2016/2141(INI) | [ParlTrack]

Motion for a resolution
Citation 2

— having regard to the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests inof the Co~~ntext of National Food Security of the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO~~mmittee on World Food Security (CFS) of 12 May 2012,

Amendment 10 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B

B. whereas access to land is ~~a human right~~not universally recognized as a human right, as rights over land are defined at national level;

Amendment 100 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital J a (new)

Ja. whereas access to land is the primary precondition for setting up a farm, which will in turn create jobs and foster social and economic development;

Amendment 101 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital K

K. whereas ~~farmland prices and rents have risen~~area-based farm payments, biofuel subsidies and pressure on land from other uses have resulted in farmland prices and rents rising in many regions to a level which makes it economically ~~impossible for many farms to hold on to rented land or~~difficult for new entrants and existing farms to acquire the additional land needed to keep farms viable, ~~as there is hardly any land on the market~~resulting in ambitious and successful farmers looking to take on farm tenancies of smaller farms and to new opportunities to acquire farm enterprises often in other Member States;

Amendment 102 #

Laurenţiu REBEGA, Edouard FERRAND, Philippe LOISEAU

Motion for a resolution
Recital K

K. whereas farmland prices and rents have risen in many regions to a level which makes it economically impossible for many farms to hold on to rented land or acquire the additional land needed to keep smaller farms viable~~, as there is hardly any land on the market~~;

Amendment 103 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital K

K. whereas farmland prices and rents have risen in many regions to a level which encourages financial speculation and makes it economically impossible for many farms, especially medium-sized farms, to hold on to rented land or acquire the additional land needed to keep farms viable, as there is hardly any land on the market;

Amendment 104 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital ΙΑ

K. whereas farmland prices and rents have risen in many regions to a level which makes it economically ~~impossible~~and operationally inexpedient for many farms to hold on to unified rented land or acquire the additional land needed to keep farms viable, as there is hardly any land on the market;

Amendment 105 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital K

K. whereas farmland prices and rents have risen in many regions to a level, encouraging financial speculations, consequently resulting in the artificial rise of food prices which makes it economically impossible for many farms to hold on to rented land or acquire the additional land needed to keep farms viable, as there is hardly any land on the market;

Amendment 106 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital K

K. whereas farmland prices and rents have risen in many regions to a level which makes it economically impossible for many farms to hold on to rented land or acquire the additional land needed to keep ~~farms viable~~small and medium-sized farms viable, let alone to start new farms, as there is hardly any land on the market;

Amendment 107 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital K

K. whereas farmland prices and rents and afforestation have risen in many regions to a level which makes it economically impossible for many farms to hold on to rented land or acquire the additional land needed to keep farms viable, as there is hardly any land on the market;

Amendment 108 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital K a (new)

Ka. whereas differing prices of farmland in the Member States further accentuate concentration processes and whereas the trend in land prices does not run parallel to the economic development of other sectors;

Amendment 109 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital K a (new)

Ka. whereas in many Member States sale prices and, in some cases, rents for farmland are no longer based on the farm incomes which can be derived from food production;

Amendment 11 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B

B. whereas access to land ~~is a human right;~~ and the possibility of ownership are essential rights established by the national law of each Member State;

Amendment 110 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital K b (new)

Kb. whereas rents are often no longer based on the farm incomes which can be earned and therefore capital requirements are too high and have too much risk attached to them for entry to farming;

Amendment 111 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital K b (new)

Kb. whereas demand for food and feed is supplemented by rising demand for raw materials for the 'bioeconomy', such as biofuels and raw materials for the chemicals and textiles industries, which inspires interest in acquiring farmland on the part of new operators;

Amendment 112 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital L

L. whereas EU policies and subsidies encourage concentration phenomena, as direct area payments disproportionately benefit large farms, and the use of these funds leads to a rise in land prices, which tends to exclude small and medium-sized undertakings from the land marketthe key elements of the last CAP reform have enabled aid to be reoriented and shared out more fairly among Member States and individual agricultural sectors and have consolidated the economic and socially stabilising role of the common agricultural policy in relation to farms and rural regions;

Amendment 113 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital L

Amendment 114 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital L

Amendment 115 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital L

Amendment 116 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital L

L. whereas, because no purposeful land policies are being pursued in the Member States, EU policies and subsidies tend to encourage concentration phenomena, as direct area payments ~~disproportionately~~are of much more benefit to large farms and to farmers who are already well established, and the use of these funds leads to a rise in land prices, which tends to ~~exclude small and medium-sized undertakings from the land market~~put the land market beyond the reach both of young people seeking land on which to set up in farming and of small and medium-sized undertakings, which financially are often less well off;

Amendment 117 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital L

L. whereas, given that Member States have failed to establish effective land policies, EU policies and subsidies can in some cases encourage concentration phenomena, as direct area payments ~~disproportion~~are of greatelyr benefit to large farms, and the use of these funds leads to a rise in land prices, which tends to exclude small and medium- sized undertakings from the land market;

Amendment 118 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital L

L. whereas EU policies and subsidies encourage concentration phenomena, as direct area payments ~~disproportionate~~increasingly benefit large farms, and the use of these funds leads to a rise in land prices, which ~~tends to exclude small and medium-sized undertakings from the land mar~~means that, not uncommonly, European agricultural funds, which are also intended for medium-sized and small farms, end up in the wrong pockets;

Amendment 119 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital ΙΒ

L. whereas EU policies and subsidies encourage concentration phenomena, as direct area payments ~~disproportion~~ultimately benefit large farms, and the use of these funds leads to a rise in land prices and unfair speculation on the value of land, which tends in practice to exclude small and medium-sized undertakings from the land market;

Amendment 12 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B

B. whereas access to land i~~s a human right~~mpacts directly on the realization of many human rights, and on the Charter of fundamental rights of the European Union;

Amendment 120 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital L

L. whereas EU policies and subsidies encourage concentration phenomena, speculation and land grabbing; whereas direct area payments disproportionately benefit large farms, and the use of these funds leads to a rise in land prices, which tends to exclude small and medium-sized undertakings and young farmers from the land market and prevent new people from taking up farming;

Amendment 121 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital L

L. whereas EU policies and subsidies encourage concentration phenomena, speculation and land grabbing, as direct area payments disproportionately benefit large farms, and the use of these funds leads to a rise in land prices, which tends to exclude small and medium-sized undertakings from the land market;

Amendment 122 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital Л

L. whereas EU policies and subsidies encourage concentration phenomena, as direct area payments disproportionately benefit large farms, and the use of these funds leads to a rise in land prices, which tends to exclude small and medium-sized undertakings from the land market; whereas the concentration of land in the hands of a small number of producers is distorting production and market processes and is liable to have a counterproductive effect on farming in the Member States and/or the EU as a whole;

Amendment 123 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital L a (new)

La. whereas the common agricultural policy as reformed in 2013 has also helped to limit these effects by introducing an increased payment for the first hectares, with phased reduction of support; whereas, moreover, these direct area payments play an essential role in enabling European farms meeting high production standards to be competitive and sustainable;

Amendment 124 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital L a (new)

La. whereas the common agricultural policy as reformed in 2013 has helped to limit these effects by introducing an increased payment for the first hectares, with phased reduction of support; whereas, moreover, these direct area payments play an essential role in enabling European farms meeting high production standards to be competitive and sustainable;

Amendment 125 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital M

M. whereas, particularly since the 2007 financial and economic crisis, purchases of farmland have been regarded as a safe investment and farmland has been bought up by non-agricultural investors, such as pension funds, insurance companies and businesses, and whereas land ownership will remain a safe investment even in the event of future inflation;

Amendment 126 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital M

M. whereas, particularly since the 2007 financial and economic crisis, purchases of farmland have been regarded as a safe investment and, in many Member States, farmland has been bought up in alarming quantities by non-agricultural investors, and whereas land ownership will remain a safe investment even in the event of future inflation;

Amendment 127 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital M

M. whereas, particularly since the 2007 financial and economic crisis, purchases of farmland have been regarded as a safe investment and farmland has been bought up by non-agricultural investors and financial speculators, and whereas land ownership will remain a safe investment even in the event of future inflation;

Amendment 128 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital M

M. whereas, particularly since the 2007 financial and economic crisis, purchases of farmland have been regarded as a safe investment and farmland has been bought up by non-agricultural investors and speculators, and whereas land ownership will remain a safe investment even in the event of future inflation;

Amendment 129 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital ΙΓ

M. whereas, particularly since the 2007 financial and economic crisis, purchases of farmland have been regarded as a safe investment and farmland has been bought up by institutional, non-agricultural investors, and whereas land ownership will remain a relatively safe investment even ~~in the event of future~~when inflation rises;

Amendment 13 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B

B. whereas access to land is aessential for realisation of a number of human rights;

Amendment 130 #

Vladimir URUTCHEV, Norbert ERDŐS, Daniel BUDA

Motion for a resolution
Recital M a (new)

Ma. whereas the creation of speculative bubbles on markets for farmland has serious consequences for farming and whereas speculation in commodities on futures exchanges further drives up prices of farmland;

Amendment 131 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital M a (new)

M a. Whereas a number of Member States in Central and Eastern Europe have adopted regulatory measures to protect their arable land from being purchased by investors considering the land only as capital asset after the end of their transition periods; whereas at the same time, due to the lower land prices in those countries, large amount of land was acquired by such investors;

Amendment 132 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital M a (new)

Ma. whereas there are various contributory factors involved in land grabbing, including increasing globalisation, population growth, the growing demand for foodstuffs and natural raw materials, and the counter- productive effects of agricultural policy;

Amendment 133 #

Beata GOSIEWSKA

Motion for a resolution
Recital M a (new)

Ma. New recital N. whereas uncontrolled concentration of farmland is resulting in large farms that are oriented towards achieving the highest possible profits from production, often while causing significant and irreversible damage to the environment;

Amendment 134 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital M a (new)

Ma. whereas Member States forgo tax revenue if land changes hands as a result of acquisition of shares, because in many Member States the law on land transactions which is in force does not apply to acquisition of shares;

Amendment 135 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital M a (new)

Ma. whereas a number of Central and Eastern European Member States have failed to adopt regulatory measures to maintain farming activity following the sale of land purchased by investors;

Amendment 136 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital M b (new)

Mb. whereas one consequence of the concentration of ownership of farmland is also the transfer of profits and tax payments from rural areas to a large business's headquarters;

Amendment 137 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital M b (new)

Mb. whereas the existing rules on the capping of direct payments above EUR 150 000 become inoperative if legal persons own multiple agricultural subsidiaries, each of which receives less than EUR 150 000 in direct payments;

Amendment 138 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital M c (new)

Mc. whereas limited companies are moving into farming at an alarming speed, often operate across borders and often have business models which are guided far more by land speculation than by an interest in agricultural production;

Amendment 139 #

Philippe LOISEAU, Edouard FERRAND, Laurenţiu REBEGA

Motion for a resolution
Recital M d (new)

Md. whereas the problems which have been described apply not only to farmland but, with a similar degree of urgency, to forests and fisheries as well;

Amendment 14 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B

B. whereas access to land is a ~~human right~~fundamental right for humankind;

Amendment 140 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph -1 (new)

-1. Points out that land, its management, and urban development rules are matters for the Member States; calls on the Member States, therefore, in their public policies, to take better account of farmland conservation and management and to facilitate transfers of land;

Amendment 141 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

Amendment 142 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

Amendment 143 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

Amendment 144 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Calls for the creation of a central observatory tasked with recording the level of farmland concentration in the EU, changes in land use and the market behaviour of owners and tenants, and with issuing regular reportonsiders that it would be useful if Member States regularly communicated to each other and the Commission basic information about land use changes and primarily cases involving speculative land purchases;

