92 Amendments of Ville NIINISTÖ related to 2020/2273(INI)
Amendment 23 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 a (new)
Citation 8 a (new)
- having regard to the European Court of Auditors (ECA) special report of 26 November 2020 entitled “Marine environment: EU protection is wide but not deep”,
Amendment 32 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 b (new)
Citation 8 b (new)
- having regard to the European Environment Agency (EEA ) report of 19 October 2020 entitled “The State of Nature in the EU”,
Amendment 34 #
- having regard to the Commission Communication of 26 February 2016 on an EU Action Plan against Wildlife Trafficking (COM/2016/087),
Amendment 39 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 10 a (new)
Citation 10 a (new)
Amendment 63 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas Parliament has declared a climate and environmental emergency and approved an ambitious Climate Law report; whereas biodiversity loss and climate change represent equal and strongly interwoven threats to life on our planet;
Amendment 88 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. Whereas the recent SARS-CoV-2 outbreak has dramatically demonstrated that the growing exploitation of animals for intensive agriculture and also domestic and international trade not only places biodiversity under unsustainable pressure, but also results in increased risks to human and animal health and welfare;
Amendment 90 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas the current network of legally protected areas, including those under strict protection, is not sufficiently large to safeguard biodiversity, whereas 30% of area protected, both at land and at sea, is an absolute minimum needed according to experts;
Amendment 109 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C b (new)
Recital C b (new)
Cb. whereas new challenges for the protection of biodiversity might arise from the release of genetically engineered organisms which can persist and propagate within populations of wildlife species;
Amendment 116 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C c (new)
Recital C c (new)
Cc. Whereas light pollution alters the natural night light levels for humans, animals and plants, thus negatively affecting biodiversity by, for example, unbalancing the migratory, nocturnal and reproductive activity of animals, leading also to the loss of insects and pollinators, who are fatally drawn to artificial light;
Amendment 173 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Highlights the poor status of European Forests; stresses that in some biogeographical regions as little as 5% of Annex I forest habitats are in favourable conservation status1a;underlines that the Biodiversity Strategy requires Member States to ensure no deterioration in conservation trends and status of all protected habitats and species; notes significant levels of further deterioration of forest ecosystems in unfavourable conservation status across the most of biogeographical regions2a; _________________ 1aBoreal biogeographical region with 4,84% and Atlantic with 4,94% in favourable status, in accordance with data (2019) reported pursuant to the Art. 17 of Habitats Directive for the period 2013- 2018 2a data(2019) reported pursuant to the Art. 17 of Habitats Directive for the period2013-2018
Amendment 174 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. whereas the 2020 report of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) states that human activities causing climate change and biodiversity loss also fuel the risk of pandemic through their impacts on our environment, that the risk of pandemic can be significantly reduced by reducing the human activities that fuel biodiversity loss, and that the estimated cost of reducing the risk of pandemics is 100 times less than the cost of responding to them1a; _________________ 1ahttps://ipbes.net/sites/default/files/2020- 12/IPBES%20Pandemics%20Report%20 Media%20Release.pdf
Amendment 185 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 b (new)
Paragraph 2 b (new)
2b. Notes with concern the substantial losses of forests species and habitats reported, recalls that five forest tree species are extinct in the wild, 42 forest tree species are critically endangered and 107 forest tree species are endangered in Europe;
Amendment 191 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 e (new)
Paragraph 2 e (new)
2e. Notes that logging is a factor posing a threat to the greatest number of species in some of the EU Member States1a as it causes loss of habitat, structures and substrates that species require, through the conversion of ancient woodlands to industrial stands; _________________ 1ain Sweden, data from the Swedish Species Information Centre
Amendment 193 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Stresses that the pandemic has demonstrated the importance of the ‘One Health’ principle in policy-making and that transformative changes are needed; calls for an urgent rethinking of how to align the Union’s current policies with the changes needed; stresses that bold political action is required if we are to transform humanity's relationship with nature, which is what is required in order to escape from the very real prospect of an ever increasing number of pandemics; urges Member States and the Commission to urgently adopt and implement the policy options and recommendations in the IPBES' 2020 report on biodiversity loss and pandemics; notes that one of the recommendations is the formation of a high-level intergovernmental council on pandemic prevention that would facilitate cooperation among governments and work at the crossroads of the three Rio conventions;
Amendment 208 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Notes the sudden increase in the mean value of intensity of harvest for the years 2016–2018 with respect to the mean of the years 2004–2015 (by 43%) and 2011–2015 (49%); stresses that increased rates of natural disturbances from windstorms or fires have been factored out from the analysis and that the observed abrupt increase has been due to change in management1a; notes that this increase in harvested area is threatening ecosystems which primarily have had other functions other than wood production, including those not harvested for centuries; expresses serious concern over this continuous loss of irreplaceable natural values and bio-cultural legacy; _________________ 1a Ceccherini, G., Duveiller, G., Grassi,G. et al. Abrupt increase in harvested forest area over Europe after 2015. Nature 583, 72–77 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-020-2438-y
