Activities of Franc BOGOVIČ related to 2020/2074(INI)
Shadow opinions (1)
OPINION on cohesion policy and regional environment strategies in the fight against climate change
Amendments (38)
Amendment 12 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Emphasises that cohesion policy must support strong climate mainstreaming in agriculture and food-related sectors; calls on the Commission to support science and research that encourage investments into low-carbon technologies and innovations to mitigate and adapt to climate change;
Amendment 16 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Emphasises that cohesion policy must support strong climate mainstreaming in agriculture and food-related sectors, while taking into account environmental, social and economic sustainability;
Amendment 22 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Stresses that preventing and reducing food waste and food loss as well as strengthening local structures and regional value chains are essential to reduce all emissions associated with growing, manufacturing and transporting;
Amendment 23 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Underlines that, in coherence with Article 2 of the Paris Agreement climate mainstreaming in agriculture must be applied in a manner that does not threaten food production and safeguards food security in the European Union;
Amendment 24 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Recalls that the aim of the European Green Deal is to protect, conserve and enhance the Union's natural capital, as well as to protect the health and well-being of citizens from environment-related risks and impacts;
Amendment 34 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Underlines that, in orderWelcomes the adopted Multiannual Financial Framework of the Union 2021-2027 (MFF) and Next Generation EU (NGEU), which form a solid financial basis for supporting policies that would enable the Union to reach the target of a 32% reduction in GHG emissions in 2030, allocations from ESI fundss well as for supporting the transition towards climate neutrality in all eligible sectors would have to at least double, and 40% of ERDF resources would need to be allocated to the ‘green, low-carbon objective’1 ; __________________ 1 https://www.caneurope.org/docman/clima te-finance-development/3599-funding- climate-and-energy-transition-in-the- eu/file;
Amendment 39 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Emphasises that the expenditure from the MFF 2021-2027 and the NGEU for climate target is set at at least 30% of the expenditure, meaning that at least 547 billion EUR of new EU financial resources will be made available for the green transition;
Amendment 41 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas local and regional authorities are key actors for implementing Cohesion Policy effectively and delivering an effective response to the urgent threat of climate change; whereas they are responsible for one third of public spending and two thirds of public investment;
Amendment 47 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Highlights the importance of linking regional environmental strategies to ambitious climate targets that go beyond the overall target of achieving a climate- neutral EU by 2050, taking into account the potentialmajor contribution of the farming, food and forestry sectors, considering that soils and forests are the largest CO2 reservoirs in the world;
Amendment 48 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Highlights the importance of linking regional environmental strategies to ambitious climate targets that go beyond the overall target of achieving a climate- neutral EU by 2050, taking into account the potential contribution of the farming, food and forestry sectors in providing and developing biogenic resources, materials and substances;
Amendment 56 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Insists that the transition towards climate neutrality must be just and inclusive, with particular focus on citizens, living in rural and remote areas;
Amendment 68 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Underlines that regional environmental strategies should support renewable energy production and resource efficiency in the farming, food and forestry sectors; suggests that the relevant authorities prioritise the most sustainable options, such as wind or solar, and subject bioenergy projects to strict susta while taking into account the competitiveness of these sectors; suggests that the relevant authorities prioritise all renewable energy production options, beneficial for the environment, regional economy, as well as for the inhability criteriatants of the relevant regions;
Amendment 72 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Underlines that regional environmental strategies should support renewable energy production and resource efficiency in the farming, food and forestry sectors; suggests that the relevant authorities prioritise the most sustainable options, such as wind or solar, and subject bioenergy projects to by applying strict sustainability criteria;
Amendment 78 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Insists that regional environmental strategies should pay special attention to supporting the replacement of fossil- intensive materials with renewable and bio-based materials, deriving from forestry and agriculture, as two sectors functioning as carbon emitters, as well as carbon sinks;
Amendment 80 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Underlines the importance of tackling climate change in line with the Union’s commitments undertaken under the European Green Deal to implementing the Paris Agreement and the SDGs, taking into consideration social and economic aspects to ensure a fair transition for all territories and their citizens without leaving anyone behind;
Amendment 80 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Stresses that a phasing-out concept of fossil-based energy for each sector is necessary in order to contribute towards the aims of the Green Deal and climate neutrality;
Amendment 82 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4b. Emphasises that sustainable and close-to-nature forest management is crucial for continuous greenhouse gas absorption from the atmosphere and also allows to provide renewable and climate- friendly raw material for wood products which store carbon and can act as a substitute to fossil-based materials and fuels; underlines that the "triple role" of forests (sink, storage and substitution) contributes to the reduction of carbon emissions release to the atmosphere, while ensuring that forests continue to grow and provide many other services, and should therefore play an integral part of regional environmental strategies;
Amendment 83 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Recalls that the aim of the European Green Deal is to protect, conserve and enhance the Union's natural capital, as well as to protect the health and well-being of citizens from environment-related risks and impacts;
Amendment 92 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Emphasises the need for local and regional authorities to make a clear political commitment to achieving the climate targets, as well as the urgency to equip them with relevant financial and administrative tools to reach those targets;
Amendment 95 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Calls on all the local and regional authorities to adopt local and regional climate strategies translating EU-level targets to concrete local targets, based on a holistic place-based or area-oriented approach that would provide long term vision for a climate transition and a better use of financial resources under the Cohesion Policy;
