8 Amendments of Cristina MAESTRE related to 2020/2117(INI)
Amendment 4 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Stresses that, against the background of a sharp economic downturn, EU agri-food tradecombined with the uncertainty created after Brexit and the unfair tariffs imposed by the US on certain European food products, agri-food trade, except through the HORECA sector, has remarkably remained broadly stable over the course of 2020, for both exports and imports, despite these difficulties, thanks in large part to the best efforts of farmers and the entire food supply chain; highlights that the Union’s yearly agri-food trade surplus exceeded EUR 60 billion; recalls in this context that agriculture and agri-food are key drivers for EU exports and economic recovery;
Amendment 19 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. EUnderlines the role of the agricultural and livestock sector during the pandemic by safeguarding the production and distribution of the most essential goods and thus preventing a crisis in the access to basic supplies; emphasises the remarkable resilience of European agriculture; underlines its socio- economic importance as well as the high number of companies and jobs involved; stresses the importance of Europe’s agri- food production for the vitality of its rural areas;
Amendment 46 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3 a. Calls on the European Commission to pay particular attention, and provide the necessary support, to those agri-food markets most severely affected by the COVID-19 crisis, such as the wine sector, whose sales have been severely hampered by the closure of the HORECA sector, and for which it is necessary to seek funding lines for additional Covid-19 measures that do not depend on the funds allocated to the National Wine Programmes;
Amendment 52 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3 b. Calls on the European Commission to take account, in particular, of the delicate situation in which the agri-food sector found itself in the months prior to the pandemic due to the tariff hikes imposed by the US administration, as well as the consequences of Brexit, a situation that has been aggravated by the onset of the pandemic;
Amendment 63 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Stresses that any EU economic stimulus plans and export support measures need to consider agriculture in view of the importance and diversity of the sector; also stresses that the review and overhaul of EU trade policy, as well as the announced reform of the World Trade Organization, must be an opportunity to better defend the European agricultural model and farmers’' interests; reiterates firmly that agriculture and agri-food products entering the European market must fully comply with EU rules and standards, compliance with which is questionable at present as a result of the lack of directly applicable clauses in the EU's trade agreements with third countries, which require social and environmental standards similar to European standards;
Amendment 75 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a. Stresses that the new requirements of the Farm to Fork and Biodiversity Strategies and our commitments in the fight against climate change will give rise to even more demanding rules and regulations for agriculture, which will require us to bring about important changes in our agricultural model; considers it crucial to make the necessary changes to EU trade policy in order to ensure adequate competitiveness and a good future for European agriculture by making products from third countries subject to the same level of requirements;
Amendment 82 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4 b. Calls for a review of the trade preferences scheme and its current method of application as it is causing serious harm to a number of European sectors, such as the rice sector, and of the preferential concessions to Myanmar, a country that benefits from the GSP despite the serious violations of basic freedoms and human rights that are taking place there, following the coup d'état;
Amendment 93 #
5. Highlights the overall importance of a well-functioning internal market in order to enhance Europe’'s export capacity and secure our producer network., which requires progress in terms of legislation at the European level, harmonisation and rapid implementation, as is being achieved with the directive on unfair trading practices in the food chain;