The Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development\nadopted an own-initiative report by Vincenzo AITA (GUE/NGL,\nIT) on the challenge of deterioration of agricultural land in the\nEU and in particular in southern Europe: the response through EU\nagricultural policy instruments. It notes that agricultural soils\nin southern Europe and other regions of the Union's Member States\nare at the centre of a process of environmental degradation brought\nabout by negative interactions between human activity and climate\nevents. Desertification is now considered to be one of the most\nsignificant threats in terms of land deterioration in the\nMediterranean countries.
\nThe report considers that CAP guidelines and\nmanagement methods should explicitