virtue of their inherent characteristics and highly valuable resources, rural areas convey solutions to those crises;
Amendment 130 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Acknowledges that one of the main challenges that SMEs face, particularly these operating in rural and remote areas, is the lack of skilled workers; notes that the accelerating evolution of the labour market is exacerbating long-standing skills shortages; calls on the Member States to strengthen their up-skilling and re-skilling initiatives and programmes in order to prepare citizens to respond to the labour market needs and address the shortages that the SMEs are facing and that hinder their competitiveness.
Amendment 135 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Underlines that rural areas can be the scene of significant population variations such as seasonal ones related to tourism;
Amendment 138 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to systematically collect gender-disaggregated data and take the gender dimension into account when designing, implementing and evaluating policies, such as the Common Agricultural Policy, in order to better achieve the goals of gender mainstreaming in rural areas;
Amendment 140 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Paragraph 5 b (new)
5b. Underlines that Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are essential for achieving economic growth as they are a major source for generating employment, creating wealth and alleviating poverty, particularly in rural and remote areas; a stronger support to SMEs is also a means to maintain and attract skilled workers in rural areas;
Amendment 141 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Paragraph 5 b (new)
5b. Insists on the need to improve the participation of women in decision making in rural areas by means of training activities designed to encourage their presence in areas and sectors in which they are under-represented, and by awareness-raising campaigns on the importance of the active involvement of women in management positions; therefore calls on Member States to promote gender equality in the various management and representation bodies to foster equal participation in all types of agricultural organisations, associations and public institutions, and asks for the work of women in farming activities, especially the work of assisting spouses and partners in agriculture, to be fully recognised by granting them legal recognition and full access to social security rights.
Amendment 142 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 c (new)
Paragraph 5 c (new)
5c. Is deeply concerned that in some rural areas, people with disabilities still tend to face more challenges than their counterparts in urban areas; calls on the Commission and on the Member States that have not already done so to dedicate special attention to the vulnerable groups, living in the rural areas, such as people with disabilities and ensure that their special needs are being addressed; calls on the Commission to further harmonise practices between Member States in terms of inclusion of people with disabilities;
Amendment 143 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 d (new)
Paragraph 5 d (new)
5d. Recalls that different levels of access to water services and sanitation persist between Member States; recalls that in 2019 most countries reported that less than 1% of their population were still living in households without a bath, a shower or a flushing toilet while in some countries this share remains comparatively high1a; _________________ 1a Eurostat data
Amendment 144 #
5e. Underlines that rural areas are affected by territorial inequalities compared to urban areas; underlines that those inequalities can take the shape of weaker access to quality housing and an efficient transport network; underlines the importance of favouring quality housing for rural area populations by rendering it more independent and resilient and thereby improving their standards of living, for instance, by means of enhanced energy efficiency; underlines the importance of supporting and developing an integrated transportation system which would improve the synchronisation between multiple modes of transportation;
Amendment 158 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Agrees on the need for a common, EU-wide, functional definition of rural areas, and urges the Commission to quickly develop and operationalise such a definition while taking into consideration their diversity; invites, in that sense, the Commission to propose common indicators for all Member States while leaving them in charge of setting relevant thresholds to identify those functional rural areas; notes that this definition could be used to compare and inform the evolutions of European rural areas, or allow a more targeted implementation of policies and measures among those territories;
Amendment 172 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Supports the development of a Rural Pact; considers that it needs concrete objectives, deliverables, governance and monitoring systems, and institutional responsibilities; this Rural Pact should serve the Commission as an opportunity to facilitate the sharing of good practices between rural areas and help them employ the tools at their disposal;
Amendment 186 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11a. Calls on Member States to adopt national rural agendas; calls on Member States to use those national rural agendas to define the method, the calendar and the means to address the issues faced by rural areas;
Amendment 200 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Insists that rural citizenthe population living in the rural areas must benefit, like any other citizen, from equitable conditions for achieving their professional, social and personal goals, with a particular focus on more vulnerable groups, thereby effectively upholding; Insists that the European Pillar of Social Rights must be effectively upheld; stresses that targeted interventions fostering effective generational renewal are essential;
Amendment 215 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Underlines that the European Green Deal and the Digital transformation can open up new opportunities in rural areas and a new dynamic for a more resilient future, while ensuring a just and inclusive transition and numerous possibilities for sustainable jobs;
Amendment 246 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14a. underlines that it is important not to set the preservation of biodiversity against the management of large carnivores; invites the Commission to advance on this topic which is too often left aside and minimized, which is detrimental to the social link; calls on the Commission to ensure a common management of large carnivores while concerting all the concerned actors;
Amendment 254 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 b (new)
Paragraph 14 b (new)
14b. invites the Commission to encourage a discussion on large carnivores with rural actors, to promote knowledge sharing especially in regions in which large carnivores have previously been absent for centuries and to inform stakeholders and farmers of financing possibilities for preventive measures against attacks on livestock; calls on the Commission to ensure a cross border and cross regional monitoring of large carnivores to promote coordinated approaches across Member States;
Amendment 262 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 c (new)
Paragraph 14 c (new)
14c. Stresses that digital technologies have the potential to increase the attractiveness of the agricultural sector for young farmers, to increase its productivity, to make the sector more efficient, sustainable, and competitive; underlines, in this regard, the importance of furthering the adoption of new technologies and bridge the existing digital divide;
