2021/2079(INI) | [ParlTrack]

Draft opinion
Recital A

A. whereas the agri-food sector is of strategic importance for islands and the outermost regions in terms of using natural resources more sustainably; whereas the new representative concentration pathway (RCP) climate scenario RCP4.5 forecasts acute future problems for agriculture, water availability and accessibility and food security;

Amendment 10 #

Draft opinion
Recital B a (new)

B a. Whereas farmers in island regions face specific difficulties, especially decreased competitiveness, due to the fact that they have to bear high transport costs and cannot benefit from economies of scale, given that land is a scarce resource on many islands; whereas they often have to cope with difficult climatic and topographic conditions;

Amendment 11 #

Irène TOLLERET, Adrián VÁZQUEZ LÁZARA, Atidzhe ALIEVA-VELI

Draft opinion
Recital B a (new)

B a. Whereas many of Europe's outermost islands are also volcanic islands, which adds to their geographical handicaps a high risk of natural disasters and serious damage to agricultural production.

Amendment 12 #

Draft opinion
Recital B a (new)

B a. Whereas islands, especially outermost regions, are very vulnerable to economic crises and, following the Covid- 19 epidemic, they have suffered more severe supply difficulties than mainland areas.

Amendment 13 #

Cristina MAESTRE, Clara AGUILERA, Giuseppe FERRANDINO, Paolo DE CASTRO, Isabel CARVALHAIS

Draft opinion
Recital B a (new)

Ba. whereas the specific characteristics of insular and outermost areas have been amplified by the adverse impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, creating particular difficulties for farmers;

Amendment 14 #

Draft opinion
Recital B a (new)

B a. whereas insular territories in the Union account for 80% of European diversity and represent a landscape and environmental treasure that requires specific protection;

Amendment 15 #

Cristina MAESTRE, Clara AGUILERA, Giuseppe FERRANDINO, Paolo DE CASTRO, Isabel CARVALHAIS

Draft opinion
Recital B b (new)

B b. whereas these regions are at a strong disadvantage due to competition from third countries, which do not respect the same environmental and food safety production standards, and have much lower labour costs, making it very difficult to afford new investments intended to improve their competitiveness and to adapt to new EU legal requirements.

Amendment 16 #

Draft opinion
Recital B b (new)

B b. whereas a substantial part of the socio-economic development of islands is based on sectors with a high temporary rate as it is the case for agriculture and tourism; whereas this socio-economic development is sometimes threatened by the islands’ own geological, geographical, climatic specificities, and diverse characteristics;

Amendment 17 #

Draft opinion
Recital B b (new)

B b. Whereas islands are highly vulnerable in the face of climate change and extreme weather events, such as hurricanes, this situation being especially problematic for insular Outermost Regions, as they are located further away from the continents,in vast ocean basins;

Amendment 18 #

Draft opinion
Recital B b (new)

Bb. whereas all Member States will need to comply with the farm to fork strategy as an essential part of the European Green Deal in order to develop fair, healthy and environmentally friendly food supply systems;

Amendment 19 #

Draft opinion
Recital B c (new)

B c. Whereas the impact of the Farm- to-Fork strategy on EU agricultural production may have severe consequences in these regions due to their weak competitiveness vis-à-vis imports from third countries and the challenges they face in the diversification of their productions.

Amendment 2 #

Cristina MAESTRE, Clara AGUILERA, Giuseppe FERRANDINO, Paolo DE CASTRO, Isabel CARVALHAIS

Draft opinion
Recital A

A. whereas the agri-food sector is of strategic importance for islands in terms of using natural resources more sustainably; whereas the new representative concentration pathway (RCP) climate scenario RCP4.5 forecasts acute future problems for agriculture, the ecological balance, water availability and food security;

Amendment 20 #

Draft opinion
Recital B c (new)

B c. whereas islands have faced specific difficulties during the COVID-19 pandemic due to their geographical isolation and difficulties in accessing basic supplies from mainland territories, such as fuel or water;

Amendment 21 #

Irène TOLLERET, Adrián VÁZQUEZ LÁZARA, Atidzhe ALIEVA-VELI

Draft opinion
Recital B d (new)

B d. Whereas services of general interest are not fully developed in all islands, mainly due to insufficient investments in basic infrastructures, such as roads, water supply or waste management facilities, which further hinders the development of viable agricultural production.

Amendment 22 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Calls on the Commission to maintain appropriate funding, including through the programmes for the outermost regions and smaller Aegean islands, particularly the Programme of Options Specifically Relating to Remoteness and Insularity (POSEI) for farming, applying the requisite fair increase, to enhance agricultural competitiveness, ensure sustainable management of natural resources and support harmonised and balanced territorial development on EU islands; reiterates, further, the importance of ensuring 85% cofinancing for the outermost regions under the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD);

Amendment 23 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Calls on the Commission to maintain appropriate funding, including through ~~the~~specific programmes for the outermost regions and for smaller Aegean islands, to enhance agricultural competitiveness, ~~ensure sustainable management of natural resources and support balanced territorial development on EU islan~~safeguard the development of traditional farming activities, protect the regions' supplies of essential agricultural products, ensure sustainable management of natural resources and support balanced territorial development; stresses that the current appropriations for these programmes are insufficient to meet the regions' specific needs;

Amendment 24 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Calls on the Commission to maintain appropriate funding, earmarked for specific measures, including through the programmes for the outermost regions and smaller Aegean islands, to enhance agricultural competitiveness, ensure sustainable management of natural resources, develop short supply chains, promote easier access to new technologies and support balanced territorial development on all EU islands;

Amendment 25 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Calls on the Commission to maintain appropriate funding, including through the programmes for the outermost regions and smaller Aegean islands, to enhance agricultural competitiveness, ensure sustainable management of natural resources, strict protection of ecosystems representing biodiversity hotspots and support balanced territorial development on EU islands;

Amendment 26 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Calls on the Commission to ~~maintain appropri~~increase the dedicated funding, including ~~through the~~by expanding programmes for the outermost regions and smaller Aegean islands, to enhance agricultural competitiveness, without distortion, so as to ensure sustainable management of natural resources and support balanced territorial development on EU islands and in the EU's outermost regions;

Amendment 27 #

Cristina MAESTRE, Clara AGUILERA, Giuseppe FERRANDINO, Paolo DE CASTRO

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Calls on the Commission to maintain appropriate funding, including through the programmes for the outermost regions and smaller Aegean islands, to enhance ~~agricultural~~ competitiveness~~, ensure~~ for sustainable farming practice by providing schemes which are supporting sustainable management of natural resources and support balanced territorial development on EU islands;

Amendment 28 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Calls on the Commission to maintain a~~ppropriate funding, including through the~~dequate levels of funding via POSEI programmes for ~~the~~ outermost regions and ~~smaller~~ Aegean islands in its entirety within the CAP and without budget cuts, to enhance agricultural competitiveness, ensure sustainable management of natural resources and support balanced territorial development on EU islands;

Amendment 29 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Calls on the Commission to maintain appropriate funding, including through the programmes for the outermost regions of the Union (POSEI scheme) and smaller Aegean islands, to enhance agricultural competitiveness, ensure sustainable management of natural resources and support balanced territorial development on EU islands;

Amendment 3 #

B. whereas agriculture on islands isand their economic development are hampered by their remote location, isolation and insularity, small holdings, limited diversity in production, dependence on local and continental European markets, the climate crisis, environmental degradation, biodiversity loss and a lack of energy, fresh water and digital ~~infrastructure~~, road, port and health infrastructure, and whereas islands in the outermost regions face a double insularity;

Amendment 30 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Calls on the Commission to ~~maintain~~promote appropriate funding, including through the programmes for the outermost regions and smaller Aegean islands, to enhance agricultural competitiveness, ensure sustainable management of natural resources and support balanced territorial development on EU islands;

Amendment 31 #

Irène TOLLERET, Adrián VÁZQUEZ LÁZARA, Atidzhe ALIEVA-VELI

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1a. Recalls the conclusions set out in the 2016 European Commission report1-A on the implementation of the POSEI, which stressed the programme's key role in safeguarding traditional activities, diversifying farming production for local consumption, and ensuring a decent supply of farming products; stresses, further, that according to the same report, without the specific POSEI scheme, any cessation of farming production could affect coverage of certain specific needs, including employment, environmental matters and the territorial aspect of the regions. _________________ 1-A COM (2016) 797 final

Amendment 32 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1 a. Welcomes the maintenance of the POSEI funds in the current EU financial framework, and stresses the role played by this program in supporting agricultural production and supply in outermost regions through specific tools; nevertheless, asks the Commission to make an in-depth evaluation of the financial needs of those regions to help them achieve the ecological transition and to improve their economic resilience.

Amendment 33 #

Cristina MAESTRE, Clara AGUILERA, Giuseppe FERRANDINO, Paolo DE CASTRO, Isabel CARVALHAIS

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1 a. Calls on the Commission to maintain the long-term co-financing rate for the outermost regions at 85% for the EAFRD in order to ensure the socio- economic development of these territories and thereby alleviate the problems arising from their remote location;

Amendment 34 #

Cristina MAESTRE, Clara AGUILERA, Giuseppe FERRANDINO, Paolo DE CASTRO, Isabel CARVALHAIS

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 b (new)

1 b. Urges the Commission to increase the financial allocations for POSEI in the event of exceptional situations, such as the current one faced by the agricultural sector in the island of La Palma (Canary Islands) after the eruption of the volcano which began on 19 September 2021; calls for urgent action by the EU to ensure that the aid reaches the affected farmers in a rapid and effective manner; recalls that the eruption endangers a unique agricultural sector such as the Canary Islands banana industry, with estimated losses that exceed 100 million euros;

Amendment 35 #

Cristina MAESTRE, Clara AGUILERA, Giuseppe FERRANDINO, Paolo DE CASTRO, Isabel CARVALHAIS

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Stresses the need to strengthen both the integrated territorial development approach towards islands and initiatives such as those on smart villages and digital innovation hubs with regard to islands in order to support sustainable agriculture and food production; highlights the importance of promoting the smart use of energy and water in order to ensure that islands make the most out of their scarce resources available;

Amendment 36 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Stresses the need to strengthen both the integrated territorial development approach towards islands, such as integrated territorial investments and community-led local development, and initiatives such as th~~ose on s~~e Smart vVillages and dEuropean Digital iInnovation hHubs with regard to islands in order to support sustainable agriculture and food production as well as agro-tourism;

Amendment 37 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Stresses the need to strengthen both the integrated territorial development approach towards islands and the outermost regions and initiatives such as those on smart villages and digital innovation hubs with regard to islands and the outermost regions in order to support ~~sustainable~~diversified agriculture and sustainable and competitive food production;

Amendment 38 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Stresses the need to strengthen both the integrated territorial development approach towards islands and initiatives such as those on smart villages and digital innovation hubs with regard to islands in order to support sustainable agriculture and food production with special focus on environmentally friendly mode practices;

Amendment 39 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2 a. Stresses the need for the further implementation of the Cork II declaration on a better life in rural areas which was signed by more than 340 rural development stakeholders to reflect on the current challenges and opportunities facing Europe’s rural areas and how best to respond to these.

