Activities of Christa KLASS related to 2012/0337(COD)
Shadow opinions (1)
OPINION on the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council on a General Union Environment Action Programme to 2020 "Living well, within the limits of our planet"
Amendments (27)
Amendment 21 #
Proposal for a decision
Annex 1 – paragraph 19
Annex 1 – paragraph 19
19. Protecting, conserving and enhancing the EU’s natural capital therefore also requires tackling problems at source through, inter alia, better integration of natural capital objectives into other policies, ensuring that policies are coherent and deliver co-benefits. The greening elements set out in the Commission’s reform proposals, notably for EU agriculture, fisheries and cohesion policy, backed by the proposals for greening the EU budget under the Multi-Annual Financial Framework 2014-2020 (MFF) are designed to support these objectives. For instance, aquatic ecosystems in rural areas should benefit from the linking of farm payments to compliance with relevant requirements of the WFD as set out in the Commission's proposals for the reformobjective and measurable criteria of the CAPWFD. Greening of the CAP will also promote the environmentally beneficial agricultural practices of crop diversification, the protection of permanent grassland, and the establishment and maintenance of ecologically valuable farmland and forest areas. An essential element in this sustainable agriculture is farming in a spirit of responsibility for future generations which at the same time makes sparing use of resources and is productive.
Amendment 25 #
Proposal for a decision
Annex 1 – paragraph 19 a (new)
Annex 1 – paragraph 19 a (new)
19a. Farming in the Union has for decades contributed to the conservation of habitats and to diverse cultural landscapes. In recent decades, European agriculture and forestry have achieved considerable improvements in the case of all elements of the environment and all agriculturally relevant immissions of substances, in some cases by organising production efficiently.
Amendment 26 #
Proposal for a decision
Annex 1 – paragraph 22
Annex 1 – paragraph 22
22. The degradation, fragmentation and unsustainable use of land in the EU is jeopardising the provision of several key ecosystem services, threatening biodiversity and increasing Europe’s vulnerability to climate change and natural disasters. It is also driving soil degradation. More than 25% of the EU's territory is affected by soil erosion by water, which compromises soil functions and affects the quality of freshwater. Soil contamination and sealing are also persistent problems. More than half a million sites across the EU are thought to be contaminated and until they are identified and assessed, they continue to pose potentially serious environmental and health risks. Every year more than 1 000 km² of land are taken for housing, industry, transport or recreational purposes. These long-term changes are difficult or costly to reverse, and nearly always involve trade-offs between various social, economic and environmental needs. Member States' planning decisions relating to land use should be made more sustainable. In order to tackle the serious problem of soil sealing, Member States should be required to take steps to reduce the area of land used and to preserve agricultural land areas for the production of food, feed and renewable raw materials.
Amendment 27 #
Proposal for a decision
Annex 1 – paragraph 23
Annex 1 – paragraph 23
23. To reduce the most significant man- made pressures on land, soil and other ecosystems in Europe, action will be taken at national level to ensure that decisions relating to land use at all relevant levels give proper consideration to environmental as well as social and economic impacts. The Rio+20 Summit outcome called for a 'land degradation neutral world'. The EU and Member States should reflect on how best to make such a commitment operational within their respective competencies as well as to address soil quality issuesSuch a commitment could best be honoured within the Member States. In view of the subsidiarity principle, soil quality issues can best be addressed within a binding legal frameworks at the level of the Member States. Targets will also be set for sustainable land use and soil.
Amendment 30 #
Proposal for a decision
Annex 1 – paragraph 24
Annex 1 – paragraph 24
24. Although nitrogen and phosphorus inputs to the EU environment have decreased considerably over the past 20 years, excessivesubstantial nutrient releases continue to affect air and water quality and to have a negative impact on ecosystems, causing significant problems for human health. In particular, ammonia release from inefficient natural processes (fertiliser management and inadequate waste water treatment urgently) needs to be tackled to achieve further significant reductions in nutrient releases. Further efforts to manage the nutrient cycle in a more cost-effective and resource- efficient way, and to improve efficiency in use of fertilisers are also required. This calls for improving the implementation of EU environmental legislation to address these challenges, tightenadjusting standards where necessary and addressing the nutrient cycle as part of a more holistic approach which interlinks and integrates existing EU policies that play a role in tackling excessive nutrient releases and eutrophication.