Amendment 235 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Expresses strong support for the targets of effectively protecting at least 30 % of the Union’s marine and terrestrial areas, including through fish recovery areas, as provided for under the Common Fisheries Policy, covering a sufficiently diverse range of habitats and ecosystems such as forests, wetlands, peatlands, grasslands and coastal ecosystems, and of strictly protecting at least 10 % of these Union's marine and terrestrial areas, including all remaining primary and old- growth forests, and other carbon rich ecosystems such as sea grass meadows; stresses that these targets should be binding and implemented by Member States at national level in accordance with science-based criteria and biodiversity needs and should create an ecologically coherent and representative network of protected areas; stresses that in line with international standards set out by the IUCN, all industrial and extractive activities (including inter-alia mining, industrial fishing and destructive fishing techniques, oil and gas extraction) and infrastructure development should be prohibited in protected areas; underlines that in addition to increasing protected areas, the quality of protected areas should be ensured and clearthrough the implementation of clear and effective conservation plans implemented;
Amendment 268 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Underlines that a majority of terrestrial biodiversity is in forested areas and that the conservation status of forest habitats and species covered by EU nature legislation shows no significant signs of improvement; stresses that 80 % of the forests in the EU with protected status are in an unfavourable or bad conservation state; recognises that protection of part of the forests will not alone halt the decline of forest biodiversity and that therefore it is necessary to also move towards more biodiversity inclusive management practises in managed forests such as proforestation and increasing the diversity of tree species and that practises such as clearcutting, must be phased out; calls for regular monitoring of the real impact of forestry on forest habitats and species across Europe; calls on a European Commission definition of sustainable and biodiversity inclusive forest management to protect and restore biodiversity in managed forests;
Amendment 269 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Underlines that a high fraction (54%) of mapped primary forests is not under strict protection currently and that timber harvesting or salvage logging may jeopardise the untouched nature of these forests; recalls that wide patches of primary forest are being currently logged in many mountain areas, for instance in Romania and Slovakia or in several Balkan countries1a; considers ensuring strict protection of the remaining primary and old-growth forests most urgent and calls on the Commission and Member States to harmonise existing data and fill in the gaps regarding the location of these forests, and to create a database of all potential sites fulfilling the quality of old- growth and primary forests retroactively in the year 2020 with a temporary moratorium on logging of all the respective sites to prevent their purposeful destruction and to legally ensure the non- intervention status of the confirmed ones without delay; _________________ 1aSabatini FM, Burrascano S, Keeton WS, et al. Where are Europe’s last primary forests? Divers Distrib. 2018;24:1426–1439. https://doi.org/10.1111/ddi.12778
Amendment 293 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4b. Stresses that for forest restoration, pro-forestation (allowing natural forests to grow older and larger, and re- naturalising plantation forests), as recognised by the European Parliament report on the EU’s role to protect and restore the world’s forests, is the quickest way to recover biodiversity, resilience, ecosystem integrity and stability, long- lived carbon stocks in forests; underlines that reforestation can play a role, but must focus on re-establishing natural forests; highlights that afforestation (planting forests in non-forest biomes), should only be contemplated if needed to improve ecological connectivity between protected areas and to improve landscape scale resilience, whilst promoting planting of mixed native species as opposed to monoculture plantations; underlines that to incentivise forest restoration, new mechanisms for payment for ecosystem services must be developed, which can help add value to nature conservation protection;
Amendment 296 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4b. Stresses that restoration efforts should to a maximum possible extent support natural regeneration; emphasises that for forest ecosystems this means respecting early seral stages, including those produced by natural disasters, as these, together with late seral stages are characterised by the highest levels of biodiversity, which correlates with a high amount of dead wood as crucial habitat and substrate for number of specialised species;
Amendment 308 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 c (new)
Paragraph 4 c (new)
Amendment 328 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
Amendment 367 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Expresses concerns that genetically engineered organisms might, for different reasons, be released into the environment, and continue to persist and propagate within wild species without sufficient spatio-temporal control;
Amendment 373 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Paragraph 5 b (new)
5b. Considers that while peatlands can store twice as much carbon as all the world's forests, covering only 3% of the world’s land area yet holding nearly 30% of the soil carbon and are a home to fragile biodiversity that cannot exist elsewhere, damaged peatlands are a major source of greenhouse gas emissions; calls therefore for an urgent introduction of legally binding targets for restoration of bogs, mires and wetlands in the EU as foreseen in the EU Biodiversity Strategy, implemented at Member State level; highlights that wetlands are essential ecosystems that provide many services, for people, the planet and the climate—including their vital role as a natural carbon sink;
Amendment 398 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Underlines that the Biodiversity Strategy’s actions must adequately tackle all five main direct drivers of change in our relationship with nature: changes in land and sea use; direct exploitation of organisms; climate change; pollution; and invasive alien species;