Amendment 4 #

Draft opinion
Recital B

B. whereas agriculture holdings on islands ~~is hamper~~, most of them small farms, are challenged by their remote location, ~~small holdings,~~a limited diversity inof production, due to local and climatic conditions, a high dependence on local markets, the climate crisis, environmental degradation, biodiversity loss and a lack of energy, often a lack of fresh water and digital infrastructure;

Amendment 40 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2a. Points to the importance of the existence of a regular and effective maritime and air transport sector, including airport infrastructure with decent conditions, to the development of EU islands' farming sectors, particularly islands suffering the constraints of their outermost position;

Amendment 41 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 b (new)

2b. Believes that live animals should continue to be transported by sea, given the heavy dependence on exports of some islands' farming sectors, mainly the smallest islands, which cannot ship animal carcasses owing to their small size and resulting lack of infrastructure;

Amendment 42 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Stresses that biodiversity on islands is characterized by unique biogeographic, phylogenetic and functional characteristics, hold a disproportionate amount of the world's biodiversity, and they have also experienced a disproportionate loss of it; Stresses that targeted regional policies and actions to protect and restore the unique biodiversity of islands as well as to preserve the scarce natural resources on them, such as soil and water, are required to safeguard their agricultural productivity and ~~natural resources and~~secure the island livelihoods;

Amendment 43 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Stresses that targeted regional policies and actions to protect and restore the unique biodiversity of islands are required to safeguard their agricultural productivity and natural resources and island livelihoods; for this reason, strongly advises against any weakening of environmental regulations in islands and calls on the Commission and member states to prefer instead a strengthened support of farmers towards biodiversity friendly practices, including through higher funding and co-financing rates,

Amendment 44 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Stresses that targeted regional policies and actions to protect and restore the unique biodiversity of islands are required to safeguard their agricultural productivity and natural resources and island livelihoods; Considers that set eligibility conditions should ensure the protection of the irreplaceable values of overseas territories and should not compromise these for the sake of development;

Amendment 45 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Stresses that targeted regional policies and actions to protect and restore the unique biodiversity of islands and the outermost regions are required to safeguard ~~their~~and sustain local agricultural productivity ~~and~~for small family farms and also for medium-sized and large farms, natural resources and island livelihoods;

Amendment 46 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Stresses that targeted regional policies and actions, such as more coordinated technical assistance, to protect and restore the unique biodiversity of islands are required to safeguard their agricultural productivity and natural resources and island livelihoods, while helping to achieve European Green Deal objectives;

Amendment 47 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Stresses that targeted regional policies and actions, fostered and supported by the European Union, to protect and restore the unique biodiversity of islands are required to safeguard their agricultural productivity and natural resources and island livelihoods;

Amendment 48 #

Cristina MAESTRE, Clara AGUILERA, Giuseppe FERRANDINO, Paolo DE CASTRO

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Stresses that targeted ~~regional~~ policies and actions to protect and restore the unique biodiversity of islands are required to safeguard their agricultural productivity, particularly traditional products, and natural resources and island livelihoods;

Amendment 49 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3 a. Regrets that EU policies do not always take into account the specific characteristics of the most remote island territories and that the needs of these regions are under-represented in European legislation; recalls that the EU lacks a specific strategy to address the problems and challenges of outermost regions; calls on the European Commission to consider launching a strategy to study and analyse the needs of these territories in detail;

Amendment 5 #

Draft opinion
Recital B

B. whereas agriculture on islands is hampered by their remote location, the small size of holdings, the dependence on energy from mainland, the limited diversity in production, the dependence on local markets, as well as by the climate crisis, the environmental degradation, biodiversity loss and athe lack of ~~energy,~~ fresh water supply and digital infrastructure;

Amendment 50 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3 a. Highlights the need to adapt as much as possible to climate change, notably in the food and farming sector; stresses that a resilient agriculture using locally adapted crops has better chances to withstand the effects of climate change; calls on the Member states to make the best use of funds available, and notably of the cohesion funds to support farmers in making the necessary changes in that regard;

Amendment 51 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3 a. Notes that island agricultural and food products are of unique quality due to islands' specific microclimatic and topographic conditions; calls for the creation of a quality label for island products; is of the view that this will increase competitiveness in particular of smaller islands and empower small farmers;

Amendment 52 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Calls on the Member States to utilise all available tools under cohesion policy to reinforce the self-sustainability of islands, inter alia through the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources, and make them an integral part of the transition towards sustainable food systems, thus turning geographical handicaps into opportunities; is of the view that promoting the role of islands in the sustainable food chain through the EU regional policy instruments could generate additional job opportunities and halve the depopulation trend in island regions;

Amendment 53 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Calls on the Member States to utilise all available tools under cohesion policy to reinforce the self-sustainability of islands and make them an integral part of the transition towards sustainable food systems, thus turning geographical handicaps into opportunities; points out that this transition is more difficult and slower for regional islands such as the outermost regions, where the costs of their geographical and structural disadvantages have hindered their ability to invest in and seize opportunities, including in the farming sector;

Amendment 54 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Calls on the Member States to utilise all available tools under cohesion policy to reinforce the food, agricultural and economic self-sustainability of islands and the outermost regions and make them an integral part of the transition towards sustainable food systems, thus turning geographical handicaps such as insularity and remote location into opportunities;

Amendment 55 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Calls on the Member States to utilise all available tools under cohesion policy to identify and promote opportunities for interaction between the various European channels of assistance, in order to reinforce the self-sustainability of islands and make them an integral part of the transition towards sustainable food systems, thus turning geographical handicaps into opportunities;

Amendment 56 #

Cristina MAESTRE, Clara AGUILERA, Giuseppe FERRANDINO, Paolo DE CASTRO

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

Amendment 57 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Calls on the Member States to utilise all available tools under cohesion policy to reinforce food sovereignty and the self-sustainability of islands and make them an integral part of the transition towards sustainable food systems, thus turning geographical handicaps into opportunities;

Amendment 58 #

Cristina MAESTRE, Clara AGUILERA, Giuseppe FERRANDINO, Paolo DE CASTRO, Isabel CARVALHAIS

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4 a. Calls on the Commission to take into account the specific problems faced by European islands during COVID-19; calls on the Commission to take into account their impact on agriculture and livestock farming in islands where the isolation and cessation of the economy put at risk the access to basic supplies as fuel and water from mainland territory;

Amendment 59 #

Cristina MAESTRE, Clara AGUILERA, Giuseppe FERRANDINO, Paolo DE CASTRO, Isabel CARVALHAIS

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4 a. Stresses the need to support remunerative and environmentally friendly short supply chains and the development of a farming sector geared in priority towards local consumption, as opposed to the situation in some islands where the farming sector is mainly producing for commercialisation on the mainland;

Amendment 6 #

Draft opinion
Recital B

B. whereas agriculture on islands is hampered by their remote location, insularity and environmental specificities, small holdings, limited diversity in production, dependence on local markets, the climate crisis, environmental degradation, biodiversity loss and a lack of energy, limitations in the access to fresh water and digital infrastructure;

Amendment 60 #

Irène TOLLERET, Adrián VÁZQUEZ LÁZARA, Atidzhe ALIEVA-VELI

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4 a. Calls on the Member States to strengthen support from cohesion funds for the improvement of basic infrastructure on islands, in order to reduce the exodus to other regions and to ensure better conditions for the development of the agricultural activity.

Amendment 61 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4a. Stresses that this cohesion policy must not obscure the need to support the islands’ export products, which are often areas of excellence that boost the reputation of the European Union;

Amendment 62 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4a. Calls on the Member States to carry out within their territories measures to promote the consumption of agricultural products from their island and peripheral regions;

Amendment 63 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 b (new)

4 b. Highlights the lack of sustainable solutions for transporting agricultural products between most islands and the mainland and for exporting and importing agricultural products from and towards islands, and urges the Commission and the Member States to factor the need to develop greener connections into their development plans for the islands;

Amendment 64 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 b (new)

4b. Stresses that cohesion policies must be based on clear scientific studies so that the proposed measures reduce economic dependence on a limited range of products;

Amendment 65 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Calls for the Commission to promote island policies during regional planning processes to support sustainable agriculture, food production and agro- tourism; urges it also to assess the real cost of insularity; believes that the introduction of an "Insularity Clause" in EU policies is necessary and that it can be a criterion for the allocation of resources from the Structural Funds, while at the same time an impact assessment of EU initiatives and actions on the islands can be carried out.

Amendment 66 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Calls for the Commission to promote island policies during regional planning processes to support sustainable agriculture, food production and agro- tourism; urges it also to assess the real cost of insularity. and double insularity of archipelagic regions, such as many of the outermost regions; points to the importance of making up-to-date and harmonised data available to make it possible to assess the impact that cohesion policy has on those regions;

Amendment 67 #

Cristina MAESTRE, Clara AGUILERA, Giuseppe FERRANDINO, Paolo DE CASTRO, Isabel CARVALHAIS

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Calls for the Commission to promote island policies ~~during regional planning processes to support~~, focusing on key sectors such as blue economy, connectivity, sustainable agriculture, food production and agro- tourism~~; urges it also~~, addressing climate change, protecting biodiversity, introducing circular economy and shifting towards renewable energy; urges the Commission to assess also the real cost of insularity, taking into account vulnerabilities and assets of the outermost regions.

Amendment 68 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Calls for the Commission to promote island policies during regional planning processes to support sustainable agriculture, food production and agro- tourism with funds complementary to those from the EAFRD; urges it also to assess the real cost of insularity.

Amendment 69 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Calls for the Commission to promote island and outermost region policies during regional planning processes ~~to support sustainable agriculture, food produc~~for agro-tourism and agro- transformation, and ~~agro- tourism;~~ urges it also to assess the real cost of insularity for inhabitants and economic actors.

Amendment 7 #

Draft opinion
Recital B

B. whereas agriculture on islands is hampered by their remote location, small holdings, limited diversity in production, dependence on local markets, strong competition from third countries, the climate crisis, environmental degradation, biodiversity loss and a lack of energy, fresh water and digital infrastructure;

Amendment 70 #

Irène TOLLERET, Adrián VÁZQUEZ LÁZARA, Atidzhe ALIEVA-VELI

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5 a. Calls on the European Commission to make the management and implementation of the Programme of options specifically relating to remoteness and insularity (POSEI) more flexible so that farmers in the outermost regions can receive 100% of aid without being required to reach 70% of production in situations of force majeure and natural disasters, such as the recent volcanic eruption on the island of La Palma.

Amendment 71 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5 a. Calls on the European Commission to analyse the situation faced by the islands, especially the outermost regions, in the event of food supply difficulties such as those that occurred following the outbreak of the Covid-19 epidemic, and to propose appropriate measures adapted to the remoteness of these regions in the new food security and food safety contingency plan that it intends to present as part of the Farm-to- Fork strategy.