Amendment 34 #
Proposal for a decision
Annex 1 – paragraph 26 – subparagraph 1 – point e
Annex 1 – paragraph 26 – subparagraph 1 – point e
(e) Land is managed sustainably in the EU, soil is adequately protected in Member States and the remediation of contaminated sites by the Member States is well underway.
Amendment 37 #
Proposal for a decision
Annex 1 – paragraph 26 – subparagraph 1 – point g a (new)
Annex 1 – paragraph 26 – subparagraph 1 – point g a (new)
(ga) Pollination is maintained at a high level, measures are taken to support and foster bee health and – where necessary – measures are taken to ensure that the use of plant protection products which have been shown by a scientific risk assessment to have an adverse impact on bee populations is accompanied by the implementation of risk reduction measures.
Amendment 38 #
Proposal for a decision
Annex 1 – paragraph 26 – subparagraph 2 – point e
Annex 1 – paragraph 26 – subparagraph 2 – point e
(e) Increasing efforts at national level to reduce soil erosion and increase soil organic matter, to remediate contaminated sites and to enhance the integration of land use aspects into coordinated decision- making involving all relevant levels of government, supported by the adoption of targets on soil and on land as a resource, and land planning objectives; increasing efforts at national level to reduce the area of land used and to preserve agricultural land areas for the production of food, feed and renewable raw materials.
Amendment 45 #
Proposal for a decision
Annex 1 – paragraph 30
Annex 1 – paragraph 30
30. Fully implementing the EU Climate and Energy Package is essential to reach the milestones identified for 2020 and for building a competitive, low-carbon economy by 2050. Whereas the EU is currently on track to reduce domestic GHG emissions 20% below 1990 levels by 2020, meeting the 20% energy efficiency target will require far more rapid efficiency improvements. This is also important in the light of still-growing demand for energy and the on-going debate on conflicts between land use for food and for bio- energy. The new Energy Efficiency Directive is expected to make a significant contribution in this regard.
Amendment 47 #
Proposal for a decision
Annex 1 – paragraph 32
Annex 1 – paragraph 32
32. Industry's uptake of the best available techniques under the Industrial Emissions Directive will deliver improved resource use patterns and reduced emissions for over 50 000 major industrial installations in the EU, thus making a significant contribution to stimulating the development of innovative techniques, greening the economy and reducing costs for industry in the longer term. At the same time the creation of short supply chains and local markets for agricultural products can significantly reduce CO2 emissions from the transport of food. Short supply routes provide more fresh and healthy food.
Amendment 50 #
Proposal for a decision
Annex 1 – paragraph 35
Annex 1 – paragraph 35
35. To set a framework for action to improve resource efficiency aspects beyond GHG emissions and energy, targets for reducing the overall environmental impact of consumption will be set, in particular in the food, housing and mobility sectors. Taken together, these are responsible for almost 80% of the environmental impacts of consumption. The Rio+20 outcome recognised the need to significantly reduce post-harvest and other food losses and waste throughout the food supply chain. This may be achieved by improving the value attached to food and by means of regional marketing and improving logistics, transport, stocking and packaging. All parties throughout the food chain, particularly traders and consumers, have a role to play. This also includes targeted consumer education and information.
Amendment 54 #
Proposal for a decision
Annex 1 – paragraph 41 – subparagraph 2 – point c
Annex 1 – paragraph 41 – subparagraph 2 – point c
(c) Giving impetus to the public and private research and innovation efforts required for rolling out innovative technologies, systems and business models which will speed up and lower the cost of transition to a low-carbon, resource- efficient economy and which will help to substantially reduce food waste throughout the food chain.
