Activities of Dino GIARRUSSO related to 2020/2260(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
Farm to Fork Strategy (debate)
Amendments (53)
Amendment 4 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Stresses that EU trade policy has a major role to play in the transition towards more sustainable agri-food systems from an environmental, social and economic point of view, in line with the Paris Agreement and the European Green Deal; is of the view that trade policy is an integral part of the implementation of the Farm to Fork Strategy and that it is necessary in order to protect the quality of European products, enabling European producers to compete with the global supply of food products;
Amendment 27 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 5 a (new)
Citation 5 a (new)
- having regard to the European Pillar of Social Rights,
Amendment 29 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Notes that the EU internal market is the world’s biggest importer and exporter of agri-food products; is convinced that the EU should use this position to sdetermine the benchmark in terms of standards for sustainable food systems, based on the precautionary principle, environmental protection, respect for human rights, combating food waste, and animal welfare;
Amendment 31 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 5 b (new)
Citation 5 b (new)
- having regard to the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union,
Amendment 35 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 5 c (new)
Citation 5 c (new)
- having regard to its resolution of 19 June 2020 on European protection of cross-border and seasonal workers in the context of the COVID-19 crisis,
Amendment 38 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 5 d (new)
Citation 5 d (new)
- having regard to the Commission guidelines of 16 July 2020 on seasonal workers,
Amendment 40 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 5 e (new)
Citation 5 e (new)
- having regard to the Council conclusions of 12 October 2020 on seasonal and mobile workers,
Amendment 49 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Believes that sustainable production should become a key characteristic of EU agri-food products, expanding the concept of qualitypromoting to that end the role that the concept of quality of European production systems plays in relation to socialety and the environmental aspects, guaranteeing producers proper recognition of their work, including on overseas markets, by means of an active promotion policy on the part of the Union;
Amendment 76 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Calls on the Commission to pursue the objectives of the Farm to Fork Strategy through the development of Green Alliances in all relevant bilateral, regional and multilateral forums, including the UN Food Systems Summit 2021;
Amendment 92 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Emphasises the importance of ambitious and enforceable Trade and Sustainable Development chapters in trade agreements to promote biodiversity, foster more sustainable agri-food production and stop EU-driven global deforestation; urges support for developing countries to promote food security and alignment with European standards for sustainability and respect for human rights; stresses the importance of using an effective system of sanctions in the event of non-compliance with those standards;
Amendment 102 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Emphasises that European production standards must be complied with in trade and when importing agri- food products from third countries; stresses that agri-food products that do not comply with the main EU standards in terms of environmental and health protection and animal welfare should not be allowed onto the internal market; takes the view that the Commission should establish clear and common compliance rules for importers and, in the event of non-compliance, provide for import duties;
Amendment 106 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Paragraph 5 b (new)
5b. Emphasises the importance of the traceability of the entire production process in order to provide consumers with detailed information on the provenance of agricultural products through an effective sustainability labelling system and the use of new digitalisation systems, including the use of tools such as blockchain in order to certify traceability; considers it essential, to that end, that the Commission ensure uniform customs controls on food products at all points of entry into EU territory;
Amendment 110 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 c (new)
Paragraph 5 c (new)
5c. Stresses the importance of providing effective support to small farmers to enable full compliance with sustainability standards, taking into account the possible impact of those standards on food losses and waste, and to make it easier for them to gain access to overseas markets;
Amendment 112 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 d (new)
Paragraph 5 d (new)
5d. Stresses the importance, moreover, of the agri-food sector and geographical indications (GIs) in trade agreements, which require a necessary reform process in the light of the sustainability criteria set out in the Farm to Fork Strategy, but which must also be protected and supported on overseas markets;
Amendment 113 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 e (new)
Paragraph 5 e (new)
5e. Calls on the Commission to include, in existing trade agreements and in those under negotiation, the chapter on the sustainability of food systems so as to commit to and establish a resilient and sustainable food system with all its trading partners;
Amendment 126 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Stresses the risk of putting the EU agri-food sector at a competitive disadvantage in the absence of global convergence of standards, and of leading to increased costs for consumers; calls on the Commission to present a comprehensive impact assessment of the targets envisaged in the Strategy, as well as proportionate measures to maintain the competitiveness of the EU agri-food sector and ensure reciprocity of standards, a level playing field and effective monitoring;