Amendment 72 #

Cristina MAESTRE, Clara AGUILERA, Giuseppe FERRANDINO, Paolo DE CASTRO, Isabel CARVALHAIS

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5 a. Calls for the Long-Term Vision for Rural Areas to specifically integrate the particularities of outermost regions and Aegean islands; stresses that the Rural Observatory represents a unique opportunity for the production of adequate and updated high-quality data for island territories focused, amongst others, on access to land, establishing the grounds for the development of a holistic agricultural and economic development of islands;

Amendment 73 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5a. Stresses the differences that distinguish the outermost regions from other EU islands, as recognised in Article 349 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU); believes, in this context, that policies and instruments set up to mitigate the impact of insularity should take those circumstances into account.

Amendment 74 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)

5 b. Calls on the European Commission to establish a separate chapter dedicated to the outermost regions in its impact assessments of the Farm-to- Fork and Biodiversity strategies, and to take into account the outcome of these assessments in order to adapt, if necessary, the legislative actions to the natural and economic difficulties of these regions and to the strong competition from third countries.

Amendment 75 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)

5 b. Calls on the European Commission to study the options available for earmarking POSEI funding and EAFRD rural development aid for agricultural and livestock farmers affected by natural disasters in the outermost regions.

Amendment 76 #

Irène TOLLERET, Adrián VÁZQUEZ LÁZARA, Atidzhe ALIEVA-VELI

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 c (new)

5 c. Calls for specific mechanisms to be strengthened within the framework of the CAP through the POSEI in order to reduce the dependence of the outermost regions on agricultural and agri-food supplies, and to strengthen food security and the capacity of these regions to access their markets, whether they be within their territory or the Union; to this end, calls for an increase in the POSEI budget from 2027 to meet the growing needs of these remote and island regions and to develop their local production, since they are saddled with significant additional production costs.

Amendment 77 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 c (new)

5 c. Considers it necessary to strengthen EU support to the modernisation of the agricultural activity in the islands, including through the promotion of precision farming, to help those regions meet the Green Deal objectives.

Amendment 78 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 d (new)

5 d. Points out, however, that since the Farm to Fork Strategy further restricts the use of plant protection agents in the Union, it should also take into account the specificities of tropical and subtropical crops in the ORs and limit access to Union markets for products that do not meet Union standards.

Amendment 79 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 e (new)

5 e. Calls for a specific regulation for the ORs on the common organisation of the markets so that the particular environmental, geographical and social circumstances of those territories falling under Article 349 TFEU can be taken into account.

Amendment 8 #

Draft opinion
Recital B a (new)

Ba. whereas, owing to their geographical situation and structural features (remoteness, insularity, smaller size, difficult topography and climate, economic dependence on certain products), the outermost regions face specific socio-economic problems, as recognised in Article 349 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, particularly with regard to agricultural production and supplies of essential food and agricultural products for consumption;

Amendment 80 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 f (new)

5 f. Calls for the utmost vigilance by the Commission in the liberalisation of the European market and the multiplication of trade agreements between the EU and third countries that produce the same agricultural products for export as the ORs, but under different social and environmental conditions, which distort competition; calls on the Commission to take effective action to ensure that trade agreements do not jeopardise measures supporting the ORs, particularly under the POSEI programme; calls on the Commission to reserve specific preferential treatment for products from the ORs, both on their local markets and on the EU market, and to fully protect sensitive agricultural products such as bananas, tomatoes, sugar, etc.; calls for the creation within the Commission of a working group on trade agreements.

Amendment 81 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 g (new)

5 g. Calls for strict compliance with European environmental and social standards applicable to tropical goods from third countries and for systematic import quotas for tropical products from such countries, based on existing trade flows; considers that specific surveillance and sanction mechanisms should be introduced to check compliance with these conditions; recommends imposing the principle of 'conformity' for imports from third countries, in particular for organic products;

Amendment 82 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 h (new)

5 h. Recalls the joint declaration of the three institutions attached to the Regulation on the revised stabilisation mechanism on the occasion of the accession of Ecuador to the Agreement between the European Union and Colombia and Peru: 'The Commission will continue to carry out regular analyses of the state of the market and the situation of Union banana producers after expiry of the stabilisation mechanism. If a serious deterioration in the state of the market or the situation of Union banana producers is found to have occurred, given the importance of the banana sector for outermost regions, the Commission will examine the situation, together with the Member States and the stakeholders, and decide whether appropriate measures should be considered. The Commission could also convene regular monitoring meetings with the Member States and the stakeholders'.

Amendment 9 #

Draft opinion
Recital B a (new)

B a. Whereas European islands harbour many of Europ e's endemic species, host major breeding c ongregations of important species and ma y act as refuges for species threatened or e xtinct on the continent or 'mainland' islan ds, while also representing vital wintering grounds, stop over points or bottlenecks for migrating bi rds, mammals, and invertebrates;

source: 700.392

2022/01/03 REGI 210 amendments...

Amendment 1 #

Stelios KYMPOUROPOULOS, Peter POLLÁK, Mircea-Gheorghe HAVA

Motion for a resolution
Citation 4 a (new)

— having regard to the final declaration of the 26th Conference of Presidents of the Outermost Regions, signed in Ponta Delgada on 18 November 2021,

Amendment 10 #

Josianne CUTAJAR, Tonino PICULA, Corina CREȚU, Isabel CARVALHAIS, Cristina MAESTRE, Nora MEBAREK

Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)

A a. whereas three Member States of the European Union are islands;

Amendment 100 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. Considers the use of renewable energy toshould be a priority ~~and believes it could~~, which bring substantial benefits ~~to islands~~but at the same time preserves islands' traditional architecture and local habitat; calls, therefore, for the development of a wide range of renewable energy to be supported; welcomes the green hydrogen programmes which islands have launched;

Amendment 101 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. Considers the use of renewable energy to be a priority and believes it could bring substantial benefits to islands, while taking into account the needs of local communities; calls, therefore, for the development of a wide range of renewable energy to be supported; welcomes the green hydrogen programmes which islands have launched;

Amendment 102 #

14. Considers the use of renewable energy to be a priority and believes ithat tidal energy in particular could bring substantial benefits to islands; calls, therefore, for the development of a wide range of renewable energy to be supported; welcomes the green hydrogen programmes which islands have launched;

Amendment 103 #

Josianne CUTAJAR, Tonino PICULA, Corina CREȚU, Isabel CARVALHAIS, Cristina MAESTRE, Nora MEBAREK, Isabel GARCÍA MUÑOZ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. Considers the use of renewable energy to be a priority and believes it could bring substantial benefits to islands; calls, therefore, for the development of a wide range of renewable energy – other than wind energy – to be supported; welcomes the green hydrogen programmes which islands have launched;

Amendment 104 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. Calls for renewables-based energy autonomy to be established as a target for all European islands; calls for additional research to make offshore renewables more affordable and fit for the geographical features of the different sea basins;

Amendment 105 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. Calls for ~~renewables-based~~ energy autonomy to be established as a target for all European islands through the phasing out of fossil fuels and measures to increase the potential of sustainable and renewable energies;

Amendment 106 #

Josianne CUTAJAR, Tonino PICULA, Corina CREȚU, Isabel CARVALHAIS, Cristina MAESTRE, Nora MEBAREK, Isabel GARCÍA MUÑOZ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. Calls for renewables-based energy autonomy to be established as a target for all European islands and supported by the requisite financial resources;

Amendment 107 #

15 a. Recalls that a successful environmental transition for islands also depends on robust research and innovation policies at the local level; encourages the collaboration among local authorities, research institutions and enterprises such as the initiatives within the European Institute of Innovation and Technology and its Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs); promotes a wider uptake of research facilities in insular territories;

Amendment 108 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)

15a. Calls, as part of the necessary development of small islands, for every effort to be made to enable their electricity interconnection and encourage photovoltaic solutions;

Amendment 109 #

Josianne CUTAJAR, Tonino PICULA, Corina CREȚU, Isabel CARVALHAIS, Cristina MAESTRE, Nora MEBAREK

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 b (new)

15 b. Underlines that, in order to achieve an effective environmental transition, it is key to enhance the administrative capacity of the local institutions of European islands and to develop their potential both as enablers of economic, social and territorial competitiveness and as promoters of climate-friendly behaviour among citizens;

Amendment 11 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C

C. whereas islands often suffer from a combination of multiple and permanent structural handicaps, such as small size, a low ~~population density~~-density permanent population which has to cope with seasonal demographic pressure, small market, double insularity (island and archipelago), difficult topography very similar to mountainous regions, a dependence on maritime and air transport or a dependence on a small number of products;

Amendment 110 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)

16a. Calls for an analysis of natural disaster risk prevention strategies, climate change adaptation measures and regional policies that could lead to the proliferation of housing and infrastructure on coastal floodplains or in landslide-prone areas;

Amendment 111 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)

16a. Considers that the sustainable management and conservation of agricultural and forest land play an essential role in containing the increasingly frequent natural disasters caused by climate change;

Amendment 112 #

Motion for a resolution
Subheading 4

Economic and social development: health, employment, youth and digital

Amendment 113 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)

16a. Points out that the COVID-19 crisis has exposed the health fault lines in many island regions; stresses, therefore, the importance of developing and improving health infrastructure, access to care and medical coverage in these regions;

Amendment 114 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17

17. Calls for urgent measures to counteract the depopulation of islands and to improve quality of life, support local businesses and protect jobs; calls also for the development of professional training and employment establishments for island inhabitants to be promoted; stresses the importance of providing support to encourage the establishment of healthcare professionals, particularly in the most remote island territories;

Amendment 115 #

Younous OMARJEE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17

17. Calls for urgent measures to counteract the depopulation of islands and to improve quality of life, support local businesses and protect jobs; calls also for the development of professional training and employment establishments for island inhabitants to be promoted, particularly for women, who face a higher unemployment rate than men on all EU islands;

Amendment 116 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17

17. Calls for urgent measures to counteract the depopulation of islands and to improve quality of life, support local businesses, maintain essential public services such as health and education, fight against irregular immigration and protect jobs; calls also for the development of professional training and employment establishments for island inhabitants to be promoted;

Amendment 117 #

Josianne CUTAJAR, Tonino PICULA, Corina CREȚU, Isabel CARVALHAIS, Cristina MAESTRE, Nora MEBAREK, Isabel GARCÍA MUÑOZ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17

17. Calls for urgent measures to ~~counterac~~limit the depopulation of islands and to improve quality of life, support local businesses and protect jobs; calls also for the development of education, professional training and employment establishments for i~~sland inhabitants to be promoted~~nhabitants of island regions, so as to give these regions a boost and better tackle unemployment, particularly youth unemployment;

Amendment 118 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17

17. Calls for urgent measures to counteract the depopulation of islands as well as brain and skill drain and to improve quality of life, support local businesses and protect jobs and address ageing population; calls also for the development of professional training and employment establishments for island inhabitants to be promoted;

Amendment 119 #

Josianne CUTAJAR, Tonino PICULA, Corina CREȚU, Isabel CARVALHAIS, Cristina MAESTRE, Nora MEBAREK, Isabel GARCÍA MUÑOZ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17

Amendment 12 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C

C. whereas islands often suffer from a combination of multiple and permanent structural handicaps, such as small size, ~~low~~challenges related to population density, small market, double insularity (island and archipelago), difficult topography very similar to mountainous regions, a dependence on maritime and air transport or a dependence on a small number of products;