Amendment 401 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Stresses that economic activities directly affecting and exploiting ecosystems and their biodiversity shall incorporate all the possible safeguards to mitigate the negative impact on these ecosystems; notes that the fact that both the value of biodiversity lost and value of carbon released from the ecosystems leads to choices and positive accounts even in cases where significant natural values are being lost; underlines that in particular exploitation of forest ecosystems whether for products or bioenergy use should be based on measurable indicators and robust sustainability criteria; highlights that currently that is not the case and practically any management and use is simply declared and treated as sustainable without this claim having been credibly earned;
Amendment 442 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Stresses that soil biodiversity plays an important role in providing vital ecosystem services and mitigating climate change as it is also an important element of terrestrial carbon sinks, whereas for example in boreal forests 50-70% of the carbon is stored in the soils1a; stresses therefore that forest harvesting and agriculture methods that are less invasive on soils should be implemented; _________________ 1a 2019 IPBES report
Amendment 444 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Recalls that continuing decline in biodiversity has had negative consequences for the delivery of many ecosystem services over the last decades and continuing decline in regulating services can have detrimental consequences for quality of life; stresses that these declines have occurred in part because of the intensive agriculture and forestry practices1a; _________________ 1aIPBES(2018):Summary for policymakers of the regional assessment report on biodiversity and ecosystem services for Europe and Central Asia of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services
Amendment 456 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 b (new)
Paragraph 7 b (new)
7b. Underlines that changes in land use, the expansion and intensification of agriculture, and the unsustainable trade and consumption of wildlife are key drivers of biodiversity loss and increase contacts between wildlife, farm animals, pathogens and people, which create the conditions for emerging infectious diseases;
Amendment 459 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 c (new)
Paragraph 7 c (new)
7c. Notes that the EU's food and agricultural system drives biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse globally through direct and indirect land use change, especially through imported soya used for animal feed and palm oil used for biofuels and food, which both cause massive tropical and subtropical deforestation and habitat conversion;
Amendment 469 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Recalls that the EU has committed to achieving land degradation neutrality by 2030, but that this target is unlikely to be achieved; calls on the Commission, therefore, to step up its ambition and present an EU-level strategy on desertification and land degradation;
Amendment 492 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Embraces the ambitions set out in the Water Framework Directive and the Marine Strategy Framework Directive and calls for their full and swift implementation ; recalls in this respect that the2020 objective to achieve Good Environmental Status (GES) for European Seas has not been achieved; highlights that the river and basin management plans are supposed to achieve the objectives of the Water Framework Directive by 2027;
Amendment 500 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 b (new)
Paragraph 9 b (new)
9b. Welcomes the Commission’s commitment to restore 25,000 km of free- flowing rivers in the EU through the removal of primarily obsolete barriers and the restoration of floodplains and wetlands; considers that obsolete dams should be removed to increase the natural flow of rivers whilst new hydropower plants should not be allowed in protected areas; stresses that where barriers are already built, the obligations for owners of such facilities must be strengthened in order to help migratory fish pass such barriers;
Amendment 529 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Expresses its support for the 2030 targets of bringing at least 2530 % of agricultural land under organic farm management, which should increase and become the norm in the long term, and ensuring that at least 10 % of agricultural land consists of high-diversity landscape features, which should be implemented at farm level, targets which should both be incorporated into EU legislation; considers it imperative that farmers receive support and training in the transition towards agroecological practices;
Amendment 532 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10a. Recalls that livestock production is one of the main direct drivers of biodiversity loss; stresses that the current levels of meat and dairy consumption need to be significantly reduced by 2030 in order to reverse the current trend in biodiversity decline as well as reducing greenhouse gas emissions; calls on the European Commission to introduce EU targets on meat and dairy consumption reduction, which should reflect the urgent need to limit livestock production to within EU carrying capacity, whilst respecting high animal welfare standards, based on grazing and home grown fodder whilst eliminating deforestation-driving imports of feed; calls, in parallel, on the Commission and Member States to step up efforts to promote healthy, sustainable plant based diets among EU citizens;
Amendment 535 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10a. Notes that Member States will contribute differently to the organic Union-wide targets depending on the level of development of their organic sector and therefore calls for the setting of national targets; highlights that these targets will not be met without a strong financial support, solid training programmes and advisory services; calls on Member States to shape their CAP strategic plans in consequence and on the Commission to make sure these strategic plans are up to the task;
Amendment 548 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 b (new)
Paragraph 10 b (new)
10b. Highlights the role that public procurement can play in contributing to transition to more ecological farming practices in Europe and calls for the introduction of a minimum mandatory sustainability target under the EU public procurement legislative framework so as to ensure that at least 30 % of contracts for food and catering services are awarded based on compliance with Regulation (EU) 2018/8481a. _________________ 1aRegulation (EU) 2018/848 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2018 on organic production and labelling of organic products and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 834/2007 (OJ L 150, 14.6.2018, p. 1).