Amendment 155 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 39 a (new)
Citation 39 a (new)
- having regard to Decision 5.COM 6.41 of 16 November 2010 inscribing the Mediterranean Diet on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity,
Amendment 162 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 40 a (new)
Citation 40 a (new)
- having regard to the water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC),
Amendment 164 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 40 b (new)
Citation 40 b (new)
- having regard to the ECI Right2water,
Amendment 201 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas Europe’s food system shouldagri-food and fishing system delivers food and nutrition security in a way that, contributesing to social well- being and maintainsing and restoresing ecosystem health; whereas cuirrently, the food system is responsible for a range of impacts on human andgular eating patterns and unhealthy lifestyles lead to a range of impacts on human health; whereas intensive and unsustainable production damages animal health and on, the environment, the climate and biodiversity; whereas the way in which we produce and consume food needs to transform in orderevolve to continue to ensure coherence with the SDGs, the Paris Agreement, the Convention on Biological Diversity and EU policies, particularly in the areas of sustainability, the environment, climate, public health, working conditions, animal welfare, food and economic sustainability for farmersof the entire food chain, particularly in relation to small farmers and fishermen;
Amendment 251 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas working conditions in the European agriculture sector can be extremely challenging and precarious, characterised by poor wages, long working hours, a significant proportion of undeclared work, an high rate of accident s and illness and sub-standard housing conditions with workers falling often prey to widespread exploitation, including gang master practices and other forms of modern slavery;
Amendment 305 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas the European model of a multifunctional agricultural-food sector, driven mainly by family farms, continues to ensure safe, quality food production, local supply chains, good agriculture practices, high environmental standards and vibrant rural areas throughout the EU;
Amendment 330 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas the multifunctional agricultural model also ensures that age- old traditions and culture with a high intangible value are passed on; whereas this has enormous economic and employment potential, for example in the field of rural tourism and social agriculture that generate opportunities for disadvantaged categories with low contractual power;
Amendment 366 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas it is important thessential to educate consumers are informed and enabled to take responsibility foritizens as early as primary school about proper nutrition and healthy lifestyles, making them aware of the consequences of their choice of food stuffs on the whole food system, from production to processing and distribution; whereas this requires a healthy and sound food environment which ensures that thransparency and correct display of information to facilitate healthy and, sustainable choice is also the easy and affordable choices, and fosters and encourages consumption patterns that support human health while ensuring the sustainable use of natural and human resourcesresources, respect for fundamental human and labour rights throughout the agri- food chain, and animal welfare;
Amendment 422 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas the European agri-food system has played a crucial role during the COVID-19 pandemic, demonstrating its resilience with farmers, fishers, workers, processors and retailers wormaking togethera crucial contribution under difficult conditions, including lockdowns, to ensure that European consumers continue to have access to safe, affordable, and high quality products without impediment;
Amendment 430 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
Ea. whereas in 2010 the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage approved the inscription of the Mediterranean Diet on the List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, thereby recognising the traditional practices, knowledge and skills that have been passed down from generation to generation in many Mediterranean countries, providing communities with a sense of belonging and continuity;
Amendment 511 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the farm to fork strategy as an important step in ensuring a sustainable, fair and resilient food system, which is central to achieving the goals set out in the European Green Deal, the European Pillar of Social Rights and in the SDGs; emphasises the inextricable links between healthy people, decent working conditions, healthy societies and a healthy planet, encourages the Commission to translate the strategy into concrete legislative and non-legislative action as soon as possible;
Amendment 587 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Welcomes the announcement of an impact-assessed proposal for a legislative framework for sustainable food systems; invites the Commission to use this proposal to set out a holistic common food policy aimed at reducing the environmental and climate footprint of the EU food system in order to make Europe the first climate- neutral continent by 2050, improving employment rates and working conditions throughout the production chain and strengthening its resilience to ensure food security, quality and quantity in the face of climate change and biodiversity loss, leading a global transition towards sustainability from farm to fork, based on the principle of an agri-food or multifunctional agricultural sector while ensuring consistency between policies by taking into account the existing legislation in order to enable all actors in the European food system to develop long-term plans based on realistic, achievable and transparent objectives that can be monitored; suggests that the respective base lines and progress achieved in each Member State be taken into account, while promoting the exchange of know-how and best practices between Member States; stresses the need to include the entire food and beverage chains including processing, marketing, distribution and retail;