Amendment 120 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17

Amendment 121 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)

17a. Points out that access to digital services is essential, particularly for young people in education or training; calls for equipping islands with digital infrastructure and technologies to be made a priority, in order, for example, to avoid 'black spots' and enhance the provision of education and training services; calls on the Commission to harness the potential that island regions offer for innovation and the development of future digital capacities;

Amendment 122 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)

17a. Stresses the importance of encouraging local initiatives through support for all manufacturing companies, especially micro and small medium-sized enterprises (SMEs); emphasises the need for innovative, sustainable and resilient investment;

Amendment 123 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)

17a. Calls on the Commission to allocate the budget resources needed to expedite the funding of the conversion of road, rail and maritime freight fleets;

Amendment 124 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)

17a. Highlights the importance of supporting the local economic fabric of island regions, in particular SMEs and VSMEs as well as the craft industry, in order to promote local know-how;

Amendment 125 #

Josianne CUTAJAR, Tonino PICULA, Corina CREȚU, Isabel CARVALHAIS, Cristina MAESTRE, Nora MEBAREK

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)

17 a. Calls for actions aiming at bridging the economic gap between inland areas and coastal regions, that very often persists in insular territories;

Amendment 126 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 b (new)

Agriculture and fisheries

Amendment 127 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18

18. Stresses the need for increased support for ~~island~~ agriculture, animal husbandry and aquaculture, sustainable fisheries, ~~crafts~~local production and the blue economy in island regions, including through European cooperation programmes; calls on the Commission to ~~draw up a regulation laying down specific measures in the area of agriculture for all NUTS 2 and NUTS 3 level islands with a view to achieving food autonomy and increas~~support food self- sufficiency, agricultural diversification and the competitiveness of island production, without prejudice to existing instruments, such as the regulation laying down specific measures in the area of agriculture in the outermost regions of the Union and the regulation laying down specific measures ing the ~~competitiveness of their product~~area of agriculture in favour of the smaller Aegean islands;

Amendment 128 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18

18. Stresses the need for increased support ~~for~~on the islands, within ecological limits and with due regard for a healthy marine environment, for agriculture ~~and~~, aquaculture, and sustainable fisheries, as well as crafts and the blue economy, including through European cooperation programmes; calls on the Commission to draw up a regulation laying down specific measures in the area of agriculture for all NUTS 2 and NUTS 3 level islands with a view to achieving food autonomy and increasing the competitiveness of their products;

Amendment 129 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18

18. Stresses the need for increased support for the sustainable development of island agriculture and aquaculture, sustainable fisheries, crafts and the blue economy, including through European cooperation programmes; calls on the Commission to draw up a regulation laying down specific measures in the area of agriculture for all NUTS 2 and NUTS 3 level islands with a view to achieving food autonomy and increasing the competitiveness of their products;

Amendment 13 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C

C. whereas islands often suffer from a combination of multiple and permanent ~~struc~~natural handicaps, such as small size, ~~low population density,~~ small market, double insularity (island and archipelago), difficult topography very similar to mountainous regions, a dependence on maritime and air transport or a dependence on a small number of products;

Amendment 130 #

Rosa ESTARÀS FERRAGUT, Gabriel MATO, Younous OMARJEE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18

18. Stresses the need for increased support for island agriculture and aquaculture, sustainable fisheries, crafts, SMEs and the blue economy, including through European cooperation programmes; calls on the Commission to draw up a regulation laying down specific measures in the area of agriculture for all NUTS 2 and NUTS 3 level islands with a view to achieving food autonomy and increasing the competitiveness of their products;

Amendment 131 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18

18. Stresses the need for increased support for sustainable island agriculture and aquaculture, ~~sustainable~~ fisheries, crafts and the blue economy, including through European cooperation programmes; calls on the Commission to draw up a regulation laying down specific measures in the area of agriculture for all NUTS 2 and NUTS 3 level islands with a view to achieving food autonomy and increasing the competitiveness of their products;

Amendment 132 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)

18a. Highlights the lack of sustainable solutions for transporting agricultural products between most islands and the mainland and for exporting and importing agricultural products from and towards islands, and calls on the Commission and the Member States to support innovative projects for greener connections into their development plans for the islands;

Amendment 133 #

Stelios KYMPOUROPOULOS, Peter POLLÁK, Mircea-Gheorghe HAVA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)

18a. Stresses that the blue economy sectors, in particular fisheries and aquaculture, play a crucial role in island communities and can also help to mitigate the impacts of climate change, promote nature-based solutions and improve the use of marine and aquatic resources;

Amendment 134 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)

18 a. Stresses the need for increased support to stimulate innovative and sustainable entrepreneurial development in islands.

Amendment 135 #

Motion for a resolution
Subheading 4 a (new)

Tourism

Amendment 136 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 b (new)

18b. Stresses the need to support remunerative and environmentally friendly short supply chains and the development of a farming sector that prioritises high value-added traditional products, local consumption and green solutions;

Amendment 137 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 c (new)

18c. Stresses that targeted regional policies and action aimed at protecting and restoring the unique biodiversity of the islands are necessary to preserve their natural resources and means of subsistence; strongly advises, therefore, against watering down the environmental regulations on the islands.

Amendment 138 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19

19. Notes that the tourism sector is the main contributor to the economic growth of island regions in terms of income and employment; calls, therefore, on the Commission to provide specific ~~additional~~ financial support ~~for~~tailored to sustainable tourism in islands and to helping islands that are heavily dependent on tourism to diversify their economies; calls also on the Commission to establish a European sustainable tourism label that would champion the strengths and efforts of the island regions in this area;

Amendment 139 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19

19. Notes that the tourism sector is the main contributor to the economic growth of island regions in terms of income and employment; calls, therefore, on the Commission to provide specific additional financial support for sustainable tourism in islands, supporting innovatory pilot projects to promote more ecological and digital solutions in line with European Green Deal objectives, and to help islands that are heavily dependent on tourism to diversify their economies;

Amendment 14 #

Josianne CUTAJAR, Tonino PICULA, Corina CREȚU, Isabel CARVALHAIS, Cristina MAESTRE, Nora MEBAREK

Motion for a resolution
Recital D

D. whereas the specific characteristics of islands are recognised by Article 174 TFEU ~~and whereas they~~, whereas the European Union still misses a concrete application of this article with specific regard to its insular territories and whereas the specific characteristics of islands should be taken into account in EU policies, in particular by drawing up a dedicated strategy and a European action plan;

Amendment 140 #

Josianne CUTAJAR, Tonino PICULA, Corina CREȚU, Isabel CARVALHAIS, Cristina MAESTRE, Nora MEBAREK, Isabel GARCÍA MUÑOZ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19

19. Notes that the tourism sector is the main contributor to the economic growth of island regions in terms of income and employment; calls, therefore, on the Commission to provide specific additional financial support for sustainable tourism in islands, to promote means of overcoming dependence on seasonal tourism and to help islands that are heavily dependent on tourism to diversify their economies;

Amendment 141 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)

19 a. Is of the opinion that fully unleashing the potential of the green and blue sector will also help to enhance islands' positioning as sustainable destinations; calls for additional support measures to unleash such potential; calls specifically for action on sustainable tourism through EU funds and programmes;

Amendment 142 #

20. Believes that culture and development of the cultural sector in islands are fundamental; considers that islands’ cultural and linguistic identities should be protected and promoted as they contribute to their enhancement on many levels;deleted

Amendment 143 #

Josianne CUTAJAR, Tonino PICULA, Corina CREȚU, Isabel CARVALHAIS, Cristina MAESTRE, Nora MEBAREK

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20

20. Believes that culture and development of the cultural sector in islands are fundamental; considers that islands’ cultural and linguistic identities should be protected and promoted, including in educational settings, as they contribute to their enhancement on many levels;

Amendment 144 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20

Amendment 145 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)

20a. Calls for the creation, by those countries with a maritime area, of a European Agency of the Sea – along the lines of the European Space Agency – which should rightfully be based in overseas France; considers that this intergovernmental agency, which countries outside the European Union, such as the United Kingdom, could join, would have the following strategic development priorities: - exploration of energy and mineral resources:hydrocarbons, polymetallic nodules and mixed sulphides - research into renewable marine energy sources - research into biological, animal and plant resources - research into maritime transport and surveillance; considers that this cooperation should not undermine national sovereignty over the maritime areas concerned, or the role of national navies in monitoring such areas; considers also that, in the long term, this Agency could be a forum for in-depth diplomatic cooperation on maritime issues, as well as a starting point for commercial projects on a European scale;

Amendment 146 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)

20a. Considers it necessary to shorten distribution chains in order to reduce emissions from the transport of raw materials and promote the circular economy, this being of great importance in making island regions more competitive and self-sustaining;

Amendment 147 #

Stelios KYMPOUROPOULOS, Peter POLLÁK, Mircea-Gheorghe HAVA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)

20a. Stresses the need for EU islands to participate in all Erasmus+ initiatives so as to encourage close cooperation, mobility and exchanges of knowledge between education, research and technological innovation institutions, businesses, individual citizens, etc.;

Amendment 148 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)

20 a. Notes that some islands facing large numbers of migrants and sometimes far outnumbering the local population, who are not in a position to supply the necessary means of accommodation and assistance

Amendment 149 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 b (new)

20b. Stresses the need to ensure the digital connectivity of islands, in line with the European digital agenda, as a tool for economic development and equal opportunities;

Amendment 15 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D

D. whereas the ~~specific characteristics of islands are~~particular situation of island regions is recognised by Article 174 TFEU and whereas it~~hey~~ should be taken into account in EU policies, in particular by drawing up a ~~dedicated strategy and a European~~n Island Policy Agenda with clearly defined priorities for action ~~plan~~;

Amendment 150 #

Josianne CUTAJAR, Tonino PICULA, Corina CREȚU, Isabel CARVALHAIS, Cristina MAESTRE, Nora MEBAREK, Isabel GARCÍA MUÑOZ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 b (new)

20 b. Notes that most of the islands are facing continuous problems of accessibility for vulnerable groups

Amendment 151 #

Access to public services, entrepreneurship and digitalisation

Amendment 152 #

Motion for a resolution
Subheading 5

~~Access to public services~~Transport

Amendment 153 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21

21. Calls for the development of sustainable transport in island countries and regions to be fostered, and for support for the modernisation and greening of port infrastructure; calls, in particular, for support to be provided for low- environmental-impact public transport on islands so as to reduce the numbers of private vehicles;

Amendment 154 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21

21. Calls for the development and improvement of island transport infrastructure, for support for the development of sustainable transport in island countries and regions to be fostered, and for support for the modernisation and greening of road, airport and port infrastructure;

Amendment 155 #

Josianne CUTAJAR, Tonino PICULA, Corina CREȚU, Isabel CARVALHAIS, Cristina MAESTRE, Nora MEBAREK, Isabel GARCÍA MUÑOZ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21

21. Calls for the development of sustainable and less pollutant transport in island countries and regions to be fostered, thereby promoting alternatives to fossil fuels, and for support for the modernisation and greening of port infrastructure;

Amendment 156 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21

Amendment 157 #

Peter POLLÁK, Isabel BENJUMEA BENJUMEA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)

21 a. Calls for priority to be given to greater investment into basic infrastructure to improve access of all households to drinking water and sanitary services.