Amendment 145 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Calls for the creation of a central observatory ~~tasked with recording the level of farmland concentration in the EU, changes in land use and the market behaviour of owners and tenants, and with issuing regular reports~~at EU level tasked with obtaining an overview of farmland tenure throughout the Union, recording purchase prices and rents at NUTS 2 level, and observing and regularly reporting on the loss of farmland due to changes in land use, trends in soil fertility and land erosion;

Amendment 146 #

Laurenţiu REBEGA, Edouard FERRAND, Philippe LOISEAU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Calls for the creation of a central observatory or body tasked with ~~rec~~monitording the level of farmland concentration in the EU, changes in land use overall and the market behaviour of owners and tenants, and with issuing re~~gular reports~~ports, when so tasked, to European Union institutions and also regularly on an annual basis to the European Parliament and the Commission;

Amendment 147 #

Beata GOSIEWSKA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Calls for the creation of a central observatory tasked with recording the level of farmland concentration in the EU, changes in land use and the market behaviour of owners and tenants, ~~and wi~~issuing regular reports, and considering the i~~ssuing regular reports~~ntroduction of rules to regulate the concentration of EU farmland;

Amendment 148 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Calls for the creation of a ~~central observatory tasked with~~task force to record~~ing~~ the level of farmland concentration in the EU, changes in land use and the market behaviour of owners and tenants, and with issuing regular reports, given the wide differences between national land management laws;

Amendment 149 #

Laurenţiu REBEGA, Edouard FERRAND, Philippe LOISEAU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Calls for the creation of a central observatory tasked with recording the level of farmland concentration in the EU, changes in land use and the concentration of land ownership and the market behaviour of owners and tenants, and with issuing regular reports;

Amendment 15 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B

B. whereas access to land and food is a human right;

Amendment 150 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Calls for the creation of a central land observatory tasked with recording and providing information on the level of farmland concentration in the EU, changes in land use and the market behaviour of owners and tenants, and with issuing regular reports;

Amendment 151 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Calls for the creation of a European central observatory tasked with recording the level of farmland concentration in the EU, changes in land use and the market behaviour of owners and tenants, and with issuing regular reports;

Amendment 152 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1a. Calls on Member States to focus their land-use policies on using available tools such as taxation, aid schemes and CAP funding to maintain a family-farm- based agricultural model throughout the EU;

Amendment 153 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1a. Recognises that farmers must be allowed to remain in charge of their land and that if it is to work well, a farm has to be free and flexible in the same way as any other type of business;

Amendment 154 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 b (new)

1b. Points out that if it is to be economically viable, a farm must be allowed to expand in order to attain the critical mass commensurate with its market;

Amendment 155 #

Angélique DELAHAYE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 c (new)

1c. Points out that owners must be free to sell to anyone they wish and calls on the Commission to facilitate the transfer of land, and successions in particular, and to make it easier for young people to establish themselves;

Amendment 156 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

Amendment 157 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

Amendment 158 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Calls on the Commission to create a legal basis in order to ensure the regular collection of data of comparable quality on rent levels and land prices in connection with all sales of farmland and farm shares by agricultural undertakings in all Member StatMember States to regularly communicate to one another and the Commission data of comparable quality on rent levels and land prices;

Amendment 159 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Calls on the Commission to ~~create a lega~~set up a high-level btas~~is in order to ensure the regular collection of data of comparable quality on rent levels and land prices in connection with all sales of farmland and farm shares by agricultural undertakings in all~~k force to examine the problem of farmland concentration and submit a report with recommendations for the Member States;

Amendment 16 #

Vladimir URUTCHEV, Daniel BUDA

Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)

Ba. whereas land is on the one hand property and on the other hand a public asset, and is subject to social obligations;

Amendment 160 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Calls on the Commission ~~to create a legal basis in order~~and Member States to ensure the regular collection of data o~~f comparable quality o~~n rent levels and land prices, large-scale land acquisitions, violations of tenure rights and speculative price inflations in connection with all sales and lease of farmland and farm shares by agricultural undertakings ~~in all Member States~~;

Amendment 161 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Calls on the Commission to ~~create~~take up once again the project of creating a legal basis in order to ensure the regular collection of data of comparable quality on rent levels and land prices, in ~~connection with all sales of farmland and farm sh~~cluding the acquisition of land by means of share purchases and on transactions involving large areas ~~by agricultural undertakings~~of land, the loss of tenure and speculative price rises, in all Member States;

Amendment 162 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Calls on the Commission to ~~create a legal basis in order to ensure the~~ regularly collect~~ion of~~ data of comparable quality on rent levels and land prices in connection with all sales of farmland and farm shares by agricultural undertakings in all Member States;

Amendment 163 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Calls on the Commission to ~~create a legal basi~~publish guidelines on harmonisation of accounting practices in order to ensure the regular collection of data of comparable quality on rent levels and land prices in connection with all sales of farmland and farm shares by agricultural undertakings in all Member States;

Amendment 164 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Calls on the Commission to create athe legal ~~basis~~framework in order to ensure, by means of a data bank, the regular collection of data of comparable quality on rent levels and land prices in connection with all sales of farmland and farm shares by agricultural undertakings in all Member States;

Amendment 165 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Calls on the Commission to create a legal basis in order to ensure the regular collection of data of comparable quality on rent levels and land prices, large-scale acquisitions of land, infringement of land tenure rights and price speculation in connection with all sales of farmland and farm shares by agricultural undertakings in all Member States;

Amendment 166 #

Laurenţiu REBEGA, Edouard FERRAND, Philippe LOISEAU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

Amendment 167 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

Amendment 168 #

Daniel BUDA, Norbert ERDŐS, Viorica DĂNCILĂ, Vladimir URUTCHEV

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Calls on the Commission to create a legal basis in order to ensure the regular collection of data of comparable quality and of rules on rent levels and land prices in connection with all sales of farmland and farm shares by agricultural undertakings in all Member States;

Amendment 169 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Calls on the Commission to create a legal basis in order to ensure the regular collection of data of comparable quality on rent levels and land prices in connection with all sales of farmland and farm shares by agricultural undertakings in all Member States; calls on the Commission to encourage the sharing of best practices on the national legislations in order to identify measures to safeguard the farmland and farm activities;

Amendment 17 #

Nicola CAPUTO, Maria NOICHL

Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)

B a. Whereas there is no exclusive or shared competence of the EU on land, various EU policies deploy different political, social, cultural and environmental aspects of land management, creating the need for a more holistic approach to land governance at EU level;

Amendment 170 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2a. Calls on the Commission to conduct a study into the impact that the policy measures (aid and restrictions) taken in Member States have on land concentration and agricultural production and to analyse the risks that land concentration poses for food supply, employment, the environment, soil quality and rural development;

Amendment 171 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2a. Calls on the Commission to establish a monitoring centre which will make it possible to study and monitor the development of soil quality in the Union, as soil quality is deteriorating; calls on the Commission to make proposals for combating this phenomenon, which is harmful to the environment and to our future food security;

Amendment 172 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

Amendment 173 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

Amendment 174 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

Amendment 175 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

Amendment 176 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Considers it sensible to c~~reate a uniform, Europe-wide land inventory in which all~~ompile statistics at European Union level on the situation in Member States with regard to ownership rights and rights of use in respect of farm land ~~are recorded in an up-to-date and accurate manner and presented in a comprehensible form in a publicly accessible digital data bank~~;

Amendment 177 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Considers it sensible ~~to create a uniform, Europe-wide~~for States to create national land inventoryies in which all ownership rights and rights of use in respect of farm land are recorded in an up- to-date and accurate manner and presented in a comprehensible form in a publicly accessible digital data bank;

Amendment 178 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Considers it sensible ~~to create a uniform, Europe-wide~~ for Member States to create farmland inventoryies in which all ownership rights and rights of use in respect of farm land are recorded in an up-to-date and accurate manner and presented in a comprehensible form in a publicly accessible digital data bank;

Amendment 179 #

Daniel BUDA, Viorica DĂNCILĂ, Vladimir URUTCHEV

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Considers it sensible to create a uniform, Europe-wide ~~land inventory in which all ownership rights and rights of use in respect of~~inventory of land and land quality in which the use and type of tenure of all farm land ~~are~~is recorded in an up-to-date and accurate manner and presented in a comprehensible form in a publicly accessible digital data bank;

Amendment 18 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)

B a. whereas the farmland is the main source for the production of food and feed;

Amendment 180 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Considers it sensible to create a uniform, Europe-wide land inventory in which all ~~ownership rights and rights of use in respect~~use of farm land ~~are~~is recorded in an up-to-date and accurate manner and presented in a comprehensible form in a publicly accessible digital data bank;

Amendment 181 #

Elisabeth KÖSTINGER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Considers it sensible to create a uniform, Europe-wide land inventory in which all ownership rights ~~and rights of use~~ in respect of farm land are recorded in an up-to-date and accurate manner and presented in a comprehensible form in a publicly accessible digital data bank;

Amendment 182 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Considers it sensible to create a uniform, Europe-wide land inventory in which all ownership rights and rights of use in respect of farm land are recorded in an up-to-date and accurate manner and ~~presented in a comprehensible form in a publicly accessible digital data bank~~on the one hand made available to the licensing authorities and on the other hand published in the form of anonymised statistics;

Amendment 183 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Considers it sensible to create a uniform, Europe-wide land inventory in which all ownership rights and rights of use in respect of farm land are recorded in an up-to-date and accurate manner - while fully respecting the data protection rights of the parties involved - and presented in a comprehensible form in a publicly accessible digital data bank;

Amendment 184 #

Philippe LOISEAU, Edouard FERRAND

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Considers it essen~~sible to create~~tial to support the existence of a uniform, Europe-wide land inventory in which all ~~ownership rights and rights of use in respect of farm land~~the rights of use and ownership are recorded in an up- to-date and accurate manner ~~and presented in a comprehensible form in a publicly accessible~~; calls for provision to be made for the additional presentation of the rights of use and ownership in respect of farm land in the form of a single public digital data bank;

Amendment 185 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Considers it sensible to create a ~~uniform,~~ Europe-wide land inventory in which all ownership rights and rights of use in respect of farm land are recorded in an up- to-date and accurate manner and presented in a comprehensible form in a publicly accessible digital data bank;

Amendment 186 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3a. Proposes, as an immediate measure, that recipients of direct payments should be required to indicate who the real owners of farmland are, in connection with the payment;

Amendment 187 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3a. Takes the view that the regulation of land ownership and the use of farmland should be tightened up; believes, in view of the deterioration of the situation in this area, that both the Member States and the EU need to establish a clear model for agricultural structures to provide guidance on land use and land rights;

Amendment 188 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3a. Calls on the Commission to encourage exchanges of best practice between the national authorities regarding land management laws;

Amendment 189 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3a. Calls on the Commission, for the first time in 2017 and subsequently at regular intervals, to report to the Council and Parliament on the situation regarding land use, structure, prices and national and European policies and laws on the ownership and renting of farmland, summarising the available data on soil fertility and erosion and on sealing and changes of use of farmland;

Amendment 19 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B b (new)

Bb. whereas the German Constitutional Court already ruled in its judgment (1 BvR 169/63, BVerfG 21, 73- 87) of 12 January 1967 that trade in rural land need not be as free as trade in any other capital, because land is unrenewable and indispensable, and an equitable legal and social order requires the public interest in land to be taken into account far more than in the case of any other property1a; _________________ 1aLandwirtschaftliche Bodenmarktpolitik: Allgemeine Situation und Handlungsoptionen Bericht der Bund-Länder-Arbeitsgruppe „Bodenmarktpolitik" gemäß Beschluss der Amtschefinnen und Amtschefs der Agrarressorts der Länder vom 16. Januar 2014 (March 2015), p. 37.

