28 Amendments of Angelo CIOCCA related to 2021/2254(INI)
Amendment 33 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas rural areas represent around 83 % of the total European territory and are home to around 137 million people (30 % of the European population); whereas rural areas, in particular remote and less developed rural regions, mountainous zones and islands, face specific unresolved infrastructure challenges;
Amendment 42 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas in view of the current situation in rural areas, it seems clear that policies implemented until now have not enabled a tangible improvement in the quality of life in these areas;
Amendment 73 #
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 face different challenges requiring targeted support and solutions;
Amendment 86 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Stresses that policies and actions at EU level combined with national and regional ones are keyneed to be revised to securinge 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 and infrastructure, climate and environmental pressures, lower connectivity (lack of high-speed broadband) and limited access to innovation;
Amendment 98 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Highlights the central role rural areas can play in addressing societal challenges, by providing ecosystem services to mitigate climate change and environmental deterioration, ensuring sustainable food production, preserving rural heritage, and contributing to a just, green and digital transitionproviding unique cultural landscapes for entertainment and recreation purposes and contributing to a just, green and digital transition, and reiterates that rural areas shall not become a way out of restricting environmental excesses of urban centres;
Amendment 114 #
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, which creates fertile ground for civic and political disengagement, and recalls that the rising price of raw materials and fuel for transport and heating is one of the reasons for this rising discontent;
Amendment 123 #
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 and play a key role in ensuring food security and independence from fossil fuels or imported energy;
Amendment 148 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Welcomes the Commission’s communication on a long-term vision for the EU’s rural areas; agrees with its general aims and considers it a most valuable opportunity for reinforcing action on the present and future of rural areas;
Amendment 153 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Takes note of the proposal for a Rural Action Plan, which should evolve into a dynamic tool for future action; calls on the Commission and the Member States to give the highest priority to its implementation, setting clear targets for delivery so as to attain the goal of stronger, more connected, resilient and prosperous rural areas by 2040as soon as possible;
Amendment 157 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
Amendment 177 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. WelcomNotes the announcement of a Rural Observatory; considers it a valid instrument for informing, designing and monitoring better public policies;
Amendment 183 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Stresses the importance of implementing a rural proofing mechanism for EU initiatives so as to assess their potential impact on rural areas; urges the Member States to promote the development and implementation of effective mechanisms for rural proofing at national level and calls on the Commission to assist them if necessary;
Amendment 196 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Insists that rural citizens must benefit, like any other citizen, from equitable conditions for achieving their professional, social and personal goals and access to a good quality health system, with a particular focus on more vulnerable groups such as the elderly and disabled, thereby effectively upholding the European Pillar of Social Rights; stresses that targeted interventions fostering effective generational renewal are essential; stresses the necessity of supporting young people so that they wish to live and work in rural areas, helping them overcome the challenges (access to capital, access to higher education, lack of entrepreneurial skills and insufficient succession planning), encouraging farm succession and including young farmers in a mix of policies ranging from housing to social security, health services and education; stresses the necessity of maintaining a high-quality agricultural training system, including vocational training;
Amendment 218 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Underlines that the European Green Deal can open up new opportunitilead not just to new opportunities but also new challenges in rural areas and a new dynamic for a more resilient future, while ensuring a just and inclusive transition;
Amendment 229 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Underlines the central role agriculture plays in rural areasand related activities play in rural areas in ensuring a sustainably sufficient supply of high-quality, diversified food and biomass resources, and in providing jobs and a cultural landscape for recreational use; insists that sustainable agriculture, providing fair income to farmers, is and facilitating access to investments and innovation are crucial for the vitality and management of these territories;
Amendment 269 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Stresses that diversification of and innovation in the rural economy based on local potential 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; reiterates that farming and forestry provide many opportunities for employment and diversification of activities in rural areas; reiterates the necessity of encouraging horizontal and vertical cooperation by promoting cooperatives, in view of the economic and social advantages they bring farmers, businesses, consumers and rural areas as a whole;
Amendment 295 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Regrets that the work of rural women is still not properly recognised in certain cases; calls on the Commission and the Member States to take action to design and implement measures to fight gender gaps;
Amendment 321 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17a. Stresses the necessity of maintaining a good, close-knit network of roads and other physical infrastructure, such as a reliable electricity network, as an important tool for rural vitality;
Amendment 332 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Highlights that rural areas suffer higher risks of social exclusion and energy and infrastructure poverty owing to longer distances to be covered and mobility constraints; points out that new rural mobility solutions and investments are needed to achieve equitable growth, in harmony with a sustainable energy transition;
Amendment 362 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Draws attention to the fact that the comparative lack of digital skills in rural areas can preclude rural communities from benefiting from the opportunities of digitalisation; calls for measures that ensure digital inclusion and support an enabling environment for rural digital innovation and contribute to the development of smart farming and smart villages;
Amendment 373 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20a. Draws attention to the situation of livestock farmers living in regions recently repopulated and colonised by large carnivore species, who are constantly under attack from and / or at risk of being attacked by large carnivores as they protect their means of subsistence and their homes from the European population of ever larger carnivores; calls for support for livestock farmers through efficient population management measures to ensure economic viability and a well-balanced equilibrium between biodiversity and humankind;
Amendment 399 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Urges Member States to address the specific challenges of rural areas during the implementation of the current multiannual financial framework programmes and to provide the investments needed to raise the economic and environmental performance of farms and for social inclusion and job creation, in order to foster competitiveness and enable a just digital and green transition;
Amendment 433 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Highlights the Commission study’s conclusions on LEADER’s effectiveness in delivering solutions for sustainable rural development; calls on Member States to support local development including LEADER/Community-Led Local Development (CLLD), thereby facilitating and promoting multi-fund approaches; considers that the meaningful earmarking of assistance for CLLD under all relevant funds at EU level, including the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD), would contribute to stronger and more sustainable territorial development;
Amendment 463 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Notes that while EU legislation envisages multilevel governance approaches and partnerships, there is resistance, due also to excessive red tape, to their application in a meaningful way; calls on Member States to support these approaches by allocating responsibility at the appropriate local level and ensuring political ownership and strong coordination of policies and investments across all levels of governance;
Amendment 482 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
Paragraph 30
30. Recalls that the future of rural areas is of paramount importance for Europe’s food security and food autonomy, as the recent COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine and the rising cost of raw materials have clearly demonstrated;
Amendment 498 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31
Paragraph 31
31. Calls for the long-term vision to be developed in partnership with the Member States into a true rural strategy at EU level to be fully integrated into future programming periods and calls on all Member States to develop rural strategies at national level;
Amendment 503 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33
Paragraph 33
Amendment 507 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34
Paragraph 34