Amendment 158 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22

22. Stresses the need to ensure the territorial continuity of all islands through maritime and air transport and to ensure the safety and suitability of land bridges and road links; calls on the Commission to ensure that the 2021-2023 work programme of the Connecting Europe Facility contributes to the territorial accessibility of islands; improving island accessibility is crucial to their development and should go beyond connections with the national mainland;

Amendment 159 #

Rosa ESTARÀS FERRAGUT, Gabriel MATO, Younous OMARJEE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22

22. Stresses the need to ensure the territorial continuity and cohesion of all islands through maritime and air transport, to reduce the costs of both passenger and goods transport and to ensure the safety and suitability of land bridges and road links; calls on the Commission to ensure that the 2021-2023 work programme of the Connecting Europe Facility contributes to the territorial accessibility of islands;

Amendment 16 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)

D a. Da. whereas for outermost regions, being in their large majority islands, according to Article349 of the Treaty, the EU shall adopt specific measures aimed, in particular, at laying down the conditions of application of EU common policies to those regions, in particular in areas such as customs and trade policies, fiscal policy, free zones, agriculture and fisheries policies, conditions for supply of raw materials and essential consumer goods, State aids and conditions of access to structural funds and to horizontal Union programmes; whereas specific measures in all those areas contribute to strengthening economic, social and territorial cohesion in the EU.

Amendment 160 #

Josianne CUTAJAR, Tonino PICULA, Corina CREȚU, Isabel CARVALHAIS, Cristina MAESTRE, Nora MEBAREK, Isabel GARCÍA MUÑOZ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22

Amendment 161 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22

22. Stresses the need to ensure the territorial continuity of all islands through maritime and air transport, including by offering reduced fares for residents, and to ensure the safety and suitability of land bridges and road links; calls on the Commission to ensure that the 2021-2023 work programme of the Connecting Europe Facility contributes to the territorial accessibility of islands;

Amendment 162 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22

22. Stresses the need to ensure the territorial continuity of all islands through maritime and air transport and to ensure the safety and suitability of land bridges and road links; calls on the Commission to ensure that the 2021-2023 work programme of the Connecting Europe Facility and European cooperation programmes contributes to the territorial accessibility of islands;

Amendment 163 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23

~~23. Stresses, particularly in the context of the COVID-19 crisis, the importance of improving the health infrastructure on European islands;~~deleted

Amendment 164 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23

23. Stresses, particularly in the context of the COVID-19 crisis, the importance of improving the health infrastructure on European islands and of mobilising the necessary funds to offset delays in the provision of health care;

Amendment 165 #

Josianne CUTAJAR, Tonino PICULA, Corina CREȚU, Isabel CARVALHAIS, Cristina MAESTRE, Nora MEBAREK, Isabel GARCÍA MUÑOZ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23

23. Stresses, particularly in the context of the COVID-19 crisis, the importance of improving the health infrastructure, enforcing services of telemedicine, telepsychiatry and upgrading the primary health care on European islands;

Amendment 166 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23

23. Stresses, particularly in the context of the COVID-19 ~~crisis~~pandemic, the importance of improving the public health infrastructure on European islands and the access to medicines;

Amendment 167 #

Josianne CUTAJAR, Tonino PICULA, Corina CREȚU, Isabel CARVALHAIS, Cristina MAESTRE, Nora MEBAREK, Isabel GARCÍA MUÑOZ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)

23 a. Considers digitalisation a crucial instrument to contribute to overcoming the geographical disadvantage of insularity; welcomes the Commission initiatives on the Digital Decade;

Amendment 168 #

Josianne CUTAJAR, Tonino PICULA, Corina CREȚU, Isabel CARVALHAIS, Cristina MAESTRE, Nora MEBAREK, Isabel GARCÍA MUÑOZ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24

~~24. Calls for priority to be afforded to equipping islands with digital technologies, in particular so as to enhance the provision of education and training services;~~deleted

Amendment 169 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24

24. ~~Calls for priority to be afforded to equipping islands with digital technologies,~~Underlines that digital connectivity for islands is an utmost priority in particular ~~so as~~ to enhance the provision of education and training services as well as e-health and other essential government services for citizens and businesses;

Amendment 17 #

Cristina MAESTRE, Mónica Silvana GONZÁLEZ, Isabel GARCÍA MUÑOZ, Alicia HOMS GINEL

Motion for a resolution
Recital F

F. whereas the islands’ physical disconnection from the mainland acts as a permanent impediment in many areas, including the labour market, access for island products to neighbouring external markets, education, health care, business, water and energy supply and waste management facilities; whereas this geographical disconnection adds important difficulties to the green transition towards a climate-neutral economy of such territories;

Amendment 170 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24

24. Calls for priority to be afforded to equipping islands with efficient access to digital technologies, in particular so as to enhance the provision of education ~~and~~, training services, telemedicine and telepsychiatry;

Amendment 171 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)

20a. Believes it necessary to introduce a transport policy fully tailored to the realities of life in the islands and outermost regions, with measures that take into account their insularity, lack of connectivity and dependence on ports and airports;

Amendment 172 #

Josianne CUTAJAR, Tonino PICULA, Corina CREȚU, Isabel CARVALHAIS, Cristina MAESTRE, Nora MEBAREK, Isabel GARCÍA MUÑOZ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)

24 a. The provision of essential public services such as education, health and social care are subject to the increased cost of transportation of equipment and infrastructure, which often has a negative impact on the size and quality of such services;

Amendment 173 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)

24 a. Is of the opinion that the uptake of ICT in European islands can also be beneficial to the digitalisation of small and medium enterprises, with positive effects on their business strategy as well as on their operations;

Amendment 174 #

Josianne CUTAJAR, Tonino PICULA, Corina CREȚU, Isabel CARVALHAIS, Cristina MAESTRE, Nora MEBAREK, Isabel GARCÍA MUÑOZ

Motion for a resolution
Subheading 5 a (new)

Outreach: mobility and culture

Amendment 175 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 b (new)

24 b. Believes that, especially in small islands, it is difficult for SMEs to easily access all the information referring to the promotion of entrepreneurship, to skills development and EU-funded opportunities; calls for stronger financial support in this regard as well as the provision of enhanced information sessions, advisory services and tailor- made training;

Amendment 176 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)

24a. Calls on the Commission to ensure that the inhabitants of island regions, particularly those furthest from mainland Europe, can participate fully and equitably in European mobility programmes such as Erasmus+, the European Solidarity Corps, DiscoverEU and the future ALMA programme;

Amendment 177 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 b (new)

24b. Believes that culture and the development of the cultural sector on the islands are fundamental; considers that the cultural and linguistic identities of the islands should be protected and promoted as they help them to develop and improve their reach on all fronts;

Amendment 178 #

Motion for a resolution
Subheading 6 a (new)

Stresses the importance of maintaining the digital infrastructures that connect the islands to the rest of the world, namely by earmarking sufficient European funding for the replacement of obsolete submarine cables;

Amendment 179 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25

25. Stresses that the lack of statistical data on islands is hindering the development of targeted policies; calls on the Commission to set up a European Institute for Disadvantaged Territories to collect data that is regularly updated using harmonised criteria at all administrative levels;

Amendment 18 #

Josianne CUTAJAR, Tonino PICULA, Corina CREȚU, Isabel CARVALHAIS, Cristina MAESTRE, Nora MEBAREK, Isabel GARCÍA MUÑOZ

Motion for a resolution
Recital F

F. whereas the islands’ physical disconnection ~~from the mainland acts as a permanent impedimen~~and their remoteness from the mainland creates additional constraints, including for the labour market, transport lin ~~many areas, including the labour market~~ks and mobility, the importing of raw materials and consumer products, access for island products to neighbouring external markets, education, health care, business, ~~water and~~access to water and sanitation, energy supply and waste management facilities;

Amendment 180 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25

25. Stresses that the lack of statistical data on islands, including gender- disaggregated data, is hindering the development of targeted policies; calls on the Commission to set up a European Institute for Disadvantaged Territories to collect data at all administrative levels;

Amendment 181 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25

25. Stresses that the lack of statistical data on islands is hindering the development of targeted policies; calls on the Commission to set up a European Institute for Disadvantaged Territories to collect reliable, aggregated and current data at all administrative levels;

Amendment 182 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25

25. ~~Stresses that the lack of statistical data on islands is hindering the development of targeted policies; calls on the Commission to set up a European Institute for Disadvan~~Calls on the Commission to improve the collection of statistical data on island regions, since the lack of comprehensive data is hindering the development of targe~~d Territories to collect data at all administrative level~~ted policies;

Amendment 183 #

Josianne CUTAJAR, Tonino PICULA, Corina CREȚU, Isabel CARVALHAIS, Cristina MAESTRE, Nora MEBAREK, Isabel GARCÍA MUÑOZ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 a (new)

25a. Points out that the islands are not currently covered by the EU legislation on territorial classification; calls on the Commission to start discussions on this, with a view to including islands in the common classification of territorial units for statistics;

Amendment 184 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26

26. Calls on the Commission to take note of the studies already produced by island regions concerning the additional costs associated with insularity, and to establish interdisciplinary analyses covering the demographic, geographical and economic characteristics of island territories so as to ensure that these regions will not suffer from any competitive disadvantage linked to their geographical condition;

Amendment 185 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26

26. Calls on the Commission to take note of the studies already produced by island regions concerning the challenges and additional costs associated with insularity, and to establish interdisciplinary analyses covering the demographic, geographical ~~and economic~~, economic, social and environmental characteristics of island territories;

Amendment 186 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27

27. Calls for an additional budget allocation to be established to cover the extra costs connected with European islands under the future cohesion policy; suggests expanding the island contact point by setting up an island task force within DG REGIO;

Amendment 187 #

Josianne CUTAJAR, Tonino PICULA, Corina CREȚU, Isabel CARVALHAIS, Cristina MAESTRE, Nora MEBAREK, Isabel GARCÍA MUÑOZ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27

27. Calls for an additional budget allocation ~~to be established to~~geared towards helping the island regions overcome the challenges they face and covering the extra costs connected with ~~European~~ islands under the future 2028-2034 cohesion policy;

Amendment 188 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 a (new)

27 a. Stresses that the Commission should do more to take into account the realities of disadvantaged regions, including islands, also through the introduction of territorial proofing in impact assessments of its proposals, with the aim of assessing how proposed legislation would affect citizens and businesses based in the different regions;

Amendment 189 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 a (new)

27a. Calls on the Commission to consider setting up a programme like the European urban initiative that would support partnerships between insular regions in order to establish innovative approaches to island-specific problems;

Amendment 19 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital G

G. whereas the long-term social, economic, environmental and cultural consequences of the COVID-19 crisis on the island territories of the Union are of particular concern, and whereas Europe’s recovery must not create further regional disparities; whereas the COVID-19 crisis has demonstrated that island economies are highly vulnerable to such events;