Amendment 190 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 b (new)

3b. Calls on the Commission, on this basis, to draw up a separate regular report to the FAO Committee on World Food Security concerning the implementation of the Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the European Union;

Amendment 191 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Notes that land consolidation, with differing types of procedure in the framework of an integrated land management system, is an indispensable instrument for improving agricultural structure and settling land use disputes;deleted

Amendment 192 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

Amendment 193 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Notes th~~at land consolidation, with differing types of procedure in the framework of an integrated land management system, is an indispensable instrument for~~e necessity of State intervention in terms of providing guidance and support to active farmers so that they manage agricultural land in a way that will help to improv~~ing~~e agricultural structure and settl~~ing~~e land use disputes;

Amendment 194 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Notes th~~at land consolidation, with differing types of procedure in the framework of~~e need for land use planning and an integrated land management system~~, is~~ ans indispensable instruments for improving agricultural structure and ~~settling land use disputes~~guaranteeing that priority is given to using land for food production;

Amendment 195 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Notes that land consolidation, with differing types of procedure in the framework of an integrated land management system, is a~~n indispensa~~ possible instrument for settling land use disputes and improving agricultural structure ~~and settling land use disputes~~for the benefit of local communities, the proper functioning of the market and the long-term solvency of the best agricultural practices and as a way of ensuring a sustainable structure of food production;

Amendment 196 #

Vladimir URUTCHEV, Daniel BUDA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Notes that land consolidation, with differing types of procedure in the framework of an integrated land management system that makes allowances for local and regional conditions, is an indispensable instrument for improving agricultural structure and settling land use disputes;

Amendment 197 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Notes that land consolidation programmes, with differing types of procedure in the framework of an integrated land management system, is an indispensable instrument for improving agricultural structure and settling land use disputes; recommends, in this regard, where land consolidation is delivered through renting of land, the price of rent to be linked to productive capacity and profitability as most appropriate for the agricultural economy;

Amendment 198 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

Amendment 199 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4a. Considers that well-thought-out and coordinated land market policies, with the instrument of regional and local land use planning, should help to reduce non-agricultural land use;

Amendment 2 #

Vladimir URUTCHEV, Daniel BUDA, Norbert ERDŐS, Viorica DĂNCILĂ

Motion for a resolution
Citation 6 a (new)

- having regard to the infringement proceedings against the Member States Bulgaria, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia and Hungary, which the Commission is either planning or has already brought;

Amendment 20 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B b (new)

B b. Whereas Member States have different regulatory systems for land ownership and land tenure which are difficult to compare;

Amendment 200 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4a. Recognises the important role played by family farms in rural life, since, in addition to producing a sufficient amount of healthy and high-quality food, they also take care of their surroundings, the environment and biodiversity and preserve the cultures and traditions of European nations;

Amendment 201 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 b (new)

4b. Stresses the importance of maintaining the focus of the common agricultural policy on supporting family farms as the cornerstone of European agricultural production, both now and in the future;

Amendment 202 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Takes the view that land policy ~~must help to ensure a~~is a national competence, and whilst it may be socially desirable to have a broad distribution of land ownership, as it has direct implications for ~~everyone’s~~rural living and working conditions and quality of life, and notes the important social function of land ownership given that a loss of farms and jobs will lead to the ~~collapse of European smallholder agriculture and the demise of rural areas, and thus to structural changes that are undesirable for society as a whole~~demise of rural areas, it is not a matter for European legislation;

Amendment 203 #

Daniel BUDA, Norbert ERDŐS, Viorica DĂNCILĂ, Vladimir URUTCHEV

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Takes the view that land policy ~~must help to ensure a socially desirable broad distribution of land~~is essentially a matter for the Member States and that it may be affected by the Common Agricultural Policy, and considers that the issue of ownership, a~~s it~~nd other forms of land tenure has direct implications for everyone’s living and working conditions and quality of life~~, and~~; notes the important social function of land ~~ownership~~management, given that a loss of farms and jobs will lead to the collapse of European smallholder agriculture and the demise of rural areas, and thus to structural changes that are undesirable for society as a whole;

Amendment 204 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. ~~Takes the view that~~Acknowledges that national authorities are entirely responsible for land policy that must help to ensure a socially desirable broad distribution of land ownership, as it has direct implications for everyone’s living and working conditions and quality of life, and notes the important social function of land ownership given that a loss of farms and jobs will lead to the collapse of European smallholder agriculture and the demise of rural areas, and thus to structural changes that are undesirable for society as a whole;

Amendment 205 #

Laurenţiu REBEGA, Edouard FERRAND, Philippe LOISEAU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Takes the view that land policy falls within the exclusive remit of the national authorities and must help to ensure a socially desirable broad distribution of land ownership, as it has direct implications for everyone’s living and working conditions and quality of life, and notes the important social function of land ownership given that a loss of farms and jobs will lead to the collapse of European smallholder agriculture and the demise of rural areas, and thus to structural changes that are undesirable for society as a whole;

Amendment 206 #

Philippe LOISEAU, Edouard FERRAND

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. ~~Tak~~Notes the view that land policy must help to ensure a socially desirable broad distribution of land ownership, as it has direct implications for everyone’s living and working conditions and quality of life, and notes the important social function of land ownershipimportant social function of private property, given that a loss of farms and jobs will lead to the collapse of European smallholder agriculture and the demise of rural areas, and thus to structural changes that are undesirable for society as a whole;

Amendment 207 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Takes the view that land policy must help to ensure a ~~socially desirable broad distribution of land ownership~~ccess to land ownership and agricultural earnings for rural dwellers, as it has direct implications for everyone’s living and working conditions and quality of life, ~~and notes the important social function of land ownership~~ given that a loss of farms and jobs will lead to the collapse of European smallholder agriculture and the demise of rural areas, and thus to structural changes that are undesirable for society as a whole;

Amendment 208 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Takes the view that land policy must help to ensure a ~~socially desirable broad~~broad and fair distribution of land ~~ownership~~, as it has direct implications for everyone’s living and working conditions and quality of life, and notes the important social function of land ownership ~~given~~and the fact that a loss of farms and jobs will lead to the collapse of ~~European~~ smallholder agriculture in Europe and the demise and desertification of rural areas, and thus to structural changes that are undesirable for society as a whole;

Amendment 209 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Takes the view that land policy must help to ensure a socially desirable broad distribution of land ownership, or a tenant farmer's status within an appropriate framework, as it has direct implications for everyone’s living and working conditions and quality of life~~, and~~; notes the important social function of land ownership given that a loss of farms and jobs will lead to the collapse of European ~~smallholder~~ agriculture and the demise of rural areas, and thus to structural changes that are undesirable for society as a whole;

Amendment 21 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C

C. whereas land, as an increasingly scarce and non-renewable asset, should not be treated as an ordinary item of merchandise, and is furthermore ~~doubly~~ threatened both by the loss of agricultural land through soil sealing, urban development and rural house-building as a result of migration, environmental protection and infrastructure projects~~, and by~~; whereas the concentration of land in the hands of large- scale agricultural undertakings and investors from outside the farming sector can bring in efficiencies and sources of investment and innovation in farming;

Amendment 210 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Takes the view that land policy must help to ensure a socially desirable broad distribution of land ownership and equitable access to land, as ithis has direct implications for everyone’s living and working conditions and quality of life, and ~~note~~recalls the important social function of land ownership over generations, given that a loss of farms and jobs will lead to the collapse of European smallholder agriculture and the demise of rural areas, and thus to structural changes that are undesirable for society as a whole;

Amendment 211 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Takes the view that land policy must help to ensure or restore a socially desirable broad distribution of land ownership and appropriate access to land, as ithis has direct implications for everyone’s living and working conditions and quality of life, and ~~note~~recalls the important social function of land ownership given that a loss of farms and jobs will lead to the collapse of European smallholder agriculture and the demise of rural areas, and thus to structural changes that are undesirable for society as a whole;

Amendment 212 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Takes the view that land policy must help to ensure a socially desirable broad distribution of land ownership and access to land, as ithis has direct implications for everyone’s living and working conditions and quality of life, and ~~notes~~draws attention to the important social function of land ownership given that a loss of farms and jobs will lead to the collapse of European smallholder agriculture and the demise of rural areas, and thus to structural changes that are undesirable for society as a whole;

Amendment 213 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5a. Regards land grabbing, including farmland concentration, as a threat to family-run farms; believes that family-run farms play an active role in the economic fabric of rural areas by conserving the cultural heritage and maintaining rural life, sustaining social life in rural areas, delivering high-value products, making sustainable use of natural resources and ensuring a broad distribution of land ownership in such areas;

Amendment 214 #

Philippe LOISEAU, Edouard FERRAND, Laurenţiu REBEGA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Recommends that the Member States ~~give farmers priority in the purchase of farmland, particularly at a time when non-farmers are increasingly interested in purchasing agricultural plots~~welcome non-agricultural investment in food and farming as new entrants bring fresh thinking and investment, subject to nationally defined safeguards as to use of soil and land tenure;

Amendment 215 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Recommends that the Member States give farmers priority in the purchase of farmland, particularly ~~at a time when non-farmers~~ in view of the growing interest being taken by large ~~increasingly interested in purchasing agricultural plot~~foreign groups whose aim is speculation or intensive production, to the detriment of all local rural sectors;

Amendment 216 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Recommends that the Member States give young farmers ~~priority in the purchase of~~and local producers priority access to farmland, particularly at a time ~~when non-farmers are~~of increasingly interested in purchasing agricultural plots from people wishing to use them for non- agricultural purposes;

Amendment 217 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. ~~Recommends that the Member States~~Calls on Member States, in order to attain the objectives of the common agricultural policy, to give farmers priority in the purchase of farmland, particularly at a time when non-farmers, who in many cases buy farmland for purely speculative purposes, are increasingly interested in purchasing agricultural plots;

Amendment 218 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Recommends that the Member States ~~give farmers priority in the~~create favourable conditions for farmers to purchase of farmland, particularly at a time when non-farmers are increasingly interested in purchasing agricultural plots;

Amendment 219 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Recommends that the Member States give small local producers and young farmers priority in the purchase of farmland, particularly at a time when non- farmers are increasingly interested in purchasing agricultural plots;

Amendment 22 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C

C. whereas land, as an increasingly scarce and non-renewable asset, should not be treated as an ordinary item of merchandise, and ~~is furthermore doubly threatened both by~~whereas it is the responsibility of the authorities to control and limit the loss of agricultural land through soil sealing, urban development and infrastructure projects~~, and by the concentration of land in the hands of large-scale agricultural undertakings and investors from outside the farming sector~~;

Amendment 220 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Recommends that the Member States give farmers who carry on their main farming activities in a given municipality (or other administrative unit of an equivalent level), or at best in a neighbouring municipality, priority in the purchase of farmland, particularly at a time when non-farmers are increasingly interested in purchasing agricultural plots;

Amendment 221 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Recommends that the Member States give farmers, in particular young people engaged in cultivating the land, priority in the purchase of corresponding farmland, particularly at a time when non- farmers are increasingly interested in purchasing agricultural plots;

Amendment 222 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Recommends that the Member States give ~~farmers~~ priority ~~in the purchase of farmland~~to small and medium- sized and young farmers with regard to access to farmland, and to focus particularly on promoting sustainable production methods, particularly at a time when non-farmers are increasingly interested in purchasing agricultural plots;

Amendment 223 #

Daniel BUDA, Norbert ERDŐS, Viorica DĂNCILĂ, Vladimir URUTCHEV

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Recommends that the Member States give ~~farmers~~ priority, in ~~the purchase of farmland~~access to land and forests, to small local food producers, to young people and people wishing to take up a related activity and to women, particularly at a time when non-farmers are increasingly interested in purchasing agricultural plots;