Amendment 552 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 d (new)
Paragraph 10 d (new)
10d. Notes that the cultivation of genetically modified (GM) crops is incompatible with organic farming, and thus undermines the aim to increase the amount of land under organic production in the EU, especially in light of the problem of cross-pollination with non- GM crops;
Amendment 553 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 c (new)
Paragraph 10 c (new)
Amendment 559 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Stresses that all fishing activities must be subject to maximum sustainable yield levels populations should be restored to levels that can produce maximum sustainable yield, exhibit a population age and size distribution indicative of a healthy stock and are managed in line with an ecosystem based approach, with zero tolerance of illegal fishing practices and, the elimination of by- catches of sensitive species and minimisation of damages to seabed habitats;
Amendment 567 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11a. Recalls that the EU is committed to full recovery of marine life; calls on the Commission to halt ocean degradation and enhance ocean resilience and biodiversity by presenting an ambitious Action Plan to conserve fisheries resources and protect marine ecosystems by 2021; expresses particular concern about the conservation status of migratory fish, many species of which are threatened with extinction; stresses therefore that increased efforts must be put into their protection and restoring their numbers to healthy and sustainable levels;
Amendment 570 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 b (new)
Paragraph 11 b (new)
11b. Further calls on the Commission and Member States to ensure full and effective implementation of Regulation (EU) 2016/23361a to close areas to protect Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems, including seamounts, where they are known or likely to occur in the deep sea; _________________ 1a OJ L 354, 23.12.2016, p. 1)
Amendment 584 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 c (new)
Paragraph 11 c (new)
11c. Stresses that, as identified by the 2019 IPBES Global Assessment Report1a and the IPBES 2020 workshop report on biodiversity and pandemics2a both the legal and illegal trade in and use of wildlife significantly contributes to biodiversity decline, and that the destruction of natural habitats and the exploitation of wildlife are linked to the emergence and spread of infectious diseases; Calls on the Commission, in order to help reduce the risk of future emergence of disease and zoonoses, to adopt preventive legislation to strictly regulate the legal wildlife trade; _________________ 1aIPBES (2019): Global assessment report on biodiversity and ecosystem services of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. 2aIPBES (2020) Workshop Report on Biodiversity and Pandemics of the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services.
Amendment 589 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 d (new)
Paragraph 11 d (new)
11d. Calls on the Commission to adopt supplementary legislation that prohibits the importation, transhipment, purchase and sale of wildlife taken, processed, transported or sold in violation of laws in the country of harvest/origin;
Amendment 590 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 e (new)
Paragraph 11 e (new)
11e. Highlights that wildlife cybercrime represents a huge threat to biodiversity, as no proper legislation exists to address it; that the growth of the online trade and its accessibility has allowed cybercriminals to gain access to a vast international marketplace; calls on the Commission to use the upcoming review of the E- Commerce Directive as a way to include this issue in its provisions and to prioritise tackling online wildlife crime as a key part of the Biodiversity Strategy and of the drafting of the post-2020 Action Plan Against Wildlife Trafficking;
Amendment 593 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 f (new)
Paragraph 11 f (new)
11f. Stresses that trophy hunting contributes to the exploitation of natural resources placing unsustainable pressure on endangered species, while failing to provide a significant source of income to rural people or contribute significantly to wildlife conservation; calls on the Commission to eliminate this unnecessary threat to biodiversity by banning the import of hunting trophies and supporting the provision of alternative sources of conservation funding to replace existing income streams that rely on trophy hunting, to emphasise the value of biodiversity and the ecosystem services it provides, and to encourage and reward investment in nature and the benefits that can be achieved by local communities through its non-consumptive and ecologically sustainable use;
Amendment 594 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 g (new)
Paragraph 11 g (new)
11g. Underlines that the capture of fish to feed carnivorous farmed fish is a driver of marine biodiversity loss as well as a major animal welfare issue, and is therefore a practice that should be ended; emphasises that the suffering of wild fish at capture and slaughter needs urgent attention;
Amendment 595 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 h (new)
Paragraph 11 h (new)
11 h. Notes that fur production, which involves the confinement of thousands of undomesticated animals of a similar genotype in close proximity to one another under chronically stressful conditions can significantly compromise animal welfare and increases their susceptibility to infectious disease, as has occurred with COVID-19 in mink; urges the Commission and Member States to acknowledge the risks posed to public health and biodiversity by the continued existence of fur farming, which is a non- essential industry; calls for Member States, where the practice is still legal, to take legislative action to ban fur production and for the Commission to ban the transport, import and export of live mink in the EU;
Amendment 596 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 i (new)
Paragraph 11 i (new)
11 i. Calls on the Commission, in order to help reduce the risk of future emergence of disease and zoonoses, to adopt preventive legislation to strictly regulate the legal wildlife trade;
Amendment 597 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 j (new)
Paragraph 11 j (new)