Amendment 190 #

Josianne CUTAJAR, Tonino PICULA, Corina CREȚU, Isabel CARVALHAIS, Cristina MAESTRE, Nora MEBAREK, Isabel GARCÍA MUÑOZ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 a (new)

27 a. Calls on the Commission to take into consideration the allocation of the budget based on GDP per capita in order to cover all the disparities between islands;

Amendment 191 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 b (new)

27 b. Supports the partnerships among European islands as an effective way to share best practices, cope with common challenges and implement solutions that are beneficial for citizens and businesses; calls on the European Commission to further facilitate these partnerships;

Amendment 192 #

Josianne CUTAJAR, Tonino PICULA, Corina CREȚU, Isabel CARVALHAIS, Cristina MAESTRE, Nora MEBAREK

Motion for a resolution
Subheading 8

Re-assessment of State aid schemes and measures to reduce the development deficit

Amendment 193 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28

28. Calls on the Commission to produce an analysis of the volume of sState aid granted to undertakings based in island regions; considers it imperative, despite the efforts made by the EU and the Member States, to determine whether and to what extent undertakings located in island territories have benefited from such measures; underlines in this connection the importance of more flexible State aid for air and maritime transport companies in these island territories, given their total dependence on these means of transport;

Amendment 194 #

Josianne CUTAJAR, Tonino PICULA, Corina CREȚU, Isabel CARVALHAIS, Cristina MAESTRE, Nora MEBAREK

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28

28. Calls on the Commission to produce an analysis of the volume of state aid granted to undertakings based in island regions; considers it imperative, despite the efforts made by the EU and the Member States, to determine whether and to what extent undertakings located in island territories have benefited from such measures and to re-assess state rules accordingly;

Amendment 195 #

Josianne CUTAJAR, Tonino PICULA, Corina CREȚU, Isabel CARVALHAIS, Cristina MAESTRE, Nora MEBAREK

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29

29. Calls for any future revision of the legislative framework on state aid to be subject to impact assessments based on specific indicators to assess the lagging competitiveness of island region economies, also vis-à-vis the consequences of the Fit for 55 Package on these territories, and to design a specific degressive scheme for island territories when the extraordinary measures provided for under the State Aid Temporary Framework end after 31 December 2021;

Amendment 196 #

Rosa ESTARÀS FERRAGUT, Gabriel MATO, Isabel BENJUMEA BENJUMEA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30

30. Calls for the creation of an ‘islands’ sub-category, given their distinct characteristics, in connection with the application of the rules on ~~regional s~~State aid for the period 2021-2027, and for the ceiling of the ‘de minimis’ regulation, above which the Commission’s authorisation is required, to be revised upwards;

Amendment 197 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30 a (new)

30a. The current de minimis rule restricts competitiveness. The European Union's islands should all be exempted from application of the de minimis rule so that they are at less of a disadvantage. Subsidies to remedy insularity ought not to be considered as state aid but as compensation to put island regions on an equal footing with their continental counterparts;

Amendment 198 #

Rosa ESTARÀS FERRAGUT, Gabriel MATO, Isabel BENJUMEA BENJUMEA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30 a (new)

30a. Stresses the need for a more flexible approach to ensure the more effective deployment of European funding in island territories and ORs, without compromising the relevant quality standards and monitoring procedures;

Amendment 199 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30 b (new)

3b. The distance criterion (150 km) used to classify islands as border regions eligible for financing under cross-border cooperation programmes coming under the cohesion policy's territorial cooperation objective or the European Neighbourhood Policy needs to be dropped. If some kind of limit has to be established, it would be more appropriate, in the case of island regions, for the cross- border territory condition to be applied at maritime basin level;

Amendment 2 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 6 a (new)

— having regard to the 7th Environment Action Programme (EAP) and the concepts set out therein,

Amendment 20 #

Amendment 200 #

Motion for a resolution
Subheading 9

~~Islands Pact and European Action Plan for Islands~~The case for a European Island Agenda

Amendment 201 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31

31. Calls on the Commission to undertake a dynamic assessment of Article 174 TFEU and to build on that article to ~~create a European strategy for islands~~put forward a genuine European Island Agenda that takes into account the specific features of each of the EU’s ~~sea basins; calls on the Commission to carry out a study on the situation of island territories and to consider a strategy for islands with tangibl~~regional sea basins via concrete proposals;

Amendment 202 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31

31. Calls on the Commission to undertake a dynamic assessment of Article 174 TFEU and to build on that article to create a European strategy for islands that is in line with local needs and realities on the ground and takes into account the specific features of each of the EU’s sea basins; calls on the Commission to carry out a study on the situation of island territories and to consider a strategy for islands with tangible proposals;

Amendment 203 #

Josianne CUTAJAR, Tonino PICULA, Corina CREȚU, Isabel CARVALHAIS, Cristina MAESTRE, Nora MEBAREK

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31

31. Calls on the Commission to undertake a dynamic assessment of Article 174 TFEU and to build on that article to create a European strategy for islands, based on this report, that takes into account the specific features of each of the EU’s sea basins; calls on the Commission to carry out a study on the diverse situations of island territories and to consider a strategy for islands with tangible proposals;

Amendment 204 #

Younous OMARJEE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31 a (new)

31a. Reminds the Member States that the Recovery and Resilience Facility should seek to reduce the economic, social and territorial development disparities between the islands and outermost regions and the most developed regions; calls on the Commission to state whether this provision has been met in the national recovery plans when submitting its review report to Parliament;

Amendment 205 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31 a (new)

31a. Recalls its recently adopted resolution1a that contains a number of proposals, including a new strategic action plan for the outermost regions recognised under Article 349 TFEU; stresses the need for this to be taken into consideration by the study/strategy for the islands referred to in the previous paragraph; _________________ 1a https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/doc ument/TA-9-2021-0368_EN.pdf

Amendment 206 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32

32. Calls for an Islands Pact to be drawn up and implemented with the participation of the principal stakeholders, namely national, regional and local authorities, economic and social operators, civil society, academia and non-governmental organisations, along the lines of the Urban Pact and the future Rural Pact;

Amendment 207 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32

32. Calls for this European Islands ~~Pact~~Agenda to be drawn up a~~nd implement~~s soon as possible and used, a~~long the lines of the Urban Pact and~~s a basis for an island pact along the lines of the future Rural Pact;

Amendment 208 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32 a (new)

32a. Emphasises that dialogue with and between island communities is essential to foster proximity to the European project, build bridges between cultures, stimulate interest in decision-making processes and promote the construction of the European Union itself;

Amendment 209 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32 a (new)

32a. Calls on the Commission to make 2024 the European Year of Islands and to set up a European competition for the islands, along the lines of the European capitals initiative, to showcase the assets and richness of the Union's insular regions;

Amendment 21 #

Josianne CUTAJAR, Tonino PICULA, Corina CREȚU, Isabel CARVALHAIS, Cristina MAESTRE, Nora MEBAREK

Motion for a resolution
Recital G

G. whereas the long-term social, economic, environmental and cultural consequences of the COVID-19 crisis on the island territories of the Union are of particular concern, and whereas Europe’s recovery must not create further regional disparitieseveral European islands are home to communities with their linguistic heritage, culture and traditions; whereas this diversity should be further promoted and valorised, including in educational settings;

Amendment 210 #

Cristina MAESTRE, Mónica Silvana GONZÁLEZ, Isabel GARCÍA MUÑOZ, Alicia HOMS GINEL

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32 b (new)

32b. Stresses that respect for the well- being and dignity of the individual should be at the heart of any response to migration flows and that the Action Plan should accordingly adopt an integrated and articulated approach to the management thereof, based on the new Pact on Migration and Asylum;

Amendment 22 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital G a (new)

G a. whereas islands' often high unemployment rates, generally higher than in the mainland, have been severely exacerbated by the COVID-19 crisis, particularly affecting young people1a _________________ 1a https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/en/ne wsroom/news/2021/11/17-11-2021-new- publication-study-on-the-impact-of-the- covid-19-pandemic-on-the-outermost- regions

Amendment 23 #

Cristina MAESTRE, Mónica Silvana GONZÁLEZ, Isabel GARCÍA MUÑOZ, Alicia HOMS GINEL

Motion for a resolution
Recital G b (new)

G b. whereas specific and disproportionate pressures on asylum and reception systems in some Member States with ultra-peripheral territories are faced; whereas these require coordinated solutions at European level;

Amendment 24 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital H

H. whereas islands are on the front line of climate change, affected by rising sea levels and coastal erosion ~~and~~, the warming and acidification of seas and oceans and the increased frequency and violence of natural disasters; whereas they can be excellent testbeds for a range of ecological transition processes and seek to achieve energy autonomy based on renewables;

Amendment 25 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital H a (new)

Ha. whereas islands, and especially the outermost regions, are particularly at risk from natural disasters such as cyclones, volcanic eruptions, forest fires and storms;

Amendment 26 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital J

J. whereas islands have exceptionally rich biodiversity and ecosystems; whereas island ecosystems are particularly threatened by the impact of climate change and should be protected;

Amendment 27 #

Josianne CUTAJAR, Tonino PICULA, Corina CREȚU, Isabel CARVALHAIS, Cristina MAESTRE, Nora MEBAREK

Motion for a resolution
Recital J a (new)

J a. whereas, in many islands, inland areas lag behind coastal regions in terms of economic development and service accessibility;

Amendment 28 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital K

K. whereas islands’ marine and terrestrial biodiversity is largely endemic, and therefore more fragile; whereas marine and coastal pollution, as well as overfishing, ~~can be a source of concern for island~~have an increased impact on the islands’ environment, with very serious consequences for employment, the small-scale fisheries sector and local communities;

Amendment 29 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital K

K. whereas islands’ marine and terrestrial biodiversity is largely endemic, and therefore more fragile; whereas marine and coastal pollution, as well as overfishing and illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, can be a source of concern for islands;

Amendment 3 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 9 a (new)

— having regard to its resolution of 14 September 2021 entitled 'Towards a stronger partnership with the EU outermost regions'1 a, _________________ 1 a Text adopted, P9_TA(2021)0368

Amendment 30 #

Cristina MAESTRE, Mónica Silvana GONZÁLEZ, Isabel GARCÍA MUÑOZ, Alicia HOMS GINEL

Motion for a resolution
Recital L

~~L. whereas the outermost regions and islands are particularly at risk from natural disasters, such as volcanic eruptions, forest fires and storms;~~deleted

Amendment 31 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital L

L. whereas the outermost regions and islands are particularly at risk from natural disasters, such as volcanic eruptions, forest fires and storms; whereas this is the case of the island of La Palma (Spain), which since 19 September has suffered the effects of a volcanic eruption burying more than a thousand hectares of land and housing and caused multiple economic, social and environmental damages in the area;

Amendment 32 #

Josianne CUTAJAR, Tonino PICULA, Corina CREȚU, Isabel CARVALHAIS, Cristina MAESTRE, Nora MEBAREK, Isabel GARCÍA MUÑOZ