Amendment 687 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 2
Subheading 2
Building the food chain that works for consumitizens, workers, producers, climate and the environment
Amendment 709 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. WHighlights the fact that the primary function of the agri-food sector is to provide high-quality, healthy and nutritious food to the greatest possible number of people in an economically, environmentally and socially sustainable way; welcomes the decision to revise the directive on the sustainable use of pesticides and the reduction targets for pesticides, fertilisers, and antibiotics; emphasises the importance of pursuing these targets through holistic and circular approaches, such as agroecological practices; insists that each Member State should establish robust quantitative reduction target or precision agriculture; insists that quantitative reduction targets must be based on suitable, thorough impact assessments, founded upon solid scientific data and that they must be sustainable in economic, social and environmental terms, accompanied by well- defined support measures ensuring accountability at all levels to help reach these targets, putting farmers in a position to use fewer products, or to optimise their use, through greater development both in terms of capacity for investment and knowledge in the areas of research, innovation and precision agriculture tools and techniques; reiterates its call for the translation into legislation of the above targets and objectives and calls on the Commission to clarify how it will deal with individual Member States’ contributions to Union-wide targets and to clarify the baselines for these targets;
Amendment 804 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Recalls that the social dimension must be fully integrated in all future initiatives of the farm to fork strategy along with the economic and environmental dimensions to achieve a much-needed policy coherence for sustainable development; insists that improvement of working conditions, collective bargaining, social protection is crucial to tackle social dumping;
Amendment 820 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3b. Emphasises the need to place greater attention to the protection of workers’ health and safety in future EU legislative initiatives linked to the use of pesticides, which can cause various and serious health problems; recalls the importance of ensuring all workers to receive adequate protective equipment as well as comprehensive information and training about the use and the associated hazards and risks related to the use of pesticides; underlines that in order to achieve these targets it is crucial to revise Directive 98/24/EC on the protection of the health and safety of workers from the risks related to chemical agents at work, as well as the Plant Protection Product Regulation 1107/2009 to adopt stricter hazard-based cut-off criteria and improve pesticide exposure assessment for workers;
Amendment 847 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 c (new)
Paragraph 3 c (new)
3c. Recalls that workers employed along the whole food chain are at risk of contracting Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) diseases; calls on the need to revise Directive 2000/54/EC on the protection of workers from risks related to exposure to biological agents at work in order to take appropriate measures to contain this serious occupational health hazard and minimise its potential impact on worker health; calls on regulatory agencies to recognise antimicrobial resistant pathogens as a work-related disease;
Amendment 909 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Emphasises the importance of recognising the significant impact of unsustainable production practices in agriculture, and especially animalimal farming and food production on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and land use; stresses the need to enhance natural carbon sinks and reduce agricultural emissions of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide, in particular in the feed and livestock sectors; acknowledges that healthy animals require less natural resource inputs like feed and water and that effective management practices of livestock can lead to a 30% decrease in GHG emissions; recognises anaerobic digestion and composting as an effective solution to recycle organic waste materials and prevent GHG emissions, while producing renewable energy, enabling reuse of nutrients and carbon, thus improving soil fertility; calls for regulatory measures and targets to ensure progressive reductions in all GHG emissions in these sectors;
Amendment 1083 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Welcomes the notion of rewardingefforts made by European farmers and producers, especially SMEs, to reduce their climate and environmental impact and stresses the importance of rewarding production models that improve carbon sequestration in soils; stresses, however, that intensive and industrial agriculture andshould be assisted in the transition to more sustainable farming models, with negative impacts on biodiversity should not receive climate funding or be incentivisedhilst avoiding the funding of farming models with negative impacts on biodiversity; calls for the proposals to be in line with the environmental objectives and the ‘do no harm’ principle of the Green Deal;
Amendment 1240 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Calls for CAP National Strategic Plans to ensure adequate financial support and incentives to promote new, innovative, digital and ecological ‘green’ business models for agriculture and artisanal food production, notably through fostering short supply chains and quality food production, as well as adopting innovative cultivation techniques with the aim of reducing inputs per unit of product and restoring soil fertility;
