17 Amendments of Richard SEEBER related to 2011/0282(COD)
Amendment 91 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 21
Recital 21
(21) The creation and development of new economic activity in the form of new farms, new areas of activity, new agriculture- or forestry-related businesses or new investments in non-agricultural activities, new investments in social agriculture and new investments in tourist activity is essential for the development and competitiveness of rural areas. A farm and business development measure should facilitate the initial establishment of young farmers and the structural adjustment of their holdings after initial setting up, diversification of farmers into non- agricultural activities and the setting up and development of non- agricultural SMEs in rural areas. The development of small farmagriculture- and forestry-related businesses which are potentially economically viable should also be encouraged. In order to ensure the viability of new economic activities supported under this measure, support should be made conditional on the submission of a business plan. Support for business start up should cover only the initial period of the life of a business and not become operating aid. Therefore, where Member States opt to grant aid in instalments these should be for a period of no more than five years. In addition in order to encourage the restructuring of the agricultural sector, support in the form of annual payments should be provided for farmers participating in the small farmers scheme established by Title V of Regulation (EU) No DP/2012 who commit to transfer their entire holding and the corresponding payment entitlements to another farmer who does not participate in that scheme.
Amendment 96 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 28
Recital 28
(28) Agri-environment-climate payments should continue to play a prominent role in supporting the sustainable development of rural areas and in responding to society's increasing demands for environmental services. They should furtherprimarily encourage farmers and other land managers to serve society as a whole by introducing or continuing to apply agricultural practices contributing to climate change mitigation and adaptation and compatible with the protection and improvement of the environment, the landscape and its features, natural resources, the soil and genetic diversity. In this context the conservation of genetic resources in agriculture and the additional needs of farming systems that are of high nature value should be given specific attention. PIn accordance with the ‘polluter pays’ principle, payments should contribute to covering additional costs and income foregone resulting from the commitments undertaken and should only cover commitments going beyond relevant mandatory standards and requirements, in accordance with the ‘polluter pays’ principl. Outputs from recognised agri-environment measures should count towards the fulfilment of greening commitments in the context of the direct payments scheme. In many situations the synergies resulting from commitments undertaken jointly by a group of farmers multiply the environmental and climate benefit. However, joint action brings additional transaction costs which should be compensated adequately. In order to ensure that farmers and other land managers are in a position to correctly implement the commitments they have undertaken, Member States should endeavour to provide them with the required skills and knowledge. Member States should maintain the level of efforts made during the 2007-2013 programming period and havebe required to spend a minimum of 25% of the total contribution from the EAFRD to each rural development programme for climate change mitigation and adaptation and land management, through the agri- environment-climate, organic farming and payments to areas facing natural or other specific constraints measures. Farm managers should be eligible for this measure as a matter of priority.
Amendment 98 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 33
Recital 33
(33) In order to ensure efficient use of Union funds and equal treatment for farmers across the Union mountain areas and areas facing natural or other specific constraints should be defined in accordance with objective criteria. In the case of areas facing natural constraints these should be bio-physical criteria underpinned by robust scientific evidence. Transitional arrangements should be adopted in order to facilitate the phasing out of payments in areas that will no longer be considered as areas facing natural constraints as which take account of the specific characteristics and development objectives of the areas concerned and which are properly tailored to the scale of the inherent natural disadvantages those a result of the application of these criterias face and the type of production and/or the economic structure of holdings in a given area.
Amendment 103 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3
Article 3
The EAFRD shall contribute to the Europe 2020 Strategy by promoting sustainable rural development and economic growth in rural areas throughout the Union in a complementary manner to the other instruments of the common agricultural policy (hereinafter ‘“CAP’”), to cohesion policy and to the common fisheries policy. It shall contribute to a more territorially and environmentally balanced, climate- friendly and resilient and competitive, productive and innovative Union agricultural, food and forestry sector.
Amendment 113 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 10
Article 10
Amendment 116 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 18 – paragraph 1 a (new)
Article 18 – paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. contribute to the promotion of growth, the safeguarding of jobs at all stages of the production chain and the development of new areas of activity for farms, for example in the tourism and social spheres,
Amendment 131 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 29 – paragraph 2
Article 29 – paragraph 2
2. Agri-environment-climate payments shall be granted to farmers, groups of farmers or groups of farmers and other land-managers who undertake, on a voluntary basis, to carry out operations consisting of one or more agri- environment-climate commitments on agricultural land or land suitable for agriculture or who have invested in measures to adapt to climate change. Where duly justified to achieve environmental objectives, agri- environment-climate payments may be granted to other land-managers or groups of other land-managgroups of farmers.
Amendment 132 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 29 – paragraph 3
Article 29 – paragraph 3
3. Agri-environment-climate payments cover only those commitments going beyond the relevant mandatory standards established pursuant to Chapter I of Title VI of Regulation (EU) No HR/2012 and other relevant obligations established under Chapter 2 of Title III of Regulation (EU) No DP/2012, relevant minimum requirements for fertiliser and plant protection products use as well as other relevant mandatory requirements established by national legislation. All such mandatory requirements shall be identified in the programme.
Amendment 133 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 29 – paragraph 6
Article 29 – paragraph 6
6. Payments shall be granted annually and shall compensate beneficiaries for all or part of the additional costs and income foregone resulting from the commitments made. Where necessary they may also cover transaction costs to a value of up to 20% of the premium paid for the agri- environment-climate commitments. Where commitments are undertaken by groups of farmers, the maximum level shall be 30%. Funding from the EAFRD may be used for measures which come under Chapter 2 of Title III of Regulation (EU) No DZ/2012.
Amendment 135 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 32 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2
Article 32 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2
Additional costs and income foregone shall be calculated in comparison to areas which are not affected by natural or other specific constraints, taking into account payments pursuant to Chapter 3 of Title III of Regulation (EU) No DP/2012. Payments shall be duly differentiated, taking into account: - the situation and development objectives peculiar to a region, - the severity of any permanent natural handicap affecting farming activities, - the type of production and, where appropriate, the economic structure of the holding.
Amendment 136 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 32 – paragraph 3
Article 32 – paragraph 3
3. Payments shall be fixed between the minimum and maximum amount laid down in Annex I. Compensatory payments higher than this maximum amount may be granted provided that the average amount of all compensatory allowances granted at the programming level concerned does not exceed this maximum amount.
Amendment 137 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 32 – paragraph 6
Article 32 – paragraph 6
Amendment 138 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 33 – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 1
Article 33 – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 1
Amendment 139 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 36 – paragraph 2 a (new)
Article 36 – paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. the development and/or marketing of tourism services relating to rural tourism,
Amendment 140 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 36 – paragraph 2 b (new)
Article 36 – paragraph 2 b (new)
2b. development of social agriculture projects (e.g. Green Care);
Amendment 149 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 64 – paragraph 4 – point b
Article 64 – paragraph 4 – point b
(b) past performance with reference to the period 2007-2013.
Amendment 154 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 65 – paragraph 7 a (new)
Article 65 – paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. The funds transferred to the EAFRD in application of Article 7(2) of Regulation (EU) No DP/2012 shall be covered by the standard contribution rate pursuant to paragraph 3.