Motion for a resolution
Recital L

L. whereas the outermost regions and islands are particularly at risk from natural disasters, such as volcanic eruptions, forest fires ~~and storms~~, storms as well as other risks such as floods, desertification and drought, which can have negative effects on agriculture and food supply;

Amendment 33 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital L

L. whereas the outermost regions and islands are particularly at risk from natural disasters, such as volcanic eruptions, forest fires ~~and storms~~, storms, drought and the problems of desertification;

Amendment 34 #

Josianne CUTAJAR, Tonino PICULA, Corina CREȚU, Isabel CARVALHAIS, Cristina MAESTRE, Isabel GARCÍA MUÑOZ

Motion for a resolution
Recital L a (new)

La. whereas the outermost regions and islands have the potential to help ensure a sustainable future for Europe in strategic sectors such as clean energy, biodiversity and ecotourism;

Amendment 35 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph -1 (new)

-1. Recognises insularity as a permanent structural handicap;

Amendment 36 #

Josianne CUTAJAR, Tonino PICULA, Corina CREȚU, Isabel CARVALHAIS, Cristina MAESTRE

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Recalls that Articles 174 and 349 TFEU recognise insularity as a permanent structural handicap and stipulate that the Union must pay particular attention to these regions; stresses, however, that the outermost nature of the islands in the regions covered by Article 349 TFEU distinguishes them from other islands of the European Union;

Amendment 37 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Recalls that Articles 174 ~~and 349 TFEU recognise insularity as a permanent structural handicap and~~ TFEU stipulates that the Union must pay particular attention to ~~these region~~, among others, European islands;

Amendment 38 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Recalls that Articles 174 ~~and 349~~ TFEU recognises insularity as a permanent ~~struc~~natural handicap and ~~stipulate that the Union must pay particular attention to these~~that it calls for special attention to be paid to island regions;

Amendment 39 #

Rosa ESTARÀS FERRAGUT, Gabriel MATO, Isabel BENJUMEA BENJUMEA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1a. Recalls that Article 349 TFEU provides for specific measures for the nine outermost regions (the Azores, the Canary Islands, Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Réunion, Madeira, Martinique, Mayotte and Saint Martin), and states that insularity compounds their fragile structural social and economic situation;

Amendment 4 #

Josianne CUTAJAR, Tonino PICULA, Corina CREȚU, Isabel CARVALHAIS, Cristina MAESTRE, Nora MEBAREK

Motion for a resolution
Citation 10 a (new)

— having regard to the Committee on Regional Development’s study “Islands of the European Union: State of play and future challenges” (March 2021),

Amendment 40 #

1a. Insularity is a constant disadvantage for geographical reasons. This is why strategies for integration need to be developed to enable islands to confront the challenges and overcome the barriers their insularity causes;

Amendment 41 #

Josianne CUTAJAR, Tonino PICULA, Corina CREȚU, Isabel CARVALHAIS, Cristina MAESTRE, Isabel GARCÍA MUÑOZ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1 a. Recalls that Article 349 TFEU includes insularity among the conditions restraining the development of the outermost regions;

Amendment 42 #

Josianne CUTAJAR, Tonino PICULA, Corina CREȚU, Isabel CARVALHAIS, Cristina MAESTRE, Nora MEBAREK

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 b (new)

1 b. Underlines that European islands, while facing common challenges, have various geographical features and institutional setups,which make it crucial to adopt flexible solutions that take into account these specificities;

Amendment 43 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2 a. Stresses the need to expand Council’s agreement of 7 December 2021 to update EU rules on rates of value added tax (VAT) for all insular areas in the EU

Amendment 44 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Stresses that one of the islands’ major handicaps lies in their geomorphological and natural conditions; notes that islands generally have a double or triple natural handicap, i.e. insularity, mountainous terrain and being part of an archipelago;

Amendment 45 #

Josianne CUTAJAR, Tonino PICULA, Corina CREȚU, Isabel CARVALHAIS, Cristina MAESTRE, Nora MEBAREK, Isabel GARCÍA MUÑOZ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Recalls that insularity creates structural problems of dependence on maritime and air transport, with additional costs for importing and exporting goods, as well as for passenger transport; considers close monitoring to be important to ensure islands are fully integrated into the development of green maritime infrastructure; calls for islands to be made a priority in the development of infrastructure aimed at decarbonising maritime transport; stresses that, in the case of archipelagos, these difficulties are multiplied by a double insularity;

Amendment 46 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Recalls that insularity creates structural problems of dependence on maritime and air transport, with additional costs for importing and exporting goods, as well as for passenger transport; highlights that these structural issues leave islands’ citizens and businesses more exposed to rising prices; stresses that, in the case of archipelagos, these difficulties are multiplied by a double insularity;

Amendment 47 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Recalls that insularity creates structural problems of dependence on maritime and air transport, which is a public service on which the daily lives of European citizens living on an island depend, with additional costs for importing and exporting goods, as well as for passenger transport; stresses that, in the case of archipelagos, these difficulties are multiplied by a double insularity;

Amendment 48 #

Cristina MAESTRE, Mónica Silvana GONZÁLEZ, Isabel GARCÍA MUÑOZ, Alicia HOMS GINEL

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Recalls that insularity creates structural problems of dependence on maritime and air transport, with additional costs for importing and exporting goods, raw materials, including energy commodities, and consumer products, as well as for passenger transport; stresses that, in the case of archipelagos, these difficulties are multiplied by a double insularity;

Amendment 49 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Recalls that insularity creates structural problems of dependence on maritime and air transport, with additional costs for importing and exporting goods, as well as for passenger transport; stresses that, in the case of archipelagos, these difficulties are multiplied by a double and sometimes triple insularity;

Amendment 5 #

Josianne CUTAJAR, Tonino PICULA, Corina CREȚU, Isabel CARVALHAIS, Cristina MAESTRE, Nora MEBAREK

Motion for a resolution
Citation 10 b (new)

— having regard to the Committee on Regional Development’s study “Cohesion Policy and Climate Change” (March 2021),

Amendment 50 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Highlights the deficit in terms of population, raw materials and resources of all kinds, and notes that in many islands access to drinking water is a central issue in people’s lives, the sustainability of the island and its tourism carrying capacity; recalls also that significant illegal immigration in the outermost regions destabilises local economies by minimising wages and creating chronic insecurity, which undermines the establishment of viable businesses and structures;

Amendment 51 #

Josianne CUTAJAR, Tonino PICULA, Corina CREȚU, Isabel CARVALHAIS, Cristina MAESTRE, Nora MEBAREK, Isabel GARCÍA MUÑOZ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Highlights the deficit in terms of population, raw materials and resources of all kinds, and notes that in many islands access to drinking water is a central issue in people’s lives, the sustainability of the island and its tourism carrying capacity; Recalls that desalinization is often costly and not effective to provide the entire water supply.

Amendment 52 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Highlights the deficit in terms of population, raw materials and resources of all kinds, and notes that in many islands access to drinking water is a central issue in people’s lives, the sustainability of the island and its tourism carrying capacity; stresses the importance of spatial planning focusing on effective and efficient land utilisation;

Amendment 53 #

Peter POLLÁK, Isabel BENJUMEA BENJUMEA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Highlights the deficit in terms of population, raw materials and resources of all kinds, and notes that in many islands access to drinking water and sanitation is a central issue in people’s lives, the development of agriculture, energy production, the sustainability of the island and its tourism carrying capacity;

Amendment 54 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Highlights the deficit in terms of population, raw materials and resources of all kinds, and notes that in many islands access to drinking water, sanitation is a central issue in people’s lives, the sustainability of the island and its tourism carrying capacity;

Amendment 55 #

Josianne CUTAJAR, Tonino PICULA, Corina CREȚU, Isabel CARVALHAIS, Cristina MAESTRE, Nora MEBAREK

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Stresses that isolation owing to insularity means a dependence on the mainland’s and continental areas’ markets and increases the cost of certain services, such as waste management as well as of certain goods, especially with reference to small islands highly dependent on imports;

Amendment 56 #

Cristina MAESTRE, Mónica Silvana GONZÁLEZ, Isabel GARCÍA MUÑOZ, Alicia HOMS GINEL

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Stresses that isolation owing to insularity means a dependence on mainland markets and increases the cost of certain goods and services, such as waste management;

Amendment 57 #

Cristina MAESTRE, Mónica Silvana GONZÁLEZ, Isabel GARCÍA MUÑOZ, Alicia HOMS GINEL

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. Stresses that island economies are oriented towards the primary and tertiary sectors and that hyper-specialisation weakens the economic fabric by making it more vulnerable to economic slowdowns; is concerned about long-term developments which in many EU islands can create an economy that is based solely on tourism; highlights the necessity of deconcentrating tourism from the summer season to other less-demanded months and to diversify the economy of islands by strengthening their secondary sector;

Amendment 58 #

Stelios KYMPOUROPOULOS, Peter POLLÁK, Mircea-Gheorghe HAVA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. Stresses that island economies are oriented towards the primary and tertiary sectors and that hyper-specialisation weakens the economic fabric by making it more vulnerable to economic slowdowns; is concerned about long-term developments which in many EU islands can create an economy that is based solely on tourism; stresses that support should be given to strengthening other sectors in order to achieve a good balance and a diversified labour market;

Amendment 59 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. Stresses that island economies are oriented towards the primary and tertiary sectors and that hyper-specialisation weakens the economic fabric by making it more vulnerable to economic slowdowns; is concerned about long-term developments which in many EU islands can create an economy that is based solely on tourism, which lead to seasonal vulnerabilities such as overtourismin summer, followed by a lack of financial resources during winter;

Amendment 6 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 12 a (new)

— having regard to the opinion of the European Committee of the Regions on the European Commission report on the implementation of the renewed strategic partnership with the EU’s outermost regions (2021/C 37/10) of 10 December 2020,

Amendment 60 #

Stelios KYMPOUROPOULOS, Peter POLLÁK, Mircea-Gheorghe HAVA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

Amendment 61 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)

7 a. Stresses that most islands do not have vibrant cities, they cannot benefit from urban financial spill-over like mainland rural areas. This situation increases the development gap of island rural areas

Amendment 62 #

Stelios KYMPOUROPOULOS, Peter POLLÁK, Mircea-Gheorghe HAVA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 b (new)

7 b. Notes with concern that having a reduced critical mass, it is inherently more difficult for islands to diversify their economy, leading to decreased competitiveness, especially regarding the capacity of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to explore economies of scale

Amendment 63 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Notes with concern the long-term effects of the COVID-19 crisis and of illegal immigration, which is exacerbating an already precarious situation for EU islands in many areas;

Amendment 64 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Notes with concern the ongoing and long-term effects of the COVID-19 crisis, which is exacerbating an already precarious situation for EU islands in many areas;

Amendment 65 #

Josianne CUTAJAR, Tonino PICULA, Corina CREȚU, Isabel CARVALHAIS, Cristina MAESTRE, Nora MEBAREK

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Notes with concern the long-term effects of the COVID-19 ~~crisis~~pandemic, which is exacerbating an already precarious situation for EU islands in many areas;

Amendment 66 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)