Amendment 58 #
Proposal for a decision
Annex 1 – paragraph 62
Annex 1 – paragraph 62
62. In addition to helping Member States improve compliance, the Commission will continue to do its part to ensure that legislation is proportionate, fit for purpose and reflects the latest science. As a general rule, legal obligations which are sufficiently clear and precise will be enshrined in Regulations, which have direct and measurable effects and lead to fewer inconsistencies in implementation. The Commission will step up its use of communication, scoreboards and other means of publicly tracking Member States' progress in implementing specific pieces of legislation and of ensuring that the public are informed about positive trends in environmental protection.
Amendment 59 #
Proposal for a decision
Annex 1 – paragraph 63 – subparagraph 2 – point e a (new)
Annex 1 – paragraph 63 – subparagraph 2 – point e a (new)
(ea) Cooperative strategies are developed among the various protagonists in environmental protection and nature conservation and more ample communication concerning tried and tested practices is developed.
Amendment 60 #
Proposal for a decision
Annex 1 – paragraph 63 – subparagraph 2 – point e b (new)
Annex 1 – paragraph 63 – subparagraph 2 – point e b (new)
(eb) Regular assessments of existing law are performed, to ensure that environmental legislation measures are proportionate, feasible and well targeted.
Amendment 62 #
Proposal for a decision
Annex 1 – paragraph 71 – subparagraph 2 – point c a (new)
Annex 1 – paragraph 71 – subparagraph 2 – point c a (new)
(ca) Communication and dissemination of positive developments and trends in environmental protection take place.
Amendment 69 #
Proposal for a decision
Annex 1 – paragraph 85
Annex 1 – paragraph 85
85. This programme includes a number of priority objectives designed to further enhance integration. In its proposals for the CAP, CFP, Trans-European Networks (TENs) and Cohesion policy reforms, the Commission has included measures to further support environmental integration and sustainability. For this programme to succeed, these policies should even further contribute towards meeting environment- related targets and objectives. Similarly, efforts primarily intended to achieve environmental improvements should be designed to deliver co-benefits for other policies wherever possible. For instance, efforts to restore ecosystems can be targeted to benefit habitats and species and to sequester carbon dioxide, while improving the delivery of ecosystem services vital for many economic sectors, such as pollination or water purification for agriculture, and creating green jobs.
Amendment 70 #
Proposal for a decision
Annex 1 – paragraph 86 – subparagraph 2 – point a
Annex 1 – paragraph 86 – subparagraph 2 – point a
(a) further integrating environmental and climate- related conditionalities and incentives in policy initiatives, including reviews and reforms of existing policy, as well as new initiatives, at EU and Member State level;
Amendment 73 #
Proposal for a decision
Annex 1 – paragraph 89 a (new)
Annex 1 – paragraph 89 a (new)
89a. The Union's food security policy should be based on sustainable agriculture and fair trade. Climate change is bringing pressure to bear on natural resources, particularly as sufficient quantities of food need to be provided for a growing world population with altered patterns of consumption. Imports of protein from third countries where the standard of environmental protection is inadequate could be reduced by promoting the cultivation of protein crops in the Union. In addition, the Union has an obligation to demand, bilaterally and multilaterally, adequate regulatory environmental protection measures in the regions concerned, from which such risks emanate.
Amendment 162 #
Proposal for a decision
Annex 1 – point 19
Annex 1 – point 19
19. Protecting, conserving and enhancing the EU’s natural capital therefore also requires tackling problems at source through, inter alia, better integration of natural capital objectives into other policies, ensuring that policies are coherent and deliver co-benefits. The greening elements set out in the Commission’s reform proposals, notably for EU agriculture, fisheries and cohesion policy, backed by the proposals for greening the EU budget under the Multi-Annual Financial Framework 2014-2020 (MFF) are designed to support these objectives. For instance, aquatic ecosystems in rural areas should benefit from the linking of farm payments to compliance with relevant requirements of the WFD as set out in the Commission's proposals for the reform ofobjective and measurable criteria laid down in the CAPWFD. Greening of the CAP will also promote the environmentally beneficial agricultural practices of crop diversification, the protection of permanent grassland, and the establishment and maintenance of ecologically valuable farmland and forest areas. A key component of sustainable agriculture is resource-efficient and productive land use consistent with the interests of future generations.