11 j. Urges the Commission to revise the Environmental Crime Directive and address the disparities in its application by Member States; calls for the inclusion of environmental offences, such as IUU fishing and illegal hunting, in this legislation; underlines the need for wildlife crime to be recognised as a serious criminal activity that should be heavily penalised, especially in the context of (transnational) organised crime;
Amendment 598 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 k (new)
Paragraph 11 k (new)
11 k. Highlights that, when successful, marine protected areas (MPAs) offer large socio-economic benefits, especially for coastal communities and the fisheries and tourism sector, and that MPAs can perform key ecological functions for the reproduction of fishstocks (providing spawning grounds and nurseries) and improve their resilience;
Amendment 599 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 l (new)
Paragraph 11 l (new)
11 l. Calls on the Commission, in its implementation of an ecosystem approach to fisheries management, to continue to support plans to improve selectivity and the survival of non-target species, to reduce the impact of fisheries on marine ecosystems, and to take into account the results of studies showing the detrimental impact that certain practices have on stocks, ocean biodiversity and marine environments by strongly limiting or prohibiting their use;
Amendment 600 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 m (new)
Paragraph 11 m (new)
11 m. Notes with concern the European Environment Agency conclusions that widespread physical disturbance of the seafloor continues in coastal European waters, in particular, as a result of bottom trawling;
Amendment 611 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Insists further that priority for protected areas must be environmental conservation and restoration and that no activity in these areas should undermine this goal; calls on the Commission to avoid future marine renewable energy developments and bottom-trawling fishing within Marine Protected Areasprohibit all destructive human activities within Marine Protected Areas, including certain uses of fishing techniques, such as bottom-contacting gear and fish aggregating devices (FADs), and oil and gas exploitation;
Amendment 622 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12a. Welcomes the EU Offshore renewable energy strategy and urges the Commission to ensure adherence to the precautionary principle; stresses that future offshore renewable energy will need to fully respect biodiversity, in particular the objectives set out in the Marine Strategy Framework Directive, the Habitats Directive, and the Birds Directive, and take into account cumulative effects; furthermore, calls on the Commission to adopt a coherent common strategy for the phasing-out of current offshore oil and gas drilling activities by 2035;
Amendment 640 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Underlines that the new EU Forest Strategy must be fully aligned with the Climate Law and the Biodiversity Strategy; calls for the inclusion in the Nature Restoration Pla with the protection and restoration of forest ecosystems as its core objective and should increase the EU’s natural sinks while protecting, conserving and enhancing biodiversity; calls for the inclusion of specific binding targets for the protecrestoration and restorasubsequent protection of forest ecosystems in the legislative instrument for the new legally binding restoration targets, which should also be incorporated into the Forest Strategy;
Amendment 643 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Recognises that as per the European Court of Justice’s ruling of 19991a, EU measures on the protection of forests is founded on the environmental legal basis (now Art. 192 TFEU); Underlines that the new EU Forest Strategy must be fully aligned with the Climate Law and the Biodiversity Strategy; calls for the inclusion in the Nature Restoration Plan of specific binding targets for the protection and restoration of forest ecosystems, which should also be incorporated into the Forest Strategy; _________________ 1ahttps://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal- content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:6199 7CJ0164&from=HR
Amendment 659 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13a. Stresses that the indicator of the share of sustainable forest management in the EU countries should be based on robust data and cannot be based on industry self-certifying its practices; calls for new and adapted indicators to be developed by an expert committee established for this purpose which will provide the basis for a definition of sustainable forest management and close- to-nature forestry, and be used for the purposes of policy and MFF programmes implementation and Recovery funding;
Amendment 664 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 c (new)
Paragraph 13 c (new)
13c. Highlights that an increase in harvest and consequently an increase in harvested area hampers both climate and biodiversity goals as well as the European indigenous peoples1a; considers that only circular and cascading use of forest and other biomass resources that does not compromise on scientifically underpinned protection and restoration action and climate action should take place in the EU; _________________ 1a https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better- regulation/have-your- say/initiatives/12674-Forests-new-EU- strategy/F1300504
Amendment 665 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 d (new)
Paragraph 13 d (new)
13d. Reiterates its call1a to recognise the EU’s competences, responsibility and funds available in the area of forest protection and that the success of our external action and of our partners’ response to protect their forests depends on how effective and ambitious we are in relation to our natural heritage; Calls, therefore on the European Commission to assume and fully exercise its competence in the areas of forest protection and prudent and rational utilisation of forest resources and jointly on the Commission and Member States to ensure the highest standards of environmental protection and consistency between the task of protecting and restoring forests both within the EU and in its external action; _________________ 1aEuropean Parliament's resolution of 16 September 2020 on the EU’s role in protecting and restoring the world’s forests (2019/2156(INI