Amendment 1316 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Recalls that the European foodagri-food and fisheries system delivers a sufficient and varied supply of safe, nutritious, affordable and sustainable food to people at all times and underlines that increasing the economic, environmental and social sustainability of food producers will ultimately increase their resilience; encourages the Commission to consider the food supply chain and its workers as a strategic asset for the safety and well-being of all Europeans;
Amendment 1332 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Underlines that robust and reliable legal frameworks for the fisheries and aquaculture sector should provide the basis for better protection measures with subsequent increases in fish populations and more clarity regarding the use of space and licenses in aquaculture, allowing for greater predictability for investments; stresses that good traceability mechanisms and high sustainability standards for all products sold on EU markets are essential to ensure transparency for consumers, the sector and the different administrations, and to achieve the targets of the Green Deal and the SDGs; calls for strategic management that includes both a substantial awareness campaign for operators designed to create the basis for a new waste management culture at sea and in port, and the development of projects able to incentivise the collection of maritime waste by fishers, by recognising the strategic role they already play and could play further in terms of cleaning up the sea. Initiatives should be supported by strategies to improve the economic conditions for fishers through policies to support, protect and maximise the value of fishery products, so as to enable them to support environmental policies;
Amendment 1365 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Expresses its deep concern about the emergence of zoonotic diseases that are transferred from animals to humans (anthropozoonoses), such as Q fever, avian influenza and the new strain of influenza A (H1N1), wWhich is exacerbated by anthropogenic climate change, the destruction of biodiversity, environmental degradation and our current food production systems and by the importing of agri-food products from third countries that do not apply the same high standards in terms of quality, safety, environment, labour and human rights required for producers in the EU;
Amendment 1511 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13a. Supports the Commission in its efforts to combat food fraud, which misleads consumers and distorts competition in the internal market; regards it as essential to make the penalties imposed on fraudsters more dissuasive, to earmark adequate resources so that checks can be stepped up and to establish a legal definition at EU level of the concepts of ‘food fraud and crime’ and ‘counterfeiting’;
Amendment 1527 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Urges the review of the funding dedicated to the EU promotion programme for agricultural and food products, including the EU school scheme, with a view to enhancing its contribution to sustainable production and consumption, notably by focusing on educational messages and class hours about the importance of healthy nutrition and promoting greater consumption of fruit and vegetables with the aim of reducing obesity rates; in a balanced and varied dietary regime, with the aim of reducing obesity rates; stresses the need for legal action at retail level to show consumers food prices that include environmental external costs (true pricing), to make them aware and ultimately let them pay all costs, including fair living wages in the food chain and all external environmental costs;
Amendment 1558 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Urges the review of the EU promotion programme for agricultural and food products, including the EU school scheme, with a view to enhancing its contribution to sustainable production and consumption, notably by focusing on educational messages about the importance of healthy nutrition and promoting greater consumption of fruit and vegetables with the aim of reducing obesity rates from primary school onwards;
Amendment 1657 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Calls for measures to reduce the burden that highly processed foods with high salt, sugar and fat content place on public health; regrets that the introduction of nutrient profiles is greatly delayed and stresses that a robust set of nutrient profiles must be developed tostresses that a robust set of initiatives must be developed to promote healthier diets by enhanced consumer food and nutrition education, and restrict or prohibit the use of false nutritional claims on foods high in fats, sugars and/or salt; calls for a mandatoryharmonised EU-wide front- of- pack nutrition labelling system based on independent scienceable to provide exhaustive and nutrient-specific information, based on independent science and on the reference intakes of the average consumer, without misleading and influencing purchasing choices, as provided by Regulation (EU)1169/2011;