8a. Stresses that the consequences of the COVID-19 crisis are even starker in the outermost regions, as reflected in soaring maritime freight prices, and are exacerbating the structural social and economic difficulties that are characteristic of these regions;

Amendment 67 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Regrets the EU’s lack of vision for European islands, bearing in mind the major importance of these regions for the EU in expanding its geopolitical, economic and geoenvironmental sphere of influence;

Amendment 68 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Regrets the EU’s lack of vision and lack of protection for European islands;

Amendment 69 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. ~~Regrets the EU’s lack of vision for European islands~~Calls for a European island vision to be developed and for the islands’ strengths to be exploited;

Amendment 7 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 12 b (new)

— having regard to the final declaration of the XXVI Conference of Presidents of the Outermost Regions of the European Union adopted in the Azores on 18 and 19 November 2021,

Amendment 70 #

Rosa ESTARÀS FERRAGUT, Younous OMARJEE, Gabriel MATO

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)

9a. Alerts the Commission to the need to take greater account of the health disasters occurring in the French outermost regions – in the EU sense – of Martinique, Guadeloupe, Réunion, Mayotte, French Guiana and Saint Martin. With a view to addressing this critical issue for the inhabitants of these departments, regions and collectivities, calls for all the financial resources to be deployed very quickly in order to: - tackle the consequences of pollution of the soil and subsoil, watercourses and shorelines of Guadeloupe and Martinique by chlordecone, a highly carcinogenic substance; - combat the scourge of Sargasso algae that are ravaging the ecosystem of Guadeloupe in particular; - ensure that everyone in Guadeloupe, Martinique and Mayotte has constant access to drinking water;

Amendment 71 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)

9 a. 9a.Specifically with regard to the outermost regions, the EU cohesion should be pursued through, in particular: - reinforcing article 349 of the TFEU, notably by consolidating the “EU acquis” applicable in those regions; - maintaining and reinforcing the Programme of Options Specifically Relating to Remoteness and Insularity (POSEI) and its budget, notably by transposing it to other sectors than agriculture such as fisheries, transport, tourism, etc.; - assuring a differentiated treatment of outermost regions’ products in all Economic Partnership Agreements’ and Free Trade Agreements’ renegotiations and fully protecting sensitive agricultural products, such as banana, tomatoes, sugar, milk, etc., in those negotiations;

Amendment 72 #

9 a. Notes with concern that Mental Health is playing an important role, due to isolation and restricted choices of insular areas

Amendment 73 #

Josianne CUTAJAR, Tonino PICULA, Corina CREȚU, Isabel CARVALHAIS, Cristina MAESTRE, Nora MEBAREK, Isabel GARCÍA MUÑOZ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)

9a. Stresses the growing impact of desertification in the islands of the European Union;

Amendment 74 #

Motion for a resolution
Subheading 3

Environment ~~and~~, energy autonomy, research and innovation

Amendment 75 #

Motion for a resolution
Subheading 3

~~Environment and energy autonom~~Climate and biodiversity

Amendment 76 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Stresses that many islands have a fragile environment and endemic marine and terrestrial biodiversity, and that the development of tourism, in particular on certain Mediterranean islands, is further increasing the pressure on biodiversity; calls for a strengthening of biodiversity protection capacities, the promotion of a blue economy focused on sustainable tourism~~, sustainable~~ and fisheries and support for seabed research; calls on the Commission to assess the impact of climate change on islands;

Amendment 77 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Stresses that many islands have a fragile environment and endemic marine and terrestrial biodiversity, and that the development of tourism, in particular on certain Mediterranean islands, is further increasing the pressure; calls for a strengthening of biodiversity protection and restoration capacities, the promotion of sustainable tourism, sustainable fisheries and seabed research; calls on the Commission to assess the impact of climate change on islands;

Amendment 78 #

Josianne CUTAJAR, Tonino PICULA, Corina CREȚU, Isabel CARVALHAIS, Cristina MAESTRE, Nora MEBAREK

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Stresses that many islands have a fragile environment and endemic marine and terrestrial biodiversity, and that the development of tourism, in particular on certain Mediterranean islands, is further increasing the anthropic pressure; calls for a strengthening of biodiversity protection capacities, the promotion of sustainable tourism, sustainable fisheries and seabed research; calls on the Commission to assess the impact of climate change on islands;

Amendment 79 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)

10a. Calls on the Commission to take greater account of the specific climatic characteristics of the outermost regions, including Martinique, Guadeloupe, Mayotte, French Guiana, Réunion and Saint Martin;

Amendment 8 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 15 a (new)

— having regard to the Council agreement of 7 December 2021 to update EU rules on rates of value added tax (VAT),

Amendment 80 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Recalls that islands are on the front line of climate change, particularly with rising water levels ~~and~~, the warming ~~of seas and ocean~~and acidification of seas and oceans and the proliferation of natural disasters; notes with concern the risks associated with overfishing and marine and coastal pollution; calls, in the context of the Paris Agreement and the European Green Deal, for specific support for islands to combat and adapt to climate change;

Amendment 81 #

Josianne CUTAJAR, Tonino PICULA, Corina CREȚU, Isabel CARVALHAIS, Cristina MAESTRE, Nora MEBAREK

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Recalls that islands are on the front line of climate change, particularly with rising water levels and the warming of seas and oceans; notes with concern the risks associated with overfishing and marine and coastal pollution; calls, in the context of the Paris Agreement and the European Green Deal, including the Climate Law, for specific support for islands to combat and adapt to climate change;

Amendment 82 #

Josianne CUTAJAR, Tonino PICULA, Corina CREȚU, Isabel CARVALHAIS, Cristina MAESTRE, Nora MEBAREK, Isabel GARCÍA MUÑOZ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Recalls that islands are on the front line of climate change, particularly with rising water levels and the warming of seas and oceans; notes with concern the risks associated with overfishing and marine and coastal pollution; calls, in the context of the Paris Agreement and the European Green Deal, for specific support for islands, t~~o combat and adapt to~~his being essential to make them suitably adaptable, resilient and foresighted in the face of climate change;

Amendment 83 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)

11 a. Considers that islands can represent a formidable laboratory for sustainability practices in sectors such as clean energy, circular economy, smart mobility, waste management and blue economy;

Amendment 84 #

Access to water and waste management

Amendment 85 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. Stresses the increasingly precarious condition of all islands in terms of their environmental assets, particularly water resources; calls, in this context, on the Commission to adopt a common water management policy for islands; stresses the need to promote the purification of water, and particularly waste water, and to guarantee a sustainable water cycle; recalls also the challenges connected with waste management in island territories and the strategic role of the circular economy;

Amendment 86 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. Stresses the increasingly precarious condition of all islands in terms of their environmental assets, particularly water resources; calls, in this context, on the Commission to adopt a common water management policy for islands; recalls also the challenges connected with waste management in island territories, which have limited resources to store and process waste, particularly in high touristic seasons during which the waste production is increased, and the strategic role of the circular economy;

Amendment 87 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. Stresses the increasingly precarious condition of all islands in terms of their environmental assets, particularly water resources; calls, in this context, on the Commission to adopt a common water management policy for islands; recalls also the challenges and high cost connected with waste management in island territories and the strategic role of the circular economy, which must be extended to encompass the collection and economic recycling of marine waste;

Amendment 88 #

Josianne CUTAJAR, Tonino PICULA, Corina CREȚU, Isabel CARVALHAIS, Cristina MAESTRE, Nora MEBAREK, Isabel GARCÍA MUÑOZ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. Stresses the increasingly precarious condition of all islands in terms of their environmental assets, particularly water resources; calls, in this context, on the Commission to ~~adopt a common water management policy for islands~~mobilise additional funding to provide better support for island regions in access to and management of water; recalls also the challenges connected with waste management in island territories and the strategic role of the circular economy;

Amendment 89 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. Stresses the increasingly precarious condition of all islands in terms of their environmental assets, particularly water resources; calls, in this context, on the Commission to adopt a common water management policy for islands; recalls also the challenges connected with waste management in island territories ands well as the strategic role of the circular economy and its potential in reducing marine litter;

Amendment 9 #

Josianne CUTAJAR, Tonino PICULA, Corina CREȚU, Isabel CARVALHAIS, Cristina MAESTRE, Nora MEBAREK, Isabel GARCÍA MUÑOZ

Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)

Aa. whereas insularity is recognised as a serious and permanent natural handicap in Article 174 TFEU, and whereas Article 349 TFEU states that the fragile structural social and economic situation of the nine outermost regions is compounded by insularity;

Amendment 90 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)

12 a. Underlines the necessity and opportunities arising from the ‘Fit for 55’ legislative package; is however of the opinion that the concrete implementation of these legislative measures should go hand in hand with the promotion of the economic, social and territorial cohesion; since islands solely rely on the aviation and maritime transport;

Amendment 91 #

Motion for a resolution
Subheading 3 b (new)

Green transitions

Amendment 92 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)

12a. Recalls that the green transition must leave no one behind and must not aggravate social difficulties; calls for instruments to compensate for the social impact of the Green Deal to be deployed in island regions;

Amendment 93 #

Josianne CUTAJAR, Tonino PICULA, Corina CREȚU, Isabel CARVALHAIS, Cristina MAESTRE, Nora MEBAREK, Isabel GARCÍA MUÑOZ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13

13. Calls for specific rules and financial support to help islands achieve climate neutrality goals, taking into account the additional costs involved and the impact of mobile technologies on their energy systems, which require proportionally very high investments to manage intermittent renewable energies; calls for these costs to be taken into account in the ‘Fit for 55’ legislative package;

Amendment 94 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13

13. Calls for specific rules and financial support to help islands achieve climate neutrality goals, taking into account the additional costs lin~~volved and~~ked to sectors such as energy and transport as well as the impact of mobile technologies on their energy systems; calls for these costs to be taken into account in the ‘Fit for 55’ legislative package;

Amendment 95 #

Cristina MAESTRE, Mónica Silvana GONZÁLEZ, Isabel GARCÍA MUÑOZ, Alicia HOMS GINEL

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)

13 a. Calls on the Commission to examine the need to improve the European Solidarity Fund in order to adapt it to new realities and threats such as natural disasters or effects of climate change among others, in order to deal more realistically with the consequences of these phenomena;

Amendment 96 #

Josianne CUTAJAR, Tonino PICULA, Corina CREȚU, Isabel CARVALHAIS, Cristina MAESTRE, Nora MEBAREK, Isabel GARCÍA MUÑOZ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)

13 a. Calls for concrete compensatory measures that offset any possible negative consequence on islands’ economic, social and territorial cohesion in the process to transit to a cleaner economy and society, due to their dependence on the aviation and the maritime sector;

Amendment 97 #

Cristina MAESTRE, Mónica Silvana GONZÁLEZ, Isabel GARCÍA MUÑOZ, Alicia HOMS GINEL

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 b (new)

13 b. Calls on the Commission to swiftly address the importance of adapting the existing emergency mechanisms to deal with the increasingly severe natural disasters such as the eruption of the volcano on the island of La Palma (Spain), an unprecedented social and economic challenge requiring a proportionate response to the damages caused;

Amendment 98 #