Amendment 108 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Insists that the transition towards climate neutrality must be just and inclusive, with particular focus on citizens, living in rural and remote areas;
Amendment 122 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Points out that it is paramount to fully uphold multi-level governance and partnership principles under Cohesion Policy, as local and regional authorities have direct competencies on the environment and climate change, implementing 90% of the climate adaptation and 70% of climate mitigation actions;
Amendment 126 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Calls on all levels of government to do their utmost to encourage cross- administrative cooperation, including cross-vertical government cooperation, interregional, intermunicipal and cross- border cooperation to share knowledge and examples of best practice on climate change projects and initiatives financed under the Cohesion Policy;
Amendment 129 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Emphasises the importance of the Smart Villages concept in tackling climate related challenges of the Union and welcomes its integration in the future CAP, Cohesion and Regional policy of the Union; Insists that member states include the Smart Villages approach in their Operational Programme for the Implementation of the EU Cohesion Policy at national and regional level, as well as in their national CAP Strategic Plans, which will require the preparation of Smart Villages Strategies1a at national level; Emphasises the role of LEADER/CLLD approach while implementing Smart Villages Strategies, which should have a strong focus on digitalisation, sustainability and innovation. __________________ 1a Article 72 b (Amendment 513) of the European Parliament's 1st reading position on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing rules on support for strategic plans to be drawn up by Member States under the Common agricultural policy (CAP Strategic Plans) and financed by the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund (EAGF) and by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and repealing Regulation (EU) No 1305/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council and Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council
Amendment 132 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Emphasizes that investments in sustainable green infrastructures on local and regional level through EU Cohesion Policy are essential to combat the impacts of climate change on agriculture and forestry and to improve climate resilience of people, nature and economy.
Amendment 133 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Highlights that cohesion policy must focus on the comprehensive transition of the European economy towards bioeconomy based on biogenic resources from agriculture and forestry.
Amendment 136 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 b (new)
Paragraph 6 b (new)
6b. Highlights that cohesion policy and regional environmental strategies need to pay particular attention on increasing the use of wood from sustainable forestry in all parts of economy (especially construction sector) as wood bears the unique property of storing huge amounts of CO2 while substituting energy-intensive resources such as steel and concrete.
Amendment 137 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Calls to ensure greater coherence and coordination between the Cohesion Policy and other EU policies to improve policy integration of climate aspects, design more effective source based polices, provide targeted EU funding and, consequently, improve implementation of climate policies on the ground;
Amendment 139 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 b (new)
Paragraph 9 b (new)
9b. Stresses that more synergies between various funding sources at the EU, national and regional levels are needed, as well as stronger links between public and private financing to increase the effectiveness of regional environment strategies in the fight against climate change;
Amendment 139 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 b (new)
Paragraph 6 b (new)
6b. Stresses that ongoing agricultural practices and green infrastructure initiatives in agriculture and forestry sectors have a positive effect on carbon stocks and the greenhouse gas balances in the Member States.
Amendment 140 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 c (new)
Paragraph 6 c (new)
6c. Recalls that current EU policy initiatives must take into account the long-term competitiveness of the European economy and the concerns of small and medium sized enterprises.
Amendment 146 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10a. Calls for increased employment of green and blue investment and innovation under the Cohesion Policy, as well as expanded use of Nature Based Solutions;
Amendment 158 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11a. Supports the call from the European Committee of the Regions that calls for a direct access to European funds for local and regional authorities (from the European budget as well as from other European financial institutions such as the EIB) for combating the climate crisis and making local communities more resilient, while paving the way for recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic; more specifically, additional instruments granting a direct access to the EU funds such as Urban Innovative Actions under the ERDF (Art. 8) or the future European Urban Initiative-post 2020 under the ERDF/CF Regulation (Art. 10), should be set up, especially for the Green Deal projects;
Amendment 164 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12a. Welcomes the adoption of the Multiannual Financial Framework of the Union for the period 2021-2027 and the Next Generation EU Covid-19 recovery package which are setting at least 30% of the their expenditure for climate target, meaning that at least 547 billion EUR of new EU financial resources will be made available for the green transition;
Amendment 185 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15a. Underlines that regional environmental strategies should support renewable energy production and resource efficiency in the farming, food and forestry sectors while taking into account the competitiveness of these sectors; suggests that the relevant authorities prioritise all renewable energy production options, beneficial for the environment, regional economy, as well as for the inhabitants of the relevant regions;
Amendment 186 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 b (new)
Paragraph 15 b (new)
15b. Insists that regional environmental strategies should pay special attention to supporting the replacement of fossil- intensive materials with renewable and bio-based materials, deriving from forestry and agriculture, as two sectors functioning as carbon emitters, as well as carbon sinks;
Amendment 187 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 c (new)
Paragraph 15 c (new)
15c. Emphasises that sustainable and close-to-nature forest management is crucial for continuous greenhouse gas absorption from the atmosphere and also allows to provide renewable and climate- friendly raw material for wood products which store carbon and can act as a substitute to fossil-based materials and fuels; underlines that the "triple role" of forests (sink, storage and substitution) contributes to the reduction of carbon emissions release to the atmosphere, while ensuring that forests continue to grow and provide many other services, and should therefore play an integral part of regional environmental strategies;
Amendment 211 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)