Amendment 173 #
Proposal for a decision
Annex 1 – point 22
Annex 1 – point 22
22. The degradation, fragmentation and unsustainable use of land in the EU is jeopardising the provision of several key ecosystem services, threatening biodiversity and increasing Europe’s vulnerability to climate change and natural disasters. It is also driving soil degradation. More than 25% of the EU's territory is affected by soil erosion by water, which compromises soil functions and affects the quality of freshwater. Soil contamination and sealing are also persistent problems. More than half a million sites across the EU are thought to be contaminated and until they are identified and assessed, they continue to pose potentially serious environmental and health risks. Every year more than 1 000 km² of land are taken for housing, industry, transport or recreational purposes. These long-term changes are difficult or costly to reverse, and nearly always involve trade-offs between various social, economic and environmental needs. Member States' planning decisions relating to land use should be made more sustainable. With a view to addressing the serious problem of the sealing of the soil, the EU Member States should be required to take steps to reduce the area of land which has been built on and to safeguard agricultural land used to produce food, feedingstuffs and renewable raw materials.
Amendment 175 #
Proposal for a decision
Annex 1 – point 23
Annex 1 – point 23
23. To reduce the most significant man- made pressures on land, soil and other ecosystems in Europe, action will be taken at national level to ensure that decisions relating to land use at all relevant levels give proper consideration to environmental as well as social and economic impacts. The Rio+20 Summit outcome called for a 'land degradation neutral world'. The EU and Member States should reflect on how best to make such a commitment operationalSuch a commitment could best be met at national level. In keeping within their respective competencies as well as to address soil quality issues subsidiarity principle, soil quality issues can best be addressed within a binding legal framework42s at national level. Targets will also be set for sustainable land use and soil.
Amendment 195 #
Proposal for a decision
Annex 1 – point 26 – subparagraph 1 – point e
Annex 1 – point 26 – subparagraph 1 – point e
(e) Land is managed sustainably in the EU, soil in the Member States is adequately protected and the remediation of contaminated sites by the Member States is well underway.
Amendment 209 #
Proposal for a decision
Annex 1 – point 26 – subparagraph 2 – point e
Annex 1 – point 26 – subparagraph 2 – point e
(e) Increasing efforts at national level to reduce soil erosion and increase soil organic matter, to remediate contaminated sites and to enhance the integration of land use aspects into coordinated decision- making involving all relevant levels of government, supported by the adoption of targets on soil and on land as a resource, and land planning objectives. Increasing efforts at national level to reduce land use and maintain agricultural land for the production of feed and food and renewable raw materials.
Amendment 234 #
Proposal for a decision
Annex 1 – point 30
Annex 1 – point 30
30. Fully implementing the EU Climate and Energy Package is essential to reach the milestones identified for 2020 and for building a competitive, low-carbon economy by 2050. Whereas the EU is currently on track to reduce domestic GHG emissions 20 % below 1990 levels by 2020, meeting the 20 % energy efficiency target will require far more rapid efficiency improvements. This is also important in the light of still-growing demand for energy and the on-going debate on conflicts between land use for food and for bio- energy. The new Energy Efficiency Directive is expected to make a significant contribution in this regard.
Amendment 301 #
Proposal for a decision
Annex 1 – point 41 – subparagraph 2 - point c
Annex 1 – point 41 – subparagraph 2 - point c
(c) Giving impetus to the public and private research and innovation efforts required for rolling out innovative technologies, systems and business models which will speed up and lower the cost of transition to a low-carbon, resource- efficient economy and contribute to a substantial reduction in food waste throughout the food chain.
Amendment 451 #
Proposal for a decision
Annex 1 – point 89 a (new)
Annex 1 – point 89 a (new)
89a. The Union's food security policy should be based on sustainable agriculture and fair trade. Supplying an adequate amount of food to a growing world population with changing consumption patterns puts pressure on natural resources as a result of climate change. Protein imports from third countries with an inadequate level of environmental protection could be reduced by encouraging the planting of protein crops in the EU. In addition, the EU is committed to requiring that there be appropriate, regulatory bilateral and multilateral environmental protection measures.