Amendment 666 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Stresses that the Union’s tree planting initiatives should be based on proforestation, sustainable reforestation and the greening of urban areas; calls on the Commission to ensure that these initiatives are carried out only in a manner compatible with and conducive to the biodiversity objectives; points out that the 3 billion trees target must not become a driver for replacing existing old-growth and biodiverse forest with species- impoverished new forestry plantations, as this would be counter-productive to the overall objective; considers that urban and peri-urban areas, including former industrial and rehabilitated land would particularly be suited for this, as well as agricultural land, especially agro-forestry land, creating corridors and connecting nature rich areas;
Amendment 675 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Stresses that the Union’s tree planting initiatives should be based on clear ecological principles, proforestation, sustainable reforestation and the, greening of urban areas and agroforestry; calls on the Commission to ensure that these initiatives are carried out only in a manner compatible with and conducive to the biodiversity objectives;
Amendment 700 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Calls on the Commission to urgently present a proposal for an EU legal framework based on mandatory due diligence that ensures sustainable, free of ecosystem degradation and deforestation- free value chains;
Amendment 731 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Expresses its concern that the majority of the ranges of terrestrial species will decrease significantly in a 1.5 to 2°C scenario; highlights, therefore, the need to prioritise natureecosystem-based solutions in meeting climate mitigation goals and in adaptation strategies and to increase the protection of natural carbon sinks in the EU;
Amendment 736 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16a. Calls for the new EU Strategy on adaptation to climate change, which is interlinked with disaster risk reduction and management, to promote the essential role of ecosystem-based solutions which foster biodiversity as well as initiatives that reduce vulnerability and global threats to the human population, livelihoods and animal welfare, and the environment, notably in lower-income countries
Amendment 769 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. WelcomesCalls on the Commission’s targets of reducing the use of more hazardous and chemical pesticides by 50 %, the use of fertilisers by at least 20 % and nutrient losses by at least 50 % by 2030, which should be made binding; considers that the derogation envisaged in Article 53(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009 should be clarified and must only be applied for health and environmental reasons; to propose legislation with a binding commitment at EU level to drastically reduce the use of synthetic pesticides by 50 % by 2025 and by 80% by 2030 with binding national contributions, with a view to phasing them out by 2035; calls on the Commission to set ambitious baselines for these targets and to assign individual Member States their fair contributions to the Union-wide targets whereby each Member State’s 2030 target is the end point of a linear reduction trajectory defining annual reductions for the years 2021-2030; welcomes the Commission's targets of reducing the use of fertilisers by at least 20 % and nutrient losses by at least 50 % by 2030; insists that both of these targets should be made legally binding and increased in the long- term; deplores that the ban on all outdoor uses of three neonicotinoids (imidacloprid, clothianidin and thiamethoxam) is being systematically undermined by the derogation envisaged in Article 53(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009;
Amendment 801 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18a. Welcomes the fact that the Commission has committed itself to ensuring that, from the outset, the national strategic plans for agriculture reflect an increased level of ambition to reduce significantly the use and risk of chemical pesticides, as well as the use of fertilisers and antibiotics; recalls the need to shift to high biodiversity, agroecological systems, through ecosystem-based solutions like integrated pest management, crop rotation with legumes, and other organic farming practices;
Amendment 812 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 b (new)
Paragraph 18 b (new)
18b. Expresses concern that 80% of urban sewage discharged into sea basins such as the Mediterranean Sea is untreated leading to negative impacts on marine biodiversity and human health; calls on the Commission to ensure compliance with the Marine Strategy Framework Directive and Water Framework Directive;
Amendment 816 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 c (new)
Paragraph 18 c (new)
Amendment 820 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 d (new)
Paragraph 18 d (new)
18d. Notes that increased use of, and dependency on, pesticides comes at a high cost to farmers, both through the high input cost and also due to the loss in yields due to depleting soil and soil quality; notes that the traditional chemical pesticide approach is flawed because it is a biological inevitability that pest species quickly gain resistance to the active substance, leading to a chemical arms race in which the farmers and biodiversity are the biggest losers; notes that resistance has been rising, making pesticide use even less effective over the past decades due to systematic and repeated application of too much product, over too large areas; notes that to help avoid biodiversity crashes and pest resistance, a hierarchy of action should be followed, in line with the 8 principles of IPM found in annex III to Directive 2009/128/EC on the Sustainable use of pesticides, whereby chemical pesticides are only used as a last resort after an alternative series of practices have been implemented;
Amendment 822 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 e (new)
Paragraph 18 e (new)
18e. Notes that high-biodiversity & high genetic diversity farming approaches such as agroecology are an effective way of reducing the risk of crop failure or pest attack, since clones and similar phenotypes are equally susceptible to the same shocks and pressures, such as pests and diseases, particularly in uniform and monocultural landscapes; notes that the profitability of agroecological systems can be greater than conventional systems and that they can be equally, if not more, productive1a; stresses that long term food security cannot be ensured without the preservation and restoration of healthy, fertile and resilient soils and ecosystems; _________________ 1asee, for example, meta-study by J.D. van der Ploeg et al., 2019. " The economic potential of agroecology: Empirical evidence from Europe ", Journal of Rural Studies, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2019.09. 003