Amendment 224 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Recommends that the Member States give farmers priority in the purchase of farmland, particularly at a time when non-farmers are increasingly interested in purchasing agricultural plots; stresses on respecting the pre-emptive right of legal beneficiaries such as co-owners, lessees, neighbor owners or others involved in agriculture activities in the common areas;

Amendment 225 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Recommends that the Member States give farmers priority in the purchase and use of farmland, particularly at a time when non-farmers are increasingly interested in purchasing agricultural plots;

Amendment 226 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Recommends that the Member States give farmers priority in the purchase and rental of farmland, particularly at a time when non-farmers are increasingly interested in purchasing agricultural plots;

Amendment 227 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Recommends that the Member States give farmers priority in the purchase of farmland, particularly at a time when non-farmers are increasingly interested in purchasing agricultural plots, taking into account the consequences of the Basel 3 Agreement with regard to the limitations which the agreement entails for the provision of credit to farmers; calls, in this connection, therefore, for better use to be made of the available EFSI funding to make it possible to provide sufficient credit to farmers;

Amendment 228 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Recommends that the Member States give farmers priority in the purchase of farmland, particularly at a time when non-farmers are increasingly interested in purchasing agricultural plots, because in the interests of secure and sustainable development of farms, it is advantageous for them to own as much of the land that they farm as possible;

Amendment 229 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Recommends that the Member States give farmers priority in the purchase of farmland, given the great social significance of land ownership, particularly at a time when non-farmers are increasingly interested in purchasing agricultural plots;

Amendment 23 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C

C. whereas land, as an increasingly scarce and non-renewable asset, should not be treated as an ordinary item of merchandise, and is furthermore doubly threatened both by the loss of agricultural land through soil sealing, urban development and infrastructure projects, and by the ~~concentration of land in the hands of large-scale agricultural undertakings and investors from outside the farming sector~~spread of desertification caused by climate change;

Amendment 230 #

Tibor SZANYI

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Recommends that the Member States give ~~farmers~~ priority to real farmers, with increased attention to young farmers, in the purchase of farmland, particularly at a time when non-farmers are increasingly interested in purchasing agricultural plots; further recommends that the right of first refusal in purchasing land should stay with the governments;

Amendment 231 #

Laurenţiu REBEGA, Edouard FERRAND, Philippe LOISEAU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Recommends that the Member States ~~give farmers priority in the purchase of~~promote by effective means control by farmers over farmland, particularly at a time when non-farmers are increasingly interested in purchasing agricultural plots;

Amendment 232 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Recommends that the Member States give active farmers priority in the purchase of farmland, particularly at a time when non-farmers are increasingly interested in purchasing agricultural plots;

Amendment 233 #

Philippe LOISEAU, Edouard FERRAND, Laurenţiu REBEGA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6a. Recalls that high investment costs hamper the acquisition and leasing of farmland;

Amendment 234 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6a. Calls on the Commission to enable Member States to introduce national priority in the context of access to land via the sale or lease of farmland;

Amendment 235 #

Beata GOSIEWSKA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6a. Encourages the Member States to promote family farms, since they provide a guarantee that the environment will be respected in agricultural production;

Amendment 236 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 b (new)

6b. Recalls forested areas in this context;

Amendment 237 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. Takes the view that Member States' land market policy shcould help make it easier for ~~young people~~new entrants to enter agriculture, over and above the encouragement for young farmers enshrined in the common agricultural policy; ~~calls, therefore, for a comprehensive approach that helps enable qualified young farmers and new entrepreneurs to take over or start farms;~~

Amendment 238 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. Takes the view that land market policy should help make it easier for young people to enter agriculture, ~~over and above the encouragement for young farmers~~regardless of whether or not they take part in the programmes designed to help young farmers enter the sector enshrined in the common agricultural policy; calls, therefore, for a comprehensive approach that helps enable ~~qualified~~ young farmers ~~and new entrepreneurs~~, women and people wishing to take up farming to take over or start farms;

Amendment 239 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. Takes the view that land market policy should help make it easier for young people to enter agriculture~~, over and above the encouragement for young farmers enshrined in the common agricultural policy~~; calls, therefore, for a comprehensive approach that helps enable qualified young farmers and new entrepreneurs to take over or start farms;

Amendment 24 #

Philippe LOISEAU, Edouard FERRAND, Laurenţiu REBEGA

Motion for a resolution
Recital C

C. whereas land~~, a~~ is an increasingly scarce andsset, which is non-renewable, a~~sset, should not be treated as an ordinary item of merchandise,~~ nd whereas land is the basis of the human right to healthy and sufficient food and of many ecosystem services vital to survival and therefore should not be treated as an ordinary item of merchandise but its availability under private law should be guided and limited, and whereas land is furthermore doubly threatened both by the loss of agricultural land through soil sealing, urban development and infrastructure projects, and by the concentration of land in the hands of large- scale agricultural undertakings and investors from outside the farming sector;

Amendment 240 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. Takes the view that land market policy should help make it easier for young people to enter agriculture, over and above the encouragement for young farmers enshrined in the common agricultural policy; calls, therefore, for ~~a comprehensive approach that~~improvements to the programme of setting-up aid to facilitate the establishment of young farmers to helps enable qualified young farmers and new entrepreneurs to take over or start farms; considers that these setting- up policies should include measures to secure the market outlets of these new farms, guaranteeing those outlets and their prices and volumes for a period to be determined;

Amendment 241 #

Bronis ROPĖ, Maria HEUBUCH

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. ~~Takes the view that land market policy should help make it easier for young people to enter agriculture, over and above the~~Recalls the existence of encouragement for young farmers enshrined in the common agricultural policy, whose purpose is to promote their access to farming; calls, therefore, for a comprehensive approach that helps enable qualified young farmers and new entrepreneurs to take over or start farms;

Amendment 242 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

Amendment 243 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)

7a. Stresses the relevance of European structural policy to promoting rural areas, for example with a view to special assistance to small and medium-sized individual firms and cooperatives, young people and particularly women with regard to access to farmland;

Amendment 244 #

Philippe LOISEAU, Edouard FERRAND, Laurenţiu REBEGA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)

7a. Calls on the Commission and Member States to launch a comprehensive inquiry into the problems which arise in the transfer of farms from one generation to another, with particular reference to the transfer of farms outside the family;

Amendment 245 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)

7a. Proposes that Member States introduce incentives for the sale of farmland to farmers rather than to investors (either private investors or investment funds);

Amendment 246 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)

7a. Considers that local communities should be involved in decisions on land use;

Amendment 247 #

Vladimir URUTCHEV, Norbert ERDŐS, Daniel BUDA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)

7 a. Encourages the Commission, within the toolbox of the future CAP, to stimulate the set-up and implementation of specific Financial Instruments, administered by the Commission, to facilitate access to land for young farmers and new entrants; suggests, in this regard, in the case of deployment of financial instruments, the 10 % ceiling for the purchase of land, as provided in Article 69 of Regulation 1303/2013, not to be applied;

Amendment 248 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 b (new)

7 b. Taking into account, on the one hand the limited access to farmland in rural areas and the growing interest in urban and peri-urban agriculture, on the other, calls on the Member States to provide incentives for urban farm development and other forms of participatory farming and land-sharing arrangements;

Amendment 249 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 c (new)

7 c. Considering that farmland is the basis of food production, lasting ecosystems and lively rural areas, encourages Member States to engage more efforts in knowledge transfer through research and innovation projects to improve soil quality through the application of agri-environmental practices;

Amendment 25 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C

C. whereas land, as an increasingly scarce and non-renewable asset, should not be treated as an ordinary item of merchandise, and is furthermore doubly threatened both by the loss of agricultural land through soil sealing, urban development and tourism and infrastructure projects, and by the concentration of land in the hands of large- scale agricultural undertakings and investors from outside the farming sector;

Amendment 250 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Calls on the Member States to shape their land market policy in such a way as to curb the rise in farmland prices and rents; ~~further calls for these prices to be subject to an authorisation procedure which would also apply to mergers, splits and the establishment of foundations; takes the view that there~~underlines that national judicial systems need to protect all parties' rights in view of irregularities with lease contracts as well as that the national authorities should btake st~~ricter checks on lease contracts, a requirement to report irregularities, and the possibility of penalties, since renting is often the first step to purchasing~~eps to eliminate any loopholes in existing national legislation which make contract abuse possible; furthermore calls on the Member States to comprehensively and effectively address the change of agricultural use of farmland that is related with communal projects regarding infrastructure measures and associated ecological compensation measures;

Amendment 251 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Calls on the Member States to ~~shape~~ensure that their land market policy in ~~such a way as to curb the rise in farmland prices and rents; further calls for these prices to be subject to an authorisation procedure which would also apply~~cludes provisions applicable also to mergers, splits and the establishment of foundations; ~~tak~~urges the ~~view that there should be stricter checks on lease contracts, a requirement to report irregularities, and the possibility of penalties, since renting is often the first step to purchas~~m to ensure that leasing policy includes compulsory reporting provisions and the requirement for tenants to engage in farming;

Amendment 252 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Calls on the Member States to shape their land market policy in such a way as to ~~curb the rise in farmland prices and rents; further calls for these prices to be subject to an authorisation procedure which would also apply to mergers, splits and the establishment of foundation~~play a positive role in curbing the rise in farmland rents; takes the view that there should be stricter checks on lease contracts, a requirement to report irregularities, and the possibility of penalties, since renting is often the first step to purchasing;

Amendment 253 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Calls on the Member States to shape their land market policy in such a way as to curb the rise in farmland prices and rents; further calls for these prices to be subject to an authorisation procedure which would also apply to mergers~~, splits and the establishment of foundation~~ and splits; takes the view that there should be stricter checks on lease contracts, a requirement to report irregularities, and the possibility of penalties, since renting is often the first step to purchasing;

Amendment 254 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Calls on the Member States to shape ~~their~~ land market regulation policyies in such a way as to curb the rise in farmland prices and rents; further calls for these prices to be subject to an authorisation procedure which would also apply to mergers, splits and the establishment of foundations; takes the view that there should be stricter checks on lease contracts, a requirement to report irregularities, and the possibility of penalties, since renting is often the first step to purchasing;

Amendment 255 #

Laurenţiu REBEGA, Edouard FERRAND, Philippe LOISEAU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Calls on the Member States to shape their land market policy in such a way as to ~~curb the rise in farmland prices and rents; further calls for these prices~~permit access to ownership under financial conditions appropriate to farming; further calls for prices and rents for farmland to be subject to an authorisation procedure which would also apply to mergers, splits and the establishment of foundations; takes the view that there should be stricter checks on lease contracts, a requirement to report irregularities, and the possibility of penalties, since renting is often the first step to purchasing;

Amendment 256 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Calls on the Member States to shape their land market policy in such a way as to ~~curb~~monitor the rise in farmland prices and rents; further calls for these prices to be subject to an authorisation procedure which would also apply to mergers, splits and the establishment of foundations; takes the view that there should be stricter checks on lease contracts, a requirement to report irregularities, and the possibility of penalties, since renting is often the first step to purchasing;

Amendment 257 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Calls on the Member States to shape their land market policy in such a way as to c~~urb the rise in~~ontrol the farmland prices and rents; further calls for these prices to be subject to an authorisation procedure which would also apply to mergers, splits and the establishment of foundations; takes the view that there should be stricter checks on lease contracts, a requirement to report irregularities, and the possibility of penalties, since renting is often the first step to purchasing;

Amendment 258 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Calls on the Member States to shape their land market policy in such a way as to curb the rise in farmland prices and rents; further calls for these prices to be subject to an authorisation procedure which would also apply to mergers, splits and the establishment of foundations; takes the view that there should be stricter checks on lease contracts, a requirement to report irregularities, and the possibility of penalties in the event of unfair practices, since renting is often the first step to purchasing;