Amendment 273 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Stresses that diversification of and innovation in the rural economy based on local potential and specificities are crucial to drawing opportunities from the digital and green transition; calls on the Member States to put in place measures to support the fair transition and diversification of the rural economy;
Amendment 313 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Highlights the central role of rural areas in the transition to a low-carbon circular economy; stresses that initiatives in rural areas, such as renewable energy infrastructure, must contribute effectively to the economic and social vitality of such areas;
Amendment 318 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17a. Highlights that the production of renewable energy can significantly contribute to the development of rural areas and improve their climate, environmental and economic perspectives;
Amendment 324 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 b (new)
Paragraph 17 b (new)
17b. Stresses that sustainable, profitable, clean and efficient farms and enterprises could significantly benefit from renewable energy sources and sustainably produced biofuels; calls on the Commission and on the Member States to enhance the production and use of renewable energy for enterprises located in rural areas, also by means of identifying the main practical barriers and the new and best practices and tools that are already applied; stresses that it has the potential to improve the energy independence of the enterprises and local public authorities located in rural areas, reduce their energy bills and further diversify and increase their income; brings forward the REPOWER EU communication, that focuses on increasing the share of biomethane production in EU to 35 bcm by 2030, stresses that this increase will not be possible without intense investment in the infrastructure but highlights that it can bring many opportunities to rural areas;
Amendment 349 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Stresses that the digital transition brings about new opportunities for rural areas, which are only accessible if there is adequate, stable and accessible broadband coverage; underlines that many households, living in the rural areas across the EU, still do not have internet access; warns of the risks of the widening of the rural digital gap as a result of the lack of 5G coverage, and calls on Member States to mobilise all available instruments to prevent it;
Amendment 351 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Stresses that the digital transition brings about new opportunities for rural areas, which are only accessible if there is adequate, stable and accessible broadband coverage; warns of the risks of the widening of the rural digital gap as a result of the lack of Internet access including 5G coverage, and calls on Member States to mobilise all available instruments to prevent it;
Amendment 368 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20a. Calls on the Commission, Member States and local authorities to promote interactions between urban and rural areas; underlines that urban and rural areas would benefit from an improved cooperation; underlines that it would be opportune to develop town-twinning and alliance mechanisms between urban and rural areas;
Amendment 397 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Urges Member States to address the specific challenges of rural areas, their communities and the SMEs operating there, during the implementation of the current multiannual financial framework programmes and to provide the investments needed for social inclusion and, job creation, and innovation in order to foster competitiveness and enable a just digital and green transition and revive these areas;
Amendment 424 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Amendment 436 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 a (new)
Paragraph 25 a (new)
25a. Invites the Commission to adapt the state aid Framework to give Member States the opportunity to help very specific rural areas where population density is very low based on precedents that already exist in some regions;
Amendment 439 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 b (new)
Paragraph 25 b (new)
25b. underlines the success of payments for areas with natural constraints provided by the CAP in terms of economic dynamics and preservation of sustainable activities in those areas; stresses the importance to maintain those payments in the future too;
Amendment 447 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 a (new)
Paragraph 26 a (new)
26a. Stresses the importance of short supply chains and organic agriculture for the development of rural areas and strengthening their economic and social development; encourages the Commission and Member States to promote these agricultural models alongside other sustainable models;
Amendment 450 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Calls for more community-based policyand less centralized policy and support measures design, involving local actors, authorities and civil society, and insists therefore that they must play an active role from decision-making to policy implementation and evaluation;
Amendment 454 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Calls for more community-based policy design, involving local actors, authorities and civil society, and insists therefore that they must play an active role from developing policies, decision-making to policy implementation and evaluation;
Amendment 459 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 a (new)
Paragraph 27 a (new)
27a. Stresses the importance of strengthening the bottom-up approach to rural and local development and the valuable contribution to rural development made by Leader actions; calls on the Commission and the Member States to ensure a high level of autonomy for local action groups in terms of their constitution (no top-down design of areas and villages to be regrouped into a local action group, but full autonomy) and decision-making, reducing the administrative burden on local authorities and simplifying access, promoting local ownership of community-led development projects and encouraging participation in local action groups.
Amendment 464 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 a (new)
Paragraph 28 a (new)
28a. Recalls that some projects for the benefit of rural areas are not implemented because of a lack of dedicated skills or human resources in those areas; invites the Commission to support capacity building in rural areas which lack capabilities and dedicated skills to implement relevant projects; stresses that, going beyond project design for rural areas, a particular effort should be placed into their implementation;
Amendment 483 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30 a (new)
Paragraph 30 a (new)
30a. Underlines the importance of generational renewal and the facilitation of access to land for the sustainability and prosperity of the sector; highlights the important role that young farmers play in modernizing EU agriculture and creating more opportunities in rural areas; calls on the Commission and on Member States to develop targeted policies to encourage generational renewal and remove all existing barriers for access to land and funding, as well as to remove the administrative burdens facilitating further development of the sector; stresses that, given the general decline of the number of farmers and the aging of the population, young farmers will play an even more important role in the future;