57 Amendments of Georgios PAPASTAMKOS related to 2011/2051(INI)
Amendment 1 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 1 a (new)
Citation 1 a (new)
- having regard to the Commission communication of 28 October 2009 entitled ‘A better functioning food supply chain in Europe’ (COM(2009)0591) and the various working documents annexed thereto,
Amendment 2 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 1 b (new)
Citation 1 b (new)
- having regard to the final recommendations of the High Level Group on the Competitiveness of the Agro-Food Industry of 17 March 2009,
Amendment 3 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 1 c (new)
Citation 1 c (new)
Amendment 18 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas a sustainable, productive and competitive European agriculture makes a significantvital contribution to the EU 2020 Strategy andmeeting the objectives set by the Treaties for the CAP and the objectives of the EU 2020 Strategy; whereas it can also help to meeting new political challenges such as security of supply of food, and energy, including for the poorest members of society, and industrial raw materials, climate change, the environment and biodiversity, health and demographic change in the EU and whereas in this context the situation brought about by the Lisbon Treaty must be taken into account,
Amendment 28 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas a strong CAP is crucial for the preservation, environmental sustainability and economic development of the EU rural areas against the threat of land abandonment and rural depopulation,
Amendment 34 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas food security remains athe central challenge for agriculture not only in the EU but globally, in particular in developing countries, as the world population is predicted to grow from 7 to 9 billion by 2050 and demand for food is projected to double by the same year according to the FAO; whereas there is a global increase in food demand against a background of higher production costs, severe volatility in agricultural markets, less land, less water and reduced energy inputs,
Amendment 49 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas, on the one hand, only 6% of European farmers are aged under 35, and, on the other, 4.5 million farmers will retire in the next 10 years; whereas generational renewal should therefore be seen as one of the priority challenges for the future CAP,
Amendment 53 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas the European Parliament upholds the concept of multifunctional, broad-based agriculture spread throughout Europe, including areas with specific natural handicaps (such as mountainous and insular areas), and whereas in its resolution of 8 July 2010 on the future of the CAP after 2013 it already laid the foundations for sustainable agriculture,
Amendment 68 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas the European Union must still have sufficient instruments to be prepared for market and supply crises and market and price fluctuations in the agricultural sector in the future; whereas steps should be taken to ensure that these instruments are not only up to date and effective, but also flexible, so that they can be implemented quickly if necessary,
Amendment 94 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H a (new)
Recital H a (new)
Ha. whereas measures which aim to address new challenges that go beyond the CAP, serving broader policy objectives (e.g. climate change) should also be ensured through other instruments (e.g. the horizontal environmental policy),
Amendment 96 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital I a (new)
Recital I a (new)
Ia. whereas according to the latest Eurobarometer poll, 90% of EU citizens surveyed consider agriculture and rural areas to be important for Europe's future, 83% of EU citizens surveyed are in favour of financial support to farmers and, on average, they believe that agricultural policy should continue to be decided upon at European level,
Amendment 101 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital J
Recital J
J. whereas the European Parliament has often expressed its opposition to a renationalisation of the CAP and an increase in cofinancing, which could detract from fair competition on the EU internal market, and therefore advocates that direct payments be wholly financed by the EU budget, looking ahead to the forthcoming reform, once again rejects any attempt to renationalise the CAP by means of the co-financing of direct payments or a transfer of funds to the second pillar,
Amendment 105 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital J a (new)
Recital J a (new)
Ja. whereas the first pillar has to remain the core of the CAP as it is the main tool to help farmers be competitive in an open market,
Amendment 124 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital L
Recital L
L. whereas there should not be any differentiation in the treatment of farmers according to size of holding and legal form for the purpose of direct payments reserved for active farmers, although the possibility of introducing a basic allowanceincome support specifically for small farmers should not be excluded,
Amendment 139 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital M a (new)
Recital M a (new)
Ma. whereas the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission have identified an imbalance between the powers of the various operators in the food chain, and whereas a number of reports and resolutions have recommended measures to foster greater concentration among producers in an effort to increase their share of the added value generated by the food chain and strengthen their position vis-à-vis other actors; whereas cooperatives and other producer groupings can play a key role in achieving these objectives,
Amendment 140 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital M b (new)
Recital M b (new)
Mb. whereas the Commission communication on the reform of the CAP acknowledges that the long-term prospects for agriculture can only be improved if farmers succeed in reversing the trend of a steady reduction in their contribution to the added value generated by the food chain; whereas that communication recommends measures to restructure the agricultural sector, chiefly involving the voluntary establishment of producer organisations,
Amendment 146 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital N a (new)
Recital N a (new)
Na. whereas, according to Eurostat, employment in the agriculture sector decreased of 25% between 2000 and 2009 and that the aim of maintaining agricultural employment should not be abandoned,
Amendment 150 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital O
Recital O