Amendment 259 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Calls on the Member States to shape their land market policy in such a way as to curb the rise in farmland prices and rents; further calls for these prices to be subject to an authorisation procedure which would also apply to mergers, splits and the establishment of foundations; takes the view that there should be stricter checks on lease contracts, a requirement to report irregularities, and the possibility of penalties, since renting is often the first step to purchasing; considers, in this context, that family farms should be protected and their right of self- determination preserved;

Amendment 26 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C

C. whereas land, as an increasingly scarce and non-renewable asset, should not be treated as an ordinary item of merchandise, and is furthermore doubly threatened both by the loss of agricultural land through soil sealing, urban development ~~and~~, infrastructure projects and related compensatory measures, and by the concentration of land in the hands of large-scale agricultural undertakings and investors from outside the farming sector;

Amendment 260 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)

8a. Calls on Member States to support or create appropriate institutions with state participation and public supervision for land management;

Amendment 261 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)

8a. Calls upon the Member States and the Commission to support all innovative land-sharing measures favourable to enabling young farmers to set up, particularly by means of investment funds based on the principle of solidarity which enable savers to invest their funds in a socially useful manner to assist young people who do not have sufficient resources to acquire land and to embark upon careers in farming;

Amendment 262 #

Philippe LOISEAU, Edouard FERRAND, Laurenţiu REBEGA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)

8 a. Recalls the positive measures taken by some Member States in regulating their land markets in order to avoid speculative land sales, including the introduction of a system of pre-emptive rights in favour of farmers and the participatory use and management of farmland in accordance with national practices;

Amendment 263 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)

8a. Proposes that compensatory measures be introduced by the State to supplement the purchase price payable by a farmer for land where the farmer cannot buy the land at the same price as is offered by an investment fund;

Amendment 264 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)

8a. Calls on Member States to take comprehensive and effective measures against the further withdrawal of land from farming by means of local- government planning and infrastructure measures and associated compensatory measures under nature conservation law;

Amendment 265 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)

8a. Encourages the Member States to use instruments to regulate the market in land, which are already being used successfully in some Member States, such as state licensing of land sales and leases, rights of pre-emption, obligations to cultivate the land in person, restrictions on the right of purchase by legal persons, ceilings on the number of hectares that may be bought, preference for local buyers, land banking, indexation of prices with reference to farm incomes, etc.; would remind Member States that tax legislation gives them an effective lever by means of which to regulate the land market; considers the French model of the 'SAFER' not-for-profit public limited companies to be an excellent example, but at the same time points out that existing models constantly need to be adapted to meet new challenges and take into account national circumstances;

Amendment 266 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 b (new)

8b. Calls on the Commission, together with Member States, to make an impact assessment of the cultural, social, ecological and economic impact of ongoing concentration of ownership of farmland for the rural population directly affected and the urban population which is indirectly affected;

Amendment 267 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 c (new)

8c. Would remind Member States that tax legislation gives them an effective lever by means of which to regulate the land market;

Amendment 268 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 d (new)

8d. Considers that land market policy should help to prevent the establishment of individual dominant positions on regional land markets;

Amendment 269 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Calls ~~for~~on the ~~implementation by the EU~~Member States, in the interest of developing a clear EU guiding principle for the structure of farming, ofto implement the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security of the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation~~, which has been ratified by all Member Stat~~ (FAO) and to report to the Commission and the FAO on the use and application of those guidelines in their land governance policies;

Amendment 27 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C

C. whereas land, as an increasingly scarce and non-renewable asset, should not be treated as an ordinary item of merchandise, and is furthermore doubly threatened both by the loss of agricultural land through soil sealing, urban development and infrastructure projects, changes of use and afforestation, and by the concentration of land in the hands of large-scale agricultural undertakings and investors from outside the farming sector;

Amendment 270 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Calls for the implementation by the EU and the Member States, in the interest of developing a clear EU guiding principle for the structure of farming, of the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security of the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation, which has been ratified by all Member States;

Amendment 271 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Calls ~~for~~on the ~~implementation by the EU, in the interest of developing a clear EU guiding principle for the structure of farming, of~~Commission to draft a set of general principles based on the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security ofissued by the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation~~, which has been~~ and ratified by all Member States;

Amendment 272 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Calls for the implementation by ~~the EU~~all EU Member States, in the interest of developing a clear EU guiding principle for the structure of farming, of the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security of the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation, which has been ratified by all Member States;

Amendment 273 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Calls for the implementation by the EU, in the interest of developing a clear EU guiding principle for the structure of farming, of the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security of the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation, which has been ratified by all Member States, whilst acknowledging that this should not grant the EU de facto competence over Member State competencies in the area of land tenure;

Amendment 274 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Calls for the implementation by the EU and its Member States, in the interest of developing a clear EU guiding principle for the structure of farming, of the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security of the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation, which has been ratified by all Member States; calls in particular for measures to be taken to subordinate the use of, and control over, such resources which are state-owned to wider social, economic and environmental objectives, and for an end to be put to undesirable impacts which land speculation and concentration have on local communities, particularly endangered groups;

Amendment 275 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

Amendment 276 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Calls for the implementation by the EU, in the interest of developing a clear EU guiding principle for the structure of farming, of the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security of the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation, which has been ratified by all Member States; calls moreover for the Nitrates Directive to be enforced in such a way as to devote greater attention to the regional cycle and for preparations to be made for amending the guidelines for implementation of the Birds and Habitats Directives;

Amendment 277 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)

9a. Considers that in future the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) should be designed to: - prevent public funds from being used to subsidise ownership rather than farming of farmland; - support small and medium-sized farms by means of mandatory capping and redistribution of hectare-based direct payments; - do more to promote and support access for young farmers of both genders and new entrants to farming;

Amendment 278 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)

9 a. Suggests in this regard that the Commission adopt Recommendations on EU land governance, in line with the spirit of the Voluntary Guidelines and taking into account the horizontal EU frameworks on agriculture, the environment, the internal market and territorial cohesion;

Amendment 279 #

Paul BRANNEN

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)

9 a. Suggests that direct payments would offer better value for money if they were payable based on the environmental and socio-economic public goods a farm holding delivers rather than solely on the land area it covers;

Amendment 28 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)

Ca. whereas unsealing and recultivation programmes in the Member States cannot halt the trend towards the loss of farmland;

Amendment 280 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)

9a. Is concerned by the recent loss of momentum in efforts under the common agricultural policy to ensure that people can stay in rural areas and in the farming sector by promoting the sustainable development of those areas in the European Union;

Amendment 281 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 b (new)

9b. Welcomes the amendments made to the common agricultural policy in 2013, which introduce measures to restrict the concentration of agricultural land; calls on the Member States to make greater use of those measures;

Amendment 282 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

Amendment 283 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

Amendment 284 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

Amendment 285 #

Viorica DĂNCILĂ, Daniel BUDA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

Amendment 286 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

Amendment 287 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

Amendment 288 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. ~~Proposes a mandatory cap~~Acknowledges the usefulness onf the part of direct payments exceeding the upper limit of EUR 150 000, as set out in Article 11 of Regulation No 1307/2013 (the Direct Payments Regulation), as well as the compulsory reduction by at least 5% of the part of the basic payment due to the farmer which exceedsmandatory gradual withdrawal of support under the 2013 reform of the CAP, as well as the withdrawal of the optional upper limit of EUR 150 000;

Amendment 289 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Proposes a mandatory cap on ~~the part of~~ direct payments exceeding the upper limit of EUR 150 000, as set out in Article 11 of Regulation No 1307/2013 (the Direct Payments Regulation), as well as the compulsory reduction by at least 5% of the part of the basic payment due to the farmer which exceeds EUR 150 000per farm which takes account of the people working on the farm concerned;

Amendment 29 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)

Ca. whereas land resources are a source of conflict not just over use, but also because of the rivalry between farming and non-farming investors and between generations of farmers, given that young people seeking to establish themselves have greater difficulty, due to the cost, in gaining access to land, especially when they do not come from a farming family;

Amendment 290 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Proposes a mandatory cap on the part of direct payments exceeding the upper limit of EUR 150 000, as set out in Article 11 of Regulation No 1307/2013 (the Direct Payments Regulation), as well as the compulsory reduction by at least 5% of the part of the basic payment due to the farmer which exceeds EUR 150 000that a ceiling be introduced for direct payments which each Member State should set itself with a view to the potential of the utilised agricultural area and the development of the agricultural sector in that country;

Amendment 291 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Proposes ~~a mandatory cap on~~reducing the part of direct payments exceeding the upper limit of EUR 150 000 by 5%, as set out in Article 11 of Regulation No 1307/2013 (the Direct Payments Regulation), as well as ~~the compulsory reduction by at least 5% of the part of the basic payment due to the farmer which exceeds~~mandatory capping using the upper limit of EUR 15300 000;

Amendment 292 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Proposes, a ~~mandatory~~fter consultation with those directly concerned, that consideration be given as a possible instrument to a cap on the part of direct payments exceeding the upper limit of EUR 150 000, as set out in Article 11 of Regulation No 1307/2013 (the Direct Payments Regulation), as well as the compulsory reduction by at least 5% of the part of the basic payment due to the farmer which exceeds EUR 150 000;

Amendment 293 #

Elisabeth KÖSTINGER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Proposes a mandatory cap on the part of direct payments exceeding the upper limit of EUR 150 000, as set out in Article 11 of Regulation No 1307/2013 (the Direct Payments Regulation), as well as the compulsory reduction by at least 5% of the part of the basic payment due to the farmer which exceeds EUR 150 000, and that in this context, for the purpose of determining the EUR 150 000 limit, it should be possible to take into account annually the costs of remuneration of labour on the farm (wages, salaries, overheads) as an expenditure item;

Amendment 294 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)

10a. Believes that, under the reformed CAP, ceilings should be introduced and the direct payments scheme adjusted in such a way as to give added weight to the first hectares and that steps should be taken to facilitate investment and the disbursement of direct aid to small farms; calls on the Commission to introduce a more effective aid redistribution system in order to guard against farmland concentration;

Amendment 295 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)

10a. Calls on the Commission to publish information not only on owners of farms that receive CAP subsidies but also on recipients such as land owners/parent companies;

Amendment 296 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)

10a. Proposes that the ratio of direct payments to coupled support be 20% to 80% in favour of coupled support, with each Member State establishing for itself the priority areas to subsidise;

Amendment 297 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

~~11. Takes the view that 30% of direct payments should be payable on the first hectare, provided that the requirements of Articles 41 and 42 of the Direct Payments Regulation are complied with;~~deleted

Amendment 298 #

Viorica DĂNCILĂ, Daniel BUDA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

Amendment 299 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

Amendment 3 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 6 a (new)

- having regard to the Commission Notice 2014/C153/03 (withdrawal of obsolete Commission proposals),

Amendment 30 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)

Ca. whereas there are a number of drivers of farmland grabbing, namely: increasing globalisation and the resulting entrenchment of the principle of free movement of capital, population growth and urbanisation, steadily growing demand for food and bio-energy, growing demand for natural resources and the unintended consequences of agricultural and environmental policy, as well as the ability to speculate on the value of farmland;

Amendment 300 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

Amendment 301 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

Amendment 302 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Takes the view that ~~30% of direct payments should be payable on~~the establishment of additional support for the first hectares, ~~provided that the requirements of Articles 41 and 42 of the Direct Payments Regulation are complied with~~which can be introduced on an optional basis, has in practice proved useful;

Amendment 303 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. ~~Takes the view that 30% of direct payments should be payable on the first hectare, provided that the requirements of Articles 41~~calls on the Commission to consider ways to strengthen small scale and family farming by an increased anid ~~42 of~~for the Dfir~~ect Payments Regulation are complied with~~st hectares;