Amendment 838 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Paragraph 19 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Amendment 849 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Calls on the Commission and Member States to ensure that the objectives of the Biodiversity Strategy are fully reflected in the future Zero Pollution Action Plan, which should also address noise and light pollution and set an ambitious and binding 2030 reduction target on the use of outdoor artificial light at night given the adverse impact of light pollution on biodiversity; furthermore, calls on the Commission to propose guidelines on how artificial light at night can be reduced by Member States;
Amendment 865 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 8 a (new)
Subheading 8 a (new)
Deep seabed mining
Amendment 866 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Regrets that the list of Union concern represents less than 6 % of IAS present in Europe; calls on the Commission to ensure proper coverage ofhighlights that the exotic pet trade is one of the main pathways of introduction of IAS, in addition to posing serious risks to the conservation of species, to animal health and welfare, and to people's health through the potential introduction and spreading of zoonoses; calls on the Commission to ensure that IAS affecting threatened species oare included in the EU list of species of Union concern and to reinforce prevention by introducing mandatory risk assessments prior to the first import of non-native species and by adopting white lists by 2030 at the latesurgently adopting EU-wide white/positive lists of species permitted for import, keeping, breeding and trade as pets on the basis of a scientific risk assessment;
Amendment 878 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21a. Is concerned about the prospect of genetically engineering wild populations for nature conservation purposes; highlights the fundamental paradigm shift and legal challenges this would entail for nature conservation; warns of its irreversible effects and large potential to cause environmental harm; notes that gene drive organisms could become invasive species in themselves; stresses that gene drive technology is therefore not an appropriate tool to eliminate invasive fauna and flora;
Amendment 894 #
21b. Expresses concern that highly invasive species, such the American mink, which has inter alia displaced native mammals and affected the breeding success of native ground-nesting birds and domestic fowl, have not yet been listed as IAS of Union concern despite posing a serious threat to native biodiversity;
Amendment 899 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 d (new)
Paragraph 21 d (new)
21d. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to establish a ban in EU waters and to promote an international moratorium on deep seabed mining, including at the International Seabed Authority; further calls on them to cease subsidising licences for mineral prospecting and extraction in areas beyond national jurisdiction and to cease funding into the development of seabed mining technology and instead increase funding for research into deep sea ecosystems and biodiversity; furthermore calls on the Commission and Member States not to issue exploitation or new exploration contracts unless and until the environmental, social and economic risks are comprehensively understood and until deep seabed mining can be managed to prevent the loss of marine biodiversity and degradation of marine ecosystems; insists also that free, prior, informed consent from potentially affected communities is obtained; also considers that the reform of the structure and functioning of the International Seabed Authority should be undertaken in order to ensure transparent, and environmentally responsible decision-making is achieved; Reiterates the need to transition to a circular economy based on minimising, reusing and recycling minerals and metals;
Amendment 906 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Calls on the Commission to ensure effective biodiversity mainstreaming and proofing across EU spending and programmes on the basis of the EU Taxonomy and the ‘do no significant harm’ principle; calls on the Commission to provide a comprehensive assessment of how the EUR 20 billion per year needed for nature could be mobilised, to make corresponding proposals for the Union’s annual budget and to examine the need for a dedicated funding instrument for TEN-N; considers that efforts should be made to reach 10 % annual spending on biodiversity under the multiannual financial framework (MFF) as soon as possible from 2021 onwards; insists that progress towards this MFF target should be tracked in accordance with a methodology that is effective, transparent and comprehensive, and should be set out by the Commission, in cooperation with the European Parliament and the Council;
Amendment 922 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)
Paragraph 22 a (new)
22a. Calls on the Commission, for the purposes of carrying out impact assessments of new policies, initiatives and legislation, to complement the sole tool currently used to assess environmental aspects which focuses on climate change by tools examining impacts relating to biodiversity, resource use and pollution;
Amendment 927 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 b (new)
Paragraph 22 b (new)
22b. Calls on the Commission to strengthen enforcement actions by ensuring as soon as possible that additional financial and human resources are allocated to prioritise implementation and enforcement, by following up systematically on infringement proceedings and by establishing, by 2022, a public database keeping track of the steps taken in response to environmental infringement and preliminary reference judgements;
Amendment 930 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Calls on the Commission to provide an assessment of all subsidies harmful to the environment with a view to their phasing out by 203025 at the latest; reiterates its calls and the need to reorient any harmful fisheries subsidies leading to overcapacity and overfishing towards conservation instead; calls for phasing out of harmful agricultural subsidies as well as any funding or subsidies for unsustainable use of wetland and peatland (e.g. for agricultural, horticultural, forestry, or use for combustion); reiterates its calls for the reorientation of taxation systems towards an increased use of environmental taxation;