O. whereas, because the world economy is becoming integrated more rapidly, trade systems are as rule being liberalised more by mult the liberalisation of trade systems is the result of political choices made at EU level and of the EU’s determination to open up trade by means of multilateral and bilateral negotiations (the Doha Round), and whereas in relation to imports from third countries environmental, animal welfare, plant protection and consumer protection standards need to be raised to EU level and minimum employment standards should be complied with,
Amendment 188 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital P a (new)
Recital P a (new)
Pa. whereas according to data provided by the Commission on direct payments net ceilings fully phased-in (in 2016), the calculation of average payments per beneficiary instead of hectare leads to very different results as to the payments per Member State,
Amendment 204 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Insists that the costs of supporting a strong CAP are more than justified if compared to the costs to society of not supporting European agriculture;
Amendment 442 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11a. Calls also for specific provisions to ensure that the abandonment of the historical basis does not lead to radical adjustments in certain sectors and/or regions;
Amendment 473 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Stresses the need for an adequate basic allowance for small farmers, which Member States can optionally determine, in particular in those Member States where these farms help to stabilise rural development; calls for these Member States to decide, in accordance with subsidiarity, what percentage of the direct payments to be incorporated in the new subsidy system should be made available to their small farmers; stresses, however, that this must not hamper the necessary structural change;
Amendment 494 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14a. Recognises that young farmers encounter start-up problems, such as high investment costs or difficulty in gaining access to land and credit; stresses the need to devise targeted measures for young farmers, including under the first pillar;
Amendment 508 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Considers that decoupling hwas essentially proved its worth, given the increased effect on income and greater autonomy in decision-making on the part of farmers and the associated simplification of the CAP, and calls for this also, in general, to apply to suckler cow and sheep premiums; recognises, however, that in certain sectors and regions such as mountain regions, where there are no alternatives to relatively labour- intensive livestock farming,dictated by political choices to align EU agriculture with the markets and drastically to cut – on WTO terms – trade- distorting support as part of ongoing negotiations; points out in this connection that as a result of successive reforms, EU agricultural support is now classified as WTO Green Box support; recognises, however, that in certain sectors and regions there may be considerable economic and environmental drawbacks which cannot be reconciled with the aims of the Treaty; acknowledges, therefore, that production-based premiums might be defensible within a narrowly defined framework for a limited period evee need to maintain production-based aid for some sectors of production and some types of agricultural production after 2013;
Amendment 534 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Calls – without casting any doubt on the results of the 2008 Health Check of the CAP – for appropriations under Article 68 of Regulation (EC) No 73/2009 primarily to be allocated for measures to promote territorial coherence and boost key sectors (e.g. the dairy and sheep sectors and suckler cows), for area-based environmental measures (e.g. organic farming) which to date have not been included in the second pillar; considers that the budget for Article 68 cshould – subject to contrary results ofbe maintained ant impact assessment – cover up to 10% of dits currecnt paymentslevel;
Amendment 563 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Observes that, for historical reasons, farms in the European Union have a very diverse structure as regards size, employment arrangements and legal form; is aware that direct payments are moving away from a historical basis to area-based payments and that the provision of public goods is independent of farm size; rejects, therefore, measures which discriminate against particular types of farm;·welcomes, however, the Commission's proposal to impose a ceiling on direct aid;
Amendment 606 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Considers that direct payments should be made only to active farmers; realises that, under the system of decoupled direct payments, each farmer who uses farmland for production or who tends it in order toand maintains GAEC should receive direct payments; calls on the Commission therefore to devise a definition of ‘active farmer’ which the Member States can administer without additional administrative effort, while it should be ensured that traditional farming activities (full-time and various degrees of part-time) are classified as active farming;
Amendment 632 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Considers that better resource protection is an central element in sustainable farming, which should involve separate support for environmental measures going beyond the requirements of Cross Compliance (CC), which already entail many environmental measures, and being geared to multiannual applications, as a result of which greater environmental benefits can be attainedjustifies, within the framework of the new challenges and objectives of the EU 2020 strategy, special support for environmental measures going beyond the requirements of Cross Compliance (CC) and beyond the already existing agri-environmental programs; welcomes in this regard the proposed greening of the CAP, which meets this goal by effectively recognizing the environmental services delivered by farmers; considers that this greening should be applied through simple measures, widespread and accessible to as many farmers as possible, as a result of which greater environmental benefits can be attained; demands that the implementation of such measures is accompanied by a simplification of the cross-compliance rules; considers that farmers already participating to a great extent in agri-environmental programs should not be discriminated under the new system;
Amendment 650 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Considers that resource protection should be directly linked to the granting of direct payments in order to attain these environmental objectives to the maximum without the need to introduce new, bureaucratic environmental conditions into the first pillar; considers that a flat- rate income payment, as envisaged in a top-up model in the first pillar, must cover costs and income lossesthe implementation of resource protection measures should not be a pre-condition for the granting of direct aid linked to cross-compliance under which farmers already contribute extensively to the above objective;