Amendment 304 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Takes the view that Member States should be able to choose whether 30% of direct payments should be payable on the first hectare, provided that the requirements of Articles 41 and 42 of the Direct Payments Regulation are complied with;

Amendment 305 #

Elisabeth KÖSTINGER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Takes the view that 30% of direct payments should be payable on the first hectare, provided that a Member State at the same time applies the requirements of Articles 41 and 42 of the Direct Payments Regulation ~~are complied with~~;

Amendment 306 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. ~~Takes the view tha~~Proposes that at least 30% of direct payments should be payable on the first hectare, provided that the requirements of Articles 41 and 42 of the Direct Payments Regulation are complied with;

Amendment 307 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Takes the view that no less than 30% of direct payments should be payable on the first hectare, provided that the requirements of Articles 41 and 42 of the Direct Payments Regulation are complied with;

Amendment 308 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. ~~Takes the view~~Recommends that 30% of direct payments ~~should~~ be payable on the first hectare, provided that the requirements of Articles 41 and 42 of the Direct Payments Regulation are complied with;

Amendment 309 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)

11a. Proposes that capping and more favourable treatment of the first hectares should be calculated not per farm but per parent company;

Amendment 31 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)

Ca. whereas land grabbing by speculators of every description constitutes a real risk;

Amendment 310 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)

11 a. Calls on the Commission, in the framework of the debate on the future of CAP, to study new systems to allocate direct payments based on farming income or work units in order to alleviate farmland pressure;

Amendment 311 #

Bronis ROPĖ, Maria HEUBUCH

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)

11a. Recommends that the EU adopt a system of direct payments linked to agricultural work units rather than hectares;

Amendment 312 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)

11 a. Notes that is essential to level out direct payment rates between member states in order to ensure a level playing field for competition in the EU's single market, as well as for sustainable production;

Amendment 313 #

Philippe LOISEAU, Edouard FERRAND, Laurenţiu REBEGA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

~~12. Recommends to that end the adoption of a uniform definition throughout the EU of ‘active farmer’ which is clearly linked to the notion of work on a farm;~~deleted

Amendment 314 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. Recommends ~~to that end the adoption of a uniform definition throughout the EU~~retrospective harmonisation of the definitions of ‘'active farmer~~’ which is clearly linked to the notion of work on a farm~~' given by Member States; calls for such European harmonisation of the definition to be put to a vote in the European Parliament, not decided by the Commission alone;

Amendment 315 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. Recommends to that end the adoption of a uniform definition throughout the EU of ‘active farmer’ which is clearly linked to the notion of work on a farm, whilst acknowledging that there is no standard definition of "active farmer" due to the wide disparity in economic and activity risk taken on by farmers depending on prevailing national farm business structures;

Amendment 316 #

Daniel BUDA, Norbert ERDŐS, Viorica DĂNCILĂ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. Recommends to that end the adoption of a uniform definition throughout the EU of ‘active farmer’ which is clearly linked to the notion of work on a farm and that makes an accurate distinction between eligible and non- eligible land (e.g. airports, industrial open areas, golf courts);

Amendment 317 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. Recommends to that end the adoption of a uniform definition throughout the EU of ‘active farmer’ which is clearly linked to the notion of work on a farm; calls on the Commission to ensure that the beneficiaries of direct support are exclusively the active farmers;

Amendment 318 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. Recommends to that end the adoption of a uniform definition throughout the EU of ‘active farmer’ which is clearly linked to the notion of work on a farm that involves the production of food;

Amendment 319 #

Daniel BUDA, Norbert ERDŐS, Viorica DĂNCILĂ, Vladimir URUTCHEV

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. Recommends to that end the adoption of a uniform definition throughout the EU of ‘active farmer’ which is clearly linked to the notion of work on a farm for the production of food;

Amendment 32 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)

C a. whereas the Member States should be exclusively responsible for the land market policy;

Amendment 320 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. ~~Recommends to that end~~Urges the adoption of a uniform definition throughout the EU of ‘active farmer’ which is clearly linked to the notion of work on a farm;

Amendment 321 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)

12a. Encourages Member States to make greater use of the scope already available to them to cap and redistribute CAP funds;

Amendment 322 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13

~~13. Calls on the Commission to monitor all policy areas to see whether they promote or counteract the concentration of agricultural land in the EU;~~deleted

Amendment 323 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13

~~13. Calls on the Commission to monitor all policy areas to see whether they promote or counteract the concentration of agricultural land in the EU;~~deleted

Amendment 324 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13

13. Calls on the Commission to monitor all policy areas to see whether they promote or counteract the concentration of agricultural land in the EU and, with the participation of farmers and their organisations, as well as other relevant civil-society stakeholders, to launch a participatory and inclusive procedure to assess the existing situation with regard to the administration of farmland in the light of the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security of the of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS);

Amendment 325 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13

13. Calls on the Commission to monitor all relevant policy areas ~~to see whether they promote or counteract the concentration of agricultural land in the EU~~, such as agriculture, energy, environment, regional development, mobility, finance and investment, to see whether they promote or counteract the concentration of agricultural land in the EU, and to launch a consultation process in order, jointly with farmers and their organisations, as well as other relevant stakeholders, to assess the current state of implementation of the Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests ;

Amendment 326 #

Viorica DĂNCILĂ, Daniel BUDA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13

13. Calls on the Commission to monitor all policy areas to see whether they promote or counteract the concentration of agricultural land in the EU, and to establish a participatory and inclusive process, also including farming organisations, to assess the current land governance situation in the European Union based on the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests adopted by the Committee on World Food Security;

Amendment 327 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13

13. Calls on the Commission to monitor all policy areas to see whether they promote or counteract the concentration of agricultural land in the EU with a view to future CAP provisions and urges it to seek convergence by remedying the disparities between payments per hectare in the Member States, this being essential for future EU land market analysis;

Amendment 328 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13

13. Calls on the Commission to monitor all policy areas to see whether they promote or counteract the concentration of agricultural land in the EU; calls on the Member States confronted with the agricultural land concentration issue to identify viable measures to counteract the market imbalances;

Amendment 329 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13

13. Calls on the Commission to monitor all policy areas to see whether they promote or counteract the concentration of agricultural land in the EU, as part of a participatory and inclusive process involving farmers and farmers' associations;

Amendment 33 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C b (new)

Cb. whereas land is a costly production factor to finance; whereas it is linked to national inheritance rules, which entail the necessity of refinancing whenever a new generation takes over; whereas land prices affect land concentration; and whereas it can happen that farmers at the end of their working life who have no family will sell their farm - if they wish to bolster up their modest pension - to the highest bidder;

Amendment 330 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)

13a. Calls on the Commission to seek convergence by remedying the disparities between payments per hectare in the Member States, this being essential for future EU land market analysis;

Amendment 331 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)

13a. Recommends that Member States undertake a targeted examination of the national implementation of the existing CAP with reference to undesirable effects on concentration of land;

Amendment 332 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)

13a. Calls on the Member States that have not yet done so to revoke 'pocket contracts' and to punish the perpetrators as severely as possible;

Amendment 333 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 b (new)

13b. Calls on the Member States in which transitional periods following EU accession still apply with regard to the prohibition of the purchase of agricultural land from entities which are not legally authorised to sell it, pursuant to the conditions of the transitional period, to take appropriate measures in order to prevent the legalisation of 'pocket contracts' and to punish perpetrators as severely as possible;

Amendment 334 #

Elisabeth KÖSTINGER, Albert DESS, Michel DANTIN

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. Endorses the Commission’s finding that land is a finite resource which is already under much pressure as a result of climate change, soil erosion and over- exploitation, and calls for farmland to be given special protection with a view to ~~compliance with the four fundamental European freedoms, so that the Member States can regulate the sale and letting of agricultural~~letting Member States regulate the sale and lease of agricultural land in the light of social and environmental criteria along with the objectives of the Common Agricultural Policy, the case law by the European Court of Justice on land tenure and access to land inand the ~~light of social and environmental criteria~~four fundamental European freedoms; calls on the Commission to finally create a clear and comprehensive set of criteria for national regulations on land tenure and access to land;

Amendment 335 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. Endorses the Commission’s finding that land is a finite resource ~~which is already under much pressure as a~~ , and therefore sult of climate change, soil erosion and over- exploitation, and calls for farmland to be given special protection with a view to compliance with the four fundamental European freedoms, so that the Member States can regulate thepports ecosocial measures to protect the land, and once again draws urgent attention to the fact that land is a matter for which saole ~~and letting of agricultural land in the light of social and environmental criteria~~responsibility is vested in Member States;

Amendment 336 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. Endorses the Commission’s finding that land is a finite resource which is already under much pressure as a result of climate change, migration, soil erosion and over- exploitation, and calls for farmland to be given special protection with a view to compliance with the four fundamental European freedoms, so that the Member States can regulate the ~~sale and letting of agricultural land~~demand for agricultural land for alternative uses in the light of social and environmental criteria;

Amendment 337 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

Amendment 338 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. Endorses the Commission’s finding that land is a finite resource which is already under much pressure as a result of climate change, soil erosion and over- exploitation, and calls for farmland to be given special protection with a view to- besides respect for the objectives of the common agricultural policy and the case- law of the Court of Justice of the EU with regard to property policy, and compliance with the four fundamental European freedoms~~, so that~~ - to making it possible for the Member States ~~can~~to regulate the sale and letting of agricultural land in the light of agricultural, social and environmental criteria; calls on the Commission, taking the above into account, to finally create a clear and comprehensible legal framework for Member States' land legislation;

Amendment 339 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

Amendment 34 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D

D. whereas ~~the Member States, for their political decisions on land market policy, need~~ comprehensive, up-to- date, transparent and high-quality data on land tenure, property structures, leasing structures, price and volume movements on ~~the~~ land markets~~, as regards both ownership and renting~~ and also relevant social and environmental indicators at European level have so far been lacking and, in some Member States, are collected and published only incompletely;

Amendment 340 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

Amendment 341 #

Philippe LOISEAU, Edouard FERRAND, Laurenţiu REBEGA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. Endorses the Commission’s finding that land is a finite resource which is already under much pressure as a result of climate change, soil erosion and over- exploitation, and ~~calls for farmland to be given special protection~~, with a view to compliance with the four fundamental European freedoms, ~~so that~~calls for the Member States ~~can~~, in coordination with local authorities and farmers' organisations, to regulate the sale and letting of agricultural land in the light of social and environmental criteria;

Amendment 342 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

Amendment 343 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

Amendment 344 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. Endorses the Commission’s finding that land is a finite resource which is already under much pressure as a result of climate change, soil erosion and over- exploitation, and calls for farmland to be given special protection with a view to compliance with the four fundamental European freedoms, so that the Member States can regulate the sale and letting of agricultural land in the light of social and environmental criteria; stresses that, in any case, the will of the owners of agricultural land not to cede to the State the right to manage their estates shall be protected, particularly in the case of active farmers;

Amendment 345 #

Zbigniew KUŹMIUK, Stanisław OŻÓG, Jadwiga WIŚNIEWSKA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)

14a. Suggests that, in the interests of interinstitutional transparency, the Commission should give the European Parliament better insight into the documents on infringements of the Treaties and preliminary proceedings in connection with regulation of the land market by the Member States;

Amendment 346 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)

14a. Calls on the Commission to halt ongoing proceedings aimed at assessing the compliance of the legislation in force in Member States on trading in farmland with EU law;

Amendment 347 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. Ccalls on the Commission to ~~draw up and publish a list of criteria making it clear to the Member States what land market regulation measures are permitted in the context of the four freedoms of the European Union~~analyse the land market regulation measures applicable at national level, so as to determine whether they result in similar treatment for EU farmers;

