17 Amendments of Marc TARABELLA related to 2009/2237(INI)
Amendment 4 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas balanced commercial relations would not only improve the functioning of the food supply chain but would also benefit farmers,
Amendment 5 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C b (new)
Recital C b (new)
Cb. whereas the proliferation of unfair commercial practices today is undermining the farmers’ capacity to invest and innovate (especially in green technologies, climate mitigation and renewable energy sources, while farmers are required to meet high environmental standards, and these requirements will be further strengthened in the post-2013 Common Agricultural Policy),
Amendment 9 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas the average farmer’s income decreased by more than 12% in the EU-27 in 2009, meaning that farmers can no longer generate a fair income from their work,
Amendment 13 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas the food supply chain involves farmers, food processing industries, wholesalers, retailers, supermarket chains, catering, restaurants, direct supply from subsistence and private production; whereas this complexity and high diversity must be taken into account in order to improve the sustainability of the whole chain,
Amendment 16 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F b (new)
Recital F b (new)
Fb. whereas agricultural procurement has a strategic role for the food and drink industry and the proximity of the supply of raw materials has high importance,
Amendment 20 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas the Commission communication identifies serious problems such as abuse of dominant buyer power, unfair practices in contracting (including late payments), unilateral contractual modifications, advance payments for access to negotiations, restricted market access, lack of information on price building and the distribution of profit margins throughout the food chain, closely linked to increased concentration in the input, wholesale and retail sectors,
Amendment 38 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Calls on the Commission and Member states to urgently address the problem of unfair distribution of profits within the food chain, especially with regard to fair incomes for farmers; emphasises that power struggles must give way to cooperative relationships;
Amendment 48 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Calls on the European Commission to improve the European Price Monitoring Tool and develop a user-friendly, transparent and multilingual interface allowing consumers and stakeholders to compare prices of basic foodstuffs within a certain Member State and between different Member States on each grade of the food supply chain;
Amendment 57 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Stresses that national web-based retail price monitoring tools, as price comparators could have a mixed effect as it could pressure retailers to lower prices even further for the basic products monitored (e.g. fruits and vegetables); this in turn could lead to decreased revenues for farmers; (prices are the result of supply and demand, influenced by national income, consumer behaviour, the regulatory framework, taxes and ultimately consumer choice, therefore legislators should carefully assess the effects of price comparators for basic products in retail stores);
Amendment 82 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Calls on national and European competition authorities and other regulating authorities involved in production and commerce to take action against abusive buyer practices of dominant wholesalers and retailers which systematically put farmers in an extremely unequal bargaining position;
Amendment 111 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Stresses that EU wide measures are needed in order to achieve a certain degree of coordination and harmonisation within the Internal market; different national initiatives and measures have already been taken at national level in order to address issues of bargaining power and unfair practices (some countries have introduced codes of conduct, whilst others have adopted laws banning unfair practices);
Amendment 116 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Stresses that a EU wide code of good conduct coupled with a EU wide legislative framework setting harmonized provisions is necessary to rebalance the relations in the food supply chain; (experience from several Member States has shown that voluntary codes of good conduct have limited effect);
Amendment 117 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Welcomes the Commission’s recommendation on the co-operation of the Member States concerning an exchange of best practices on notification of contractual practices, and the preparation of sets of standard contracts, but stresses the need of the compulsory implementation of them;
Amendment 131 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Welcomes the Commission’s investigation into the potential market power linked to ‘buying alliances’, which could breach current thresholds set by EU competition rules; calls on the Commission to investigate the possible legal redress against them;
Amendment 152 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Calls on the Commission and Member states to promote fair contracting based on terms negotiated with farmers’ and producers’ organisations so as to ensure best product quality and, reduce purchase prices for inputs and guarantee fair prices, and to provide for an easily accessible system to guard against breach of contracts by buyers;
Amendment 177 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Suggests that Member States make codes of good commercial practices in the food chain compulsory; suggests that the Member States introduce a requirement for effective complaint mechanisms – accompanied by penalties – whereby injured parties could lay a complaint without fear of losing the contract at issue;
Amendment 197 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Calls on the Commission to adapt EU hygiene standards in relation to local or distance marketing and the shelf life of products, to decentralise and simplify certification and control systems, and to promote direct producer-consumer relations and short food supply chains, the sustainability benefits of which have been documented by EC research projects; notes, in this context, that Member States could grant preferential treatment to cooperatives when awarding public procurement contracts, or grant tax advantages to cooperatives or their customers;