Amendment 672 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Consideralls therefore that any environmental advantages can be attained more effectively and directly by means of second-pillar measures adopted by the Member States, which should ideally build on existing agrienvironmental measures or should supplement measures which take into account climatic and geographical differences in the Member States; observes that resource protection programmes should be pursued everywhereon the Commission to submit, as soon as possible, both the details of its proposed new scheme of direct payments as well as an impact assessment of the administrative and bureaucratic conditions related to the implementation of the greening component; observes that the greening should be pursued across Member States by means of a priority catalogue of area- based measures in the second pillar which are subject to basic requirements, particularly in the fields of climate, environment and innovation (Annex I), and are 100% EU-financed; regards the greening of direct payments in the first pillar as lying in the fact that any recipient of direct payments in the EU must implement at least two priority area- based resource protection programmes in order to be eligible for the complete farm payment; believes that the administration involved in these measures can be minimised by managing them in accordance with the system of the existing agrienvironmental programmes, thus avoiding duplication of monitoring and additional application and administration proceduresthat are 100% EU- financed; considers that any recipient of these particular payments must implement a certain number of greening measures, chosen from a national or a regional list established by the Member State on the basis of a broader EU list; demands, in order to streamline the administrative procedures associated with these measures that all agricultural controls are, as far as possible, operated concomitantly;
Amendment 707 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Calls foronsiders that the resources allocated to greening to be reserved for recipients of direct payments and only disbursed in connection with greeningwill be inextricably linked to the level of budgetary resources allocated to the CAP as a whole;
Amendment 719 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
Amendment 739 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
Amendment 742 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
Amendment 779 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Considers that direct payments are no longer justified without cross compliance (CC) and therefore that the CC system should apply to all recipients of direct payments19;
Amendment 807 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
Paragraph 30
30. Calls for an end to disproportionate burdens imposed on livestock farming by CC, and particularlywithout prejudice to the basic principles of food safety and traceability, and for a critical review of certain hygiene and animal marking standards;
Amendment 814 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31
Paragraph 31
31. Could envisage a modest adaptation of the requirements to maintain GAEC with regard to altered environmental and production conditions (climate change, biomass), if the introduction of the new requirements in a comparable way throughout Europe were guaranteed;
Amendment 831 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32
Paragraph 32
32. Considers that a pragmatic approach should be taken to the general market orientation of the CAP should be maintained and that the general structure of market management instruments should likewise be retainvamped;
Amendment 839 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33
Paragraph 33
33. ConsiderNotes that the health check approach should be pursued further, asEU has moved towards safety-net market intervention; Considers that, given increased market volatility, these existing market instruments have also demonstrated their value as a safety net; takes the view that these market measures, and in particular intervneed to be reviewed towards enhanced efficiency and flexibility, more rapid deployment, extentsion, should only be used as a safety net in case of price crises and potential market disruption to other sectors, adjustment to current market prices;
Amendment 863 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34
Paragraph 34
34. Considers that, in view of the anticipated environmental and climate dangers and the risk of epidemics and considerable price fluctuations on agricultural markets, additional risk prevention is of vital importance, particularly at individual farm at Union level;
Amendment 871 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35
Paragraph 35
35. Recalls that market-orientated production and direct payments are at the heart of any insurance against risk, and that it is farmers who are responsible for risk prevention; supports the Member StatesTakes the view, in this context, in makingthat national and Community risk insurance instruments should be made available to farmers;
Amendment 910 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37
Paragraph 37
37. Considers that the use of these instruments which have been described should be triggered only by a political assessment by the EU legislatin the framework of the executive competences of the Commission upon request by the EU legislature through an urgency procedure;
Amendment 927 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 39
Paragraph 39
39. Continues to suppalls fort the Commission’s proposal to lower the intervention thresholds for market crops to zero, maintaining a – possibly reduced – intervention threshold only in the case ofeffectiveness of the intervention system in the cereals sector to be strengthened by means of an annual assessment, performed in the light of the situation on the markets, of the quotas eligible for intervention for all types of cereals, including wheat;
Amendment 942 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 40
Paragraph 40
40. Considers that private-sector insurance schemes, such as multi-hazard insurance, must be developed in view of increasing risks; is aware of the fact that, without public contributions to the financing (from the EU and Member States), this would be difficult; supports the adoption of an EU- wide and WTO-compliant environment to ensure that no distortions of competition occur among Member States; rejects, however, the introduction of EU-wide insurance systems;
Amendment 956 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 41
Paragraph 41