Amendment 348 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. Calls on the Commission to ~~draw up and publish a list of criteria making it clear to the Member States what land market regulation measures are permitted in the context of the~~analyse the land market regulation measures in the Member States, so as to determine whether they result in similar treatment four ~~freedoms of the European Union~~EU farmers;

Amendment 349 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. Calls on the Commission to draw up and publish a list of criteria making it clear to the Member States what land market ~~regulation measures are~~policy objectives in the public interest and what measures for their attainment are, in its opinion, permitted in the context of the four freedoms of the European Union;

Amendment 35 #

Elisabeth KÖSTINGER, Albert DESS

Motion for a resolution
Recital D

D. whereas the Member States, for their political decisions on land market policy, need comprehensive, up-to-date, transparent and high-quality data on price and volume movements on the land markets, as regards both ownership and renting, along with relevant social and environmental indicators concerning land administration;

Amendment 350 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. Calls on the Commission to draw up and publish a list of criteria making it clear to the Member States what land market regulation measures are, at the minimum, permitted in the context of the four freedoms of the European Union, in the interests of easier access to the acquisition by farmers of land for use in farming and forestry;

Amendment 351 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. Calls on the Commission, in conjunction with the Member States and professionals, to draw up and publish a list of criteria making it clear to the Member States what land market regulation measures are permitted in the context of the four freedoms of the European Union;

Amendment 352 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. Calls on the Commission to draw up and publish a list of criteria making it clear to the Member States what land market regulation measures are permitted in the context of the four freedoms of the European Union, with particular reference given to the social mobility reasons as to why rural areas are becoming depopulated in the new Member States and corresponding pressure on land for house-building in the old Member States;

Amendment 353 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)

15a. Calls on the Commission to adopt a clear political position on farmland at EU level in the form of a European directive on equitable and sustainable access to farmland;

Amendment 354 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)

15a. Calls on the Commission to draw up an overview of the national provisions which currently apply to the purchase, sale and leasing of farmland and also to assess how efficient they are in attaining the above-mentioned objectives;

Amendment 355 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)

15a. Calls on the Commission to adopt clear and binding policy guidance on land in the European Union so as to ensure that the utilised agricultural area is maintained, that priority is given to the use of land for food production, that farmland is protected, and that small and medium-sized farms have access to that farmland;

Amendment 356 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 b (new)

15b. Calls on the Commission to support Member States in establishing a local advisory system for land owners, people interested in making purchases and local authorities and to promote the exchange of examples of best practice between Member States;

Amendment 357 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 b (new)

15b. Recognises the sovereignty of Member States with regard to land transactions, yet considers, at the same time, that an EU directive is needed to set out common European objectives and lay down legal minimum standards;

Amendment 358 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

16. Calls on the Commission ~~to raise the awareness of the Member States about, and support them in combating, corruption in connection with land sale~~and the Member States to adopt joint policies designed to facilitate access to land and to credit, which are necessary for young people in particular to be able to set up in farming and develop their farms;

Amendment 359 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

16. Calls on the Commission to raise the awareness of the Member States about, and support them in combating, tax evasion and corruption in connection with land ~~sale~~transactions;

Amendment 36 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D

D. whereas the Member States, for their political decisions on land market policy, need comprehensive, up-to-date, transparent and high-quality data on price and volume movements on the land markets, as regards both ownership and renting, as well as clear social and environmental indicators regarding land ownership;

Amendment 360 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

16. Calls on the Commission to raise the awareness of the Member States about, and support them in combating, corruption in connection with land ~~sale~~transactions;

Amendment 361 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

16. Calls on the Commission to raise the awareness of the Member States about, and support them in combating, corruption in connection with land ~~sale~~transactions;

Amendment 362 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

16. Calls on the Commission to raise the awareness of the Member States about, and support them in combating, corruption and inadmissible practices in connection with land sales;

Amendment 363 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

16. Calls on the Commission to raise the awareness of the Member States about, and support them in combating, corruption in connection with land sales; draws attention on the abuses under investigation by the judicial authorities in certain Member States concerning the farm land acquisition process;

Amendment 364 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)

16a. Welcomes the proposal to simplify the common agricultural policy, in particular those measures aimed at reducing costs and administrative burdens for family farms, as well as micro, small and medium-sized enterprises in rural areas;

Amendment 365 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 b (new)

16b. Calls on the Commission to maintain, during development of the draft common agricultural policy after 2020, measures to combat the concentration of agricultural land and to develop additional measures in support of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises;

Amendment 37 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)

Da. whereas sufficient market transparency is essential, including with regard to rational distribution of land, and should also extend to the activities of institutions active on the land market;

Amendment 38 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)

Da. whereas the farmland market is regulated in different ways in the individual Member States;

Amendment 39 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)

Da. whereas political decisions and legislation on land market policy are matters for the Member States, but have a serious impact on the competitiveness of farms on the internal market;

Amendment 4 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A

A. whereas ~~as early as~~in 20103, in the 27- member EU, only ~~2.7~~3.1% of farms controlled 5~~0.6~~2.2% of farmland in Europe, and whereas by contrast, in 20123, 8076.2% of farms had the use of only 11.2% of the agricultural land;

Amendment 40 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)

D a. Whereas existing statistical tools at EU level, such as the Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN), Eurostat Farm Structure Survey and the Integrated Administration and Control System (IACS) gather data on different aspects of land tenure;

Amendment 41 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D b (new)

Db. whereas, in its Special Report No 25/2016, the Court of Auditors of the EU is critical of the fact that the systems for mapping farmland which are used to calculate eligibility for aid on a land area basis need to be improved;

Amendment 42 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D b (new)

Db. whereas the sale of land to non- agricultural investors and holding companies is an urgent problem throughout the Union and whereas the new Member States in particular, since the moratoriums on the sale of land to foreigners expired, have faced particularly strong pressure to amend their legislation, because the comparatively low land prices accelerate the sale of farmland to large investors;

Amendment 43 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital E

E. whereas ~~a broad~~the distribution of assets in agricultural land is a~~n essential founding principle of the social market economy and an important precondition for the social cohesion~~ matter for Member State determination based on its own priorities in social cohesion, food security, and the rural vibrancy of a country’s economy;

Amendment 44 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital E

E. whereas a broad distribution of ~~asset~~farms in agricultural land isand employment in agriculture are an essential founding principle of the social market economy and an important precondition for the social cohesion of a country’s economy;

Amendment 45 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital E

E. whereas a broad distribution of assets in agricultural land is an essential founding principle of the social market economy and an important precondition for the social cohesion of a country’s economy and for social peace;

Amendment 46 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital E

E. whereas a broad distribution of assets in agricultural land is an essential founding principle of the social market economy and an important precondition for ~~the~~ social cohesion ~~of a country’s economy~~, for job creation in rural areas and for high agricultural value added;

Amendment 47 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital E

E. whereas a broad distribution of assets in agricultural land and of employment in the sector is an essential founding principle of the social market economy and an important precondition for the social cohesion of a country’s economy;

Amendment 48 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital Е

FE. whereas farmland areas are particularly important for water management and the climate, as well as for biodiversity and soil fertility, and are already suffering as a result of climate change and soil erosion; whereas owing to global warming some regions of the EU, particularly in southern Europe, will be exposed to drought, which will cause soil deterioration and limit access to good quality land and/or land fit for agricultural use;

Amendment 49 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital F

F. whereas farmland areas are particularly important for water management, the carbon budget, the production of healthy food and the climate, as well as for biodiversity and soil fertility, and are already suffering as a result of climate change and soil erosion;

Amendment 5 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A

A. whereas as early as 2010, in the 27- member EU, only 2.7% of farms controlled 50.6% of farmland in Europe, and whereas by contrast, in 2012, 80% of farms had the use of only 12% of the agricultural land; whereas this trend runs counter to the European sustainable, multifunctional agricultural model, in which family farms are an important feature;

Amendment 50 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital F

F. whereas ~~farmland area~~areas used for small-scale farming based on agroecological practices are particularly important for water management, emissions control and the climate, as well as for biodiversity ~~and~~, soil fertility and the production of high-quality food, and are already suffering as a result of climate change and soil erosion;

Amendment 51 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital F

F. whereas farmland areas used for smallholding farming in line with agro- ecological practices are particularly important for water and carbon management and the climate, as well as for biodiversity, the production of nutritious food and soil fertility, and are already suffering as a result of climate change and soil erosion;

Amendment 52 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital F

F. whereas farmland areas are particularly important for water management and the climate, as well as for biodiversity ~~and~~, soil fertility~~, and are alread~~ and landscape conservation, and are increasingly suffering as a result of climate change ~~and~~, soil erosion and poor cultivation;

Amendment 53 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital F

F. whereas farmland areas are particularly important for water management and the climate, as well as for biodiversity and soil fertility, and areound 20% of European farmland is already suffering as a result of climate change and water and wind soil erosion;

Amendment 54 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)

Fa. whereas there is a substantial imbalance in the distribution of high- quality farmland and whereas such land is decisive for the quality of food, food security and the wellbeing of people;

Amendment 55 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital F b (new)

Fb. whereas demand for food and feed, non-fossil fuel, renewable raw materials for the fuel, chemicals and textiles industries and the bioeconomy is constantly increasing, as, therefore, is the price of land;

Amendment 56 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital G

G. whereas land ownership is the best way of ensuring a responsible relationship with the land and sustainable land management, and also fosters identification and a sense of belonging, encouraging people to remain in rural areas; whereas this has an impact on the socio-economic infrastructure of rural areas, and whereas the separation of ownership and possession ~~increases the risk of a division within society, a loss in quality of work and life, and impoverishment~~can offer valuable opportunities for new entrants into farming and to encourage efficient and business-focused tenant farm enterprises;

Amendment 57 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital G

G. whereas land ownership ~~is the best way of~~ ensur~~ing~~es a responsible relationship with the land and sustainable land management, and also fosters identification and a sense of belonging, encouraging people to remain in rural areas; whereas this has an impact on the socio-economic infrastructure of rural areas~~, and whereas the separation of ownership and possession increases the risk of a division within society, a loss in quality of work and life, and impoverishment~~;

Amendment 58 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital G

G. whereas land ownership is the best way of ensuring a responsible relationship with the land and sustainable land management, and also fosters identification and a sense of belonging, encouraging people to remain in rural areas; whereas this has an impact on the socio-economic infrastructure of rural areas~~, and whereas the separation of ownership and possession increases the risk of a division within society, a loss in quality of work and life, and impoverishment~~;

Amendment 59 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital G

G. whereas ~~land ownership is~~secure, equitable and inclusive land tenure rights, including access to common goods, are the best way of ensuring a responsible relationship with the land and sustainable land management, and also fosters identification and a sense of belonging, encouraging people to remain and work in rural areas; whereas this has an impact on the socio-economic ~~infrastructure~~well- being of rural areas, and whereas the ~~separation of ownership and possession~~unequal distribution and control of land and natural resources increases the risk of a division within society, a loss in quality of work and life, and impoverishment;

Amendment 6 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)

Aa. whereas this places inequality of land use in the EU - with a Gini coefficient of 0.82 - on a par with that in such countries as Brazil, Columbia and the Philippines1a; _________________ 1aStudy entitled ‘Extent of Farmland Grabbing in the EU’ by the European Parliament’s Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development, p. 24 (PE 540.369).

