Activities of Rareș-Lucian NICULESCU related to 2009/2105(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
Agricultural product quality policy: what strategy to follow? (debate)
Amendments (12)
Amendment 4 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the Commission's Communication and the incorporation therein of several of Parliament's recommendations, following the reflection process launched through the Green Paper on agricultural product quality; wishes to see the measures proposed by Parliament in this resolution implemented as soon as possible, so as to effectively put into practice the feedback received from farmers and producers during the consultation process and with a view to assessing the desirability, necessity and proportionality of the proposed regulatory framework;
Amendment 6 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Emphasises that quality is a key issue for the entire food chain and an essential asset for supporting the competitiveness of European agrifood producters; considers that quality can constitute the grounds for important business advantages for European producers and can make an indirect contribution to rural development;
Amendment 8 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Considers that the EU quality policy can bring about increased competitiveness and added value to the economy of Europe's regions; and that quality agricultural and agri-food production is often the only chance for many rural areas with limited production alternatives; further considers quality as an engine for product diversity and a means of developing workforce skills;
Amendment 13 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4a (new)
Paragraph 4a (new)
4a. Believes that European quality policy must be closely linked to the reform of the CAP after 2013; takes the view that in the context of that policy the EU needs to offer financial support with a view to obtaining agri-food production of high quality; believes that such support should take the form of developing, diversifying and stimulating the accessibility of the second pillar of the CAP, especially as regards the modernisation of farms and the creation and development of microbusinesses in the countryside; stresses that financial support for product quality development can help produce a shift towards market orientation for semi- subsistence farmers; believes that producers' organisations need more support, especially so as not to disadvantage small producers;
Amendment 30 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Considers that marketing standards still retain an important role in the production chain, and consequently they should be kept; they render transparent the changes on the market and allow purchasers to compare prices, sizes and quality of products and ensure a level playing-field in European competition; nonetheless, believes that the rules need to be simplified with a view to cutting red tape for producers and processors;
Amendment 75 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12a (new)
Paragraph 12a (new)
12a. Calls on the Commission to launch a reflection process on the possibility of introducing quality indicators related to the social conditions of production, e.g. producers' incomes and contractual relations between producers, processors and marketers;
Amendment 92 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Considers that no additional criteria should be added to the certification process for any of those instruments, but rather the aim should be simplification; advocates simplifying the process for registering designations of origin and shortening the time required;
Amendment 122 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Calls for greater protection of geographical indications in third countries, through inclusion in international registries and international recognition within the WTO system and under bilateral agreements with trade partners; supports the Commission's aim to include geographical indications within the scope of the "Anti- counterfeiting trade agreement" and in the work of the future "European observatory on counterfeiting and piracy";
Amendment 140 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Considers that the appearance of non- organic products labelled in such a way as to suggest that they are products of organic farming harms the development of a single EU market in organic products; in this connection, expresses concern at attempts to extend the scope of the organic label to food products not produced in accordance with organic farming principles; calls on the Commission and the Member States to draw up a harmonisation plan and a control system in the context of means of implementing the eco-labelling of food products;
Amendment 154 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28a (new)
Paragraph 28a (new)
28a. Stresses that information policy should be targeted not only on consumers but also on producers, since the behaviour of the latter is closely linked to their knowledge of the market and of consumers' appreciation of their products' quality;
Amendment 158 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29 a (new)
Paragraph 29 a (new)
29a. Favours encouraging agricultural markets that are directly managed by the farmers as points of sale for seasonal local products, since this is a means of ensuring a fair price for quality products, while also consolidating the link between the product and its locality of origin and encouraging consumers to make informed choices based on quality; believes the Member States should encourage the creation of marketing units where producers can directly introduce consumers to their products;
Amendment 159 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29b (new)
Paragraph 29b (new)
29b. Calls for the establishment of programmes for the promotion of sales on the local market, with a view to supporting local and regional processing and marketing initiatives; believes this could be achieved, for instance, by the producers' cooperatives, in view of their contribution to enhancing value added in the countryside;