Amendment 979 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
24a. Calls for coherence across policy areas; notes that while the Biodiversity Strategy rightly recognises the need to minimise the use of whole trees and food and feed crops for energy production, the draft delegated act for the Taxonomy Regulation considers such use of primary material as an activity that has a substantial positive impact on the climate and the environment in line with the flawed sustainability criteria of the RED II; considers such incoherence with the biodiversity and climate goals worrisome and urgently calls for a revision of Renewable Energy Directive and Annexes and for changes in the draft delegated act to the Taxonomy Regulation and its Annexes;
Amendment 997 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 a (new)
Paragraph 25 a (new)
25a. Calls on the Commission to confirm that no releases of genetically engineered organisms which can persist and propagate within populations of wildlife species are permitted in the EU, in line with the precautionary principle and GMO legislation, since there are no sufficiently effective methods to control them in time or space or to retrieve them from the environment once released;
Amendment 1004 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 a (new)
Paragraph 25 a (new)
25a. Recognises that unprecedented changes in the Arctic region and its unique ecosystems caused by climate change require more research on Arctic biodiversity;
Amendment 1035 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 a (new)
Paragraph 26 a (new)
26a. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to make pesticide free agriculture and sustainable agroforestry a top priority in the Horizon Europe programme;
Amendment 1039 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 b (new)
Paragraph 26 b (new)
26b. Highlights the need for a deeper understanding of the composition of European biodiversity and its impacts on the functioning of ecosystems, in order to better project and predict the harmful impacts of biodiversity loss; stresses that even in the case of well-known taxa e.g. the proportion of threatened species is hard to estimate accurately; calls for increased capacity of biodiversity research for deepening the understanding of biodiversity, including research on biotic interactions, ecosystems resilience and recovery from disturbances; notes that biodiversity research should be included broadly in different EU and Member State funding programmes allowing both for basic and applied research and that long- term and comprehensive funding is essential in order to underpin and inform conservation and restoration actions;
Amendment 1055 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Recalls the position expressed in its resolution of 16 January 2020 on COP156 on biodiversity and the need for a post- 2020 binding agreement similar to the Paris Agreement to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030; reiterates its call for the EU to push for a high level of ambition during the negotiations, including legally binding global restoration and protection targets of at least 30% by 2030, to reflect the EU's level of ambition domestically; _________________ 6 Texts adopted, P9_TA(2020)0015.
Amendment 1131 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Notes that marine plastic pollution has increased tenfold since 1980, affecting at least 267 species and human health; calls on the Union to lead negotiations for an international agreement for plastic-free oceans by 2030;
Amendment 1167 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
Paragraph 30
30. Urges Member States to fully comply with the obligations set out in existing EU nature legislation and calls on the Commission to swiftly pursue infringement procedures to remedy all cases of non-compliance to promptly and efficiently prosecute the illegal killing, taking and trade of European protected wildlife, and to allocate sufficient resources in order to overcome the current delays;
Amendment 1173 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30 a (new)
Paragraph 30 a (new)
30a. Expresses its concern over the term ‘nature based' solutions due to its broadness and ambiguity; calls for a clear definition to be developed at EU level and/or at the level of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, supplemented with an exclusion list of techniques and 'solutions' which do not fall under this definition; considers that this exclusion list should include, inter alia, geoengineering, genetic engineering including gene drives as well as biodiversity offsetting; highlights that too- broad an interpretation of the term is harmful to the efforts of conservation, sustainable use and benefit sharing of biological biodiversity (the three pillars of the CBD); expresses furthermore the concern that the term ‘nature based’ is used to conflate natural ecosystems such as forests, soils, grasslands, estuaries and mangroves with, for example, monoculture tree plantations, which do not provide the benefits in terms of mitigation, adaptation or other ecosystem functions; endorses 'ecosystem based' approaches as defined under the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, which offer a more holistic strategy for the integrated management of land, water and living resources that promotes conservation and sustainable use in an equitable way;
Amendment 1214 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31 b (new)
Paragraph 31 b (new)
31b. Calls on and encourages the Commission, when revising the Renewable Energy Directive, to open articles and Annexes on the matters related to sustainability and greenhouse gas emissions saving criteria for biofuels, bioliquids and biomass fuels in line with the EU Biodiversity Strategy and the Green Deal; considers that there is a justified concern that subsidies emanating from roundwood used for energy purposes are part of business plans of some members of bioenergy industry and this needs to be revised and such energy completely excluded from the support schemes and renewable energy targets without delay; notes that energy use of residues with carbon payback time relevant for the EU climate targets will not be impacted by this change;