Amendment 60 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital G

G. whereas ~~land ownership~~small-scale, diverse, multifunctional, site-specific agriculture with small and medium-sized farms, distributed ownership, secure tenure and access to common land, is the best way of ensuring a responsible relationship with the land and sustainable land management, and also fosters identification and a sense of belonging, encouraging people to remain in rural areas and enabling them to work there; whereas this has an positive impact on the socio-economic infrastructure of rural areas, and whereas the ~~separation of ownership and possession~~unequal distribution of, and access to, land and natural resources increases the risk of a division within society, a loss in quality of work and life, and impoverishment;

Amendment 61 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital G

G. whereas land ownership based on the principles of equality and inclusiveness, including access to common goods, is the best way of ensuring a responsible relationship with the land and sustainable land management, and also fosters identification and a sense of belonging, encouraging people to remain and to work in rural areas; whereas this has an impact on the socio-economic infrastructure of rural areas, and whereas ~~the separation of ownership and possession~~unfair distribution of land and resources increases the risk of a division within society, a loss in quality of work and life, and impoverishment;

Amendment 62 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital G

G. whereas land ownership, or tenant farmer or sharecropper status to protect the person cultivating the land, is the best way of ensuring a responsible relationship with the land and sustainable land management~~, and also fosters identification and a sense of belonging,~~; whereas these forms of tenure encourag~~ing~~e people to remain in rural areas~~; whereas this has an impact on~~ and also help to keep the socio- economic infrastructure ~~of rural areas, and whereas the separation of ownership and possession inc~~in place and prease~~s the risk of a division within society, a loss in quality of work and life, and impoverishment~~rve the rural way of life;

Amendment 63 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital G

G. whereas land ownership, or properly regulated tenancy, is the best way of ensuring a responsible relationship with the land and sustainable land management, and also fosters identification and a sense of belonging, encouraging people to remain in rural areas; whereas this has an impact on the socio-economic infrastructure of rural areas, and whereas the separation of ownership and possession increases the risk of a division within society, a loss in quality of work and life, and impoverishment;

Amendment 64 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital G

G. whereas land ownership is the best way of ensuring a responsible relationship with the land and sustainable land management, and also fosters identification and a sense of belonging, encouraging people to remain in rural areas; whereas this has an impact on the socio-economic infrastructure of rural areas, and whereas the separation of ownership and possession increases the risk of a division within society, a loss in quality of work and life, and impoverishment; whereas if farmers do not own their land, they must hold it on leases that should be robust and long enough to ensure a return on their investment;

Amendment 65 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital G

G. whereas land ownership is the best way of ensuring a responsible relationship with the land and sustainable land management, and also fosters identification and a sense of belonging, encouraging people to remain in rural areas; whereas this has an impact on the socio-economic infrastructure of rural areas, endangering the food security and whereas the separation of ownership and possession increases the risk of a division within society, a loss in quality of work and life, and impoverishment;

Amendment 66 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital G

G. whereas land ownership is the best way of ensuring a responsible relationship with the land and sustainable land management, and also fosters identification and a sense of belonging, enabling and encouraging people to remain in rural areas; whereas this has an impact on the socio-economic infrastructure of rural areas, and whereas the separation of ownership and possession increases the risk of a division within society, a loss in quality of work and life, and impoverishment;

Amendment 67 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital G

G. whereas land ownership is the best way of ensuring a responsible relationship with the land and sustainable land management, and also fosters identification and a sense of belonging, encouraging people to remain in rural areas; whereas this has an impact on the socio-economic infrastructure of rural areas, and whereas the separation of ownership and possession increases the risk of a division within society, social imbalances, a loss in quality of work and life, and impoverishment;

Amendment 68 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital G a (new)

Ga. whereas the high – and growing – concentration of power in sectors connected to the EU's food market makes the violation of consumer rights possible, reduces incomes for farmers and increases their exposure to processes involving the buying up and concentration of agricultural land;

Amendment 69 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital G b (new)

Gb. whereas the buying up of agricultural land in the EU is not spread evenly across the EU and is particularly concentrated in the eastern and south- eastern Member States;

Amendment 7 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)

Aa. whereas this unequal distribution of farmland is the counterpart of unequal distribution of CAP subsidies, as direct payments, which account for a large proportion of CAP expenditure, are mainly made per hectare;

Amendment 70 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital G c (new)

Gc. whereas cases of fraud during the purchase of land have been recorded in eastern and south-eastern Member States which involve the use of 'pocket contracts', in which the date of the conclusion of the contract is falsified in violation of the right of new Member States and their citizens to be protected on the European agricultural land market during the transitional period on account of their lower purchasing power;

Amendment 71 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital G d (new)

Gd. whereas the buying up of agricultural land, in combination with the high capital costs of EU agriculture, which is particularly evident in eastern and south-eastern Europe, leads to agricultural production being abandoned on small family farms and makes it difficult for young people to take up work in the agricultural sector;

Amendment 72 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital G e (new)

Ge. whereas the buying up of land leads to significant changes in the European agricultural production model, which is based on family farms and on micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, to the benefit of major corporations, and such a change is accompanied by a negative impact on the food sovereignty of Member States and Europe as a whole, as well as potentially on food security in the long term;

Amendment 73 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital G f (new)

Gf. whereas the purchase of land by way of privatisation and/or expropriation of large areas of agricultural land and natural resources and their management play an active role in the constant weakening of the socio-economic viability of rural areas and contribute to their collapse;

Amendment 74 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital G g (new)

Gg. whereas the buying up of agricultural land leads to both the land and the environment being degraded, since it replaces a diverse and sustainable model of farming based on good agricultural practices with an industrial model that focuses on monoculture cultivation and relies on the use of heavy machinery and agrochemical substances;

Amendment 75 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital H

H. whereas the aim of Europe’s agricultural policy is a multi-functional agriculture characterised by ~~capital- owning~~small to medium-sized family and cooperative farms with land ownership, a broad distribution of assets ~~and~~, secure tenure and access to commonland, which are managed sustainably and thus guarantee a diverse, residence-based agricultural structure with traditions, legal certainty and responsibility for the benefit of society, the environment and future generations;

Amendment 76 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital H

H. whereas the aims of Europe’s agricultural policy ishould be: a multi- functional agriculture characterised by ~~capital- owning family and cooperative farms, a broad distribution of assets and a diverse,~~a majority of small and medium-sized smallholdings and cooperative farms; guaranteed access to land for those farms; ecologically sustainable production methods; decent work and residence-based agricultural structure with traditions, legal certainty and responsibility;

Amendment 77 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital H

H. whereas the aim of Europe’s agricultural policy is a multi-functional agriculture characterised by capital-owning family and cooperative farms, equal access to resources, a broad distribution of assets, environmentally sustainable production methods and a diverse, residence-based agricultural structure with traditions, legal certainty and responsibility;

Amendment 78 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital H

H. whereas the aim of Europe’s agricultural policy is a multi-functional agriculture characterised by capital-owning family and cooperative farms, a broad distribution of assets and a diverse, residence-based agricultural structure with traditions, legal certainty and responsibility that safeguards traditional products and fosters innovation;

Amendment 79 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital H

H. whereas the aim of Europe’s agricultural policy is to preserve the European model of farming, based on a multi-functional agriculture characterised by capital-owning family and cooperative farms, a broad distribution of assets and a diverse, residence-based agricultural structure with traditions, legal certainty and responsibility;

Amendment 8 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)

Aa. whereas some Member States have undergone forced collectivisation, which disrupted the natural development of ownership structures for agricultural land;

Amendment 80 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital Η

H. whereas the aim of Europe’s agricultural policy is a multi-functional agriculture with a balanced output characterised by capital-owning family and cooperative farms, a broad distribution of assets and a diverse, residence-based agricultural structure with traditions, legal certainty and responsibility;

Amendment 81 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital H

H. whereas the aim of Europe’s agricultural policy is a multi-functional agriculture characterised primarily by capital-owning family and cooperative farms, a broad distribution of assets and a diverse, residence-based agricultural structure with traditions, legal certainty and responsibility;

Amendment 82 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital H a (new)

Ha. whereas a high proportion of farmland is currently held by large non- agricultural investors and large farmers and whereas, in addition to being incompatible with the EU's sustainable, multi-functional agricultural model based mainly on family-run farms, this trend is jeopardising the achievement of the objectives laid down in Articles 39 and 191 of the TFEU, is at odds with the structural objective of a broad farmland ownership base, is causing irreparable harm to the economic fabric of rural areas and is conducive to the type of industrialised farming that results in heightened food safety risks, exacerbates soil degradation and diminishes food security;

Amendment 83 #

Nicola CAPUTO, Maria NOICHL

Motion for a resolution
Recital H a (new)

Ha. whereas agriculture based on small and medium-sized farms run by families alone or with the support of consumers (Community Supported Agriculture, CSA) is a very promising model for the future, including from the economic point of view, as these farms often feature a good deal of internal diversification, making them resilient, and contribute to a high level of added value in rural areas;

Amendment 84 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital H b (new)

Hb. whereas, in addition to producing food, family-run farms perform other important social and environmental functions for which an industrialised farming model dominated by large businesses cannot cater;

Amendment 85 #

Daniel BUDA, Norbert ERDŐS, Viorica DĂNCILĂ

Motion for a resolution
Recital I

I. whereas ~~the concentration of farmland may result~~ successive Common Agricultural Policy reforms have had the specific objective of securing a better quality of life for farmers by reducing the ~~loss of~~overall number of farmers and agricultural jobs;

Amendment 86 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital I

I. whereas the concentration of farmland may result in the loss of agricultural jobs, decreasing the standard of living for the agricultural community and the availability of food supplies, creating unbalances in territorial development;

Amendment 87 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital I

I. whereas the concentration of farmland adversely affects the development of rural communities and may result in the loss of agricultural jobs;

Amendment 88 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital I

I. whereas the concentration of farmland ~~may~~ results in the loss of agricultural jobs;

Amendment 89 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital Θ

I. whereas the concentration of farmland may result in the loss of agricultural jobs and an increase in social inequality;

Amendment 9 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A b (new)

Ab. whereas the actual distribution of land and subsidies could be even more unequal, as the statistics available do not make it possible to establish anything about the ownership and control of farms;

Amendment 90 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital I

I. whereas the concentration of farmland may result in the loss of agricultural jobs and in social imbalances;

Amendment 91 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital I

I. whereas the concentration of farmland may result in the loss of agricultural jobs and the associated possible collapse of rural areas;

Amendment 92 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital J

J. whereas, if the agricultural sector is to have a future, it depends on the younger generation and its willingness to innovate and invest, which is decisive for the future of rural areas, as this is the only way to halt the ageing of the farming population and secure farm succession, ands a result of which the intergenerational contract also loses validity; whereas on the other hand it is particularly difficult for young farmers and new entrepreneurs to gain access to land;

Amendment 93 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital J

J. whereas, if the agricultural sector is to have a future, it depends on the younger generation, as this is the only way to halt the ageing of the farming population and secure farm succession, and whereas on the other hand it is particularly difficult for young farmers and new entrepreneurs to gain access to land, demonstrating why national policies as to inheritance, taxation, land tenure and ownership are so important;

Amendment 94 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital Й

J. whereas, if the agricultural sector is to have a future, it depends on the younger generation, as this is the only way to halt the ageing of the farming population and secure farm succession, and whereas on the other hand it is particularly difficult for young farmers and new entrepreneurs to gain access to land, a situation which is liable to make the sector less attractive;

Amendment 95 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital Ι

J. whereas, if the agricultural sector is to have a future, it depends on the younger generation, as this is the only way to halt the ageing of the farming population and above all to secure farm succession and the continuity of know-how from one generation to the next, and whereas on the other hand it is particularly difficult for young farmers and new entrepreneurs to gain access to land;

Amendment 96 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital J

J. whereas, if the agricultural sector is to have a future, it depends on the younger generation, as this is the only way to halt the ageing of the farming population and secure farm succession and generational renewal, and whereas on the other hand it is particularly difficult for young farmers and new entrepreneurs to gain access to land;

Amendment 97 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital J

Amendment 98 #