Amendment 1748 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Welcomes the fact that the strategy rightly recognises the role and influence of the food environmenteducation and correct food information in shaping consumption patterns and the need to make it easier for consumers to choose healthy and sustainable diets; reiterates the importance of promoting sustainable diets by raising consumer awareness of the impacts of consumption patterns and providing information on diets that are better for human health and have a lower environmental footprint; underlines that food prices must send the right signal to consumersstresses the need to use appropriate instruments (brands, promotions, communication, etc.) to promote the ethical consumption of products from social farming that, in accordance with European Directives and national rules, involves categories of disadvantaged workers ( unemployed, disabled, asylum seekers, victims of violence, prisoners and ex-prisoners, etc.);underlines that, too often, low food prices hide many factors including the deplorable employment and working conditions of those who produce it; considers that fair and equitable food prices, reflecting the true cost of production to the environment and society, are the only way to bring about sustainable and equitable food systems in the long term; emphasises the need to increase transparency and raise consumer awareness on the costs and profits involved in each stage of the production chain; welcomes, therefore, the strategy’s objective that the healthy and sustainable choice should become the most affordable one; affordable, taking into account, too, the economic sustainability of producers and production costs;
Amendment 1871 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Highlights the recognition in the strategy that Europeans’ dietsBelieves that all citizens should be educated from an early arge not in line with recommendations for healthy eating, and that a population-wide shift in consumption patterns is needed towards more healthy and plant-based foods and less red and processed meat, sugars, salt, and fats, which will also benefit the environmenton balanced diets and healthy lifestyles, promoting eating patterns that lead to the adoption of varied, balanced and sustainable diets that are adapted to the specific needs of each consumer, while recognising and protecting the heritage of the different eating habits, traditions, preferences and production methods of EU countries, informing consumers through a mandatory labelling system that highlights the country of origin of all foods; emphasises that EU-wide guidelines for sustainable and healthy diets would bring clarity to consumers on what constitutes a healthy and sustainable diet and inform Member States’ own efforts to integrate sustainability elements in national dietary advice; calls on the Commission to develop such guidelines and specific actions to effectively promote healthy plant-based dietsand varied diets that meet the needs of each consumer;
Amendment 1914 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20a. Urges the Commission to present legal or fiscal instruments by 2022 to translate this principle into practice, like a zero VAT tax for healthy and sustainable food products (e.g., organic vegetables and fruits), recalling the fact that already 10 European countries apply 0-5% VAT taxes on vegetables and fruits, including Italy, Spain and Ireland;
Amendment 1935 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Considers that the further development of plant protein production and alternative sources of protein in the EU is a way of effectively addressing many of the environmental and climate challenges that EU agriculture is facing, as well as preventing deforestation in countries outside the EU and reducing Europe’s current dependence regarding its supply of plant proteins;
Amendment 1976 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Calls for a revision of public procurement legislation, including minimum mandatory criteria in schools and other public institutions to encourage organic and local food production of traditional and typical foods with geographical indications, from short supply chains and via direct sales, and to promote more healthy diets by creating a food environment that enables consumers to make the healthy choice;
Amendment 2080 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
24a. Expresses its concern on the dynamics resulting from the process of concentration and the increasing dominant power of financial investors in the food supply chain, which lead to lower food quality and worsening of working conditions;
Amendment 2157 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 a (new)
Paragraph 25 a (new)
25a. Considers the allocated budget to achieve the ambitions of the EU Green Deal and the Just transition mechanism to be insufficient to deal in a socially sustainable manner with the consequences of the expected transformation; calls for the Just transition mechanism to cover as well agricultural regions that may be adversely affected;
Amendment 2230 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Recalls the global responsibility of European food systems and their key role in setting global standards for food safety, environmental protection and animal welfare; calls on the Commission and the Member States to ensure that all farm, food and feed products imported to the EU fully meet relevant EU regulations and the Union’s high social, environmental and safety standards and to provide development assistance to support primary producers from developing countries in meeting those standards; welcomes the Commission’s intention to take the environmental impacts of requested import tolerances into account;
Amendment 2245 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 a (new)
Paragraph 26 a (new)
26a. Underlines that Free Trade Agreements should never expose the EU agriculture, and food sectors to unfair competition with negative consequences on working conditions and employment and feeding social dumping; stresses the need to ensure coherence between the ambitious environmental goals of the EU Green Deal and the farm to fork strategy and the potential consequences of Free Trade Agreements; recalls that the respect of labour rights should constitute an essential element of all trade and investment agreements, including possible suspension of the agreement in case of sustained breaches; recalls that any bilateral agreement should foresee the ratification and implementation of the eight ILO Core Labour Standards;
Amendment 2265 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 a (new)
Paragraph 26 a (new)
26a. Believes that environmental, social and economic sustainability must be at the heart of the future EU trade policy and every bilateral trade agreement in order to give substance to the farm to fork strategy;