41. Considers rather that these measures should be promoted optionally, by decision of the Member State, in the first pillar (now Article 69) within the existing financing ceiling of the Member State concerned and that Member States should be allowed, initially, on the basis of national and regional needs, to use up to 2% of direct payments for risk management, stabilisation and prevention measures; considSupports the Commission proposal to develop risk management tools, and takes the view that moving these tools to the second pillar will offers that, in justified cases, Member States should be allowed to make additional resources available from national fundse Member States greater flexibility when they come to implement them;
Amendment 980 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 42 a (new)
Paragraph 42 a (new)
42a. Calls on the Commission to propose, as part of the CAP reform, specific measures to encourage the establishment of new producer organisations and the concentration and merging of existing organisations, in order to strengthen their market position;
Amendment 982 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 42 a (new)
Paragraph 42 a (new)
42 a. Considers also that legislative initiatives are needed to promote efficient contractual relationships between the different operators in the food chain to avoid the abuse of power and to ensure better functioning of the food chain;
Amendment 995 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 44
Paragraph 44
44. Acknowledges that in the WTO negotiations the EU has offered to abolish, its already drastically reduced, export refunds, albeit with the proviso that otherits trading partners (particularly the USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand) also bring their export support into line with WTO rules; calls for the EU likewise to formulate a system for export credits which complies with WTO rules; also bring their export support into line with WTO rules (elimination of all forms of export subsidies, imposition of disciplines on all export measures with equivalent effect, notably export credits, agricultural state trading enterprises and regulation of food aid); calls for the EU likewise to formulate a system for export credits which complies with WTO rules; calls for a reinforcement of promotion programmes, which are WTO compatible measures, falling under the 'Green Box';
Amendment 1013 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 45
Paragraph 45
45. Advocates that the 2006 sugar market reform be extended to 2020 in its existing form in order to develop a system for the subsequent period which can operate without quotasso that the EU sugar sector can continue to improve its competitiveness within a stable framework;
Amendment 1031 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 46
Paragraph 46
46. Calls on the Commission to investigate whether the current arrangement whereby the wine market organisation ban on planting is to expire should be maintained, in view of anticipated market trendsmaintain the planting rights currently granted under the single wine market organisation, in view of the specific nature of this sector;
Amendment 1035 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 46 a (new)
Paragraph 46 a (new)
46 a. Considers that management systems should be reinforced in fruit and vegetables (citrus and all the products concerned), wine and olive oil; a more efficient crisis fund in fruits and vegetables, better crises management in the wine sector, and an updated private storage system for olive oil are needed;
Amendment 1052 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47 a (new)
Paragraph 47 a (new)
47a. Calls for the retention of the scheme to provide support for the poorest members of society;
Amendment 1065 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 48
Paragraph 48
48. Is aware of the importance of the second pillar, in view of its environmental, modernisation and, innovation, structural improvement and competitiveness achievements, but also for attaining political objectives, which should also benefit farmers; supports greater orientation of the second pillar towards competitiveness and innovation; considers that aid measures under the second pillar which are not directly linked to agricultural or agri-food activities should be discontinued; calls therefore for second- pillar measures to be better suited to their objectives of the EU 2020 Strategy, so that the effectiveness of growth, employment and climate measures and measures for the benefit of rural areas can be increased; considers that, in this context, particular attention should be devoted to assisting young farmers, particularly in the fields of innovation, modernisation and the development of investment; calls, therefore, for reinforcement of the mechanisms for facilitating the establishment and training of young farmers and hopes that implementation of those mechanisms will be made compulsory for all the Member States;
Amendment 1191 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 52
Paragraph 52
52. Advocates that, in the case of measures which are of particular importance to Member States, an optional increase of 25% in national cofinancing in the second pillar (top-up) should be possible; emphasises, however, that this possibility must not lead to a renationalisation of the CAP;
Amendment 1211 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 54
Paragraph 54
54. Advocates that it should not be compulsory for national cofinancing to come from public funds; considers that at least 10 percentage points of any national cofinancing should come from public funds;
Amendment 1238 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 56 a (new)
Paragraph 56 a (new)
56a. Stresses that development of the food quality policy, not least as regards geographical indications (AOP/IGP/STG), must be a priority axis of the CAP and that it must be deepened and strengthened to enable the EU to maintain its leading position in this field; considers that approval should be granted for the implementation of innovative instruments for the management, protection and promotion of quality products, enabling their harmonious development and ensuring they continue to make a major contribution to the sustainable growth and competitiveness of the European market;
Amendment 1242 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 56 b (new)
Paragraph 56 b (new)
56b. Considers it vital to maintain and develop the added value generated in rural areas in order to ensure their dynamism and viability; recommends, therefore, the creation of territorial supply-chain projects based on joint approaches, for any creative forms of production with added value, developing a link between the product and the area, and centring on economic and social development while taking into account the environmental or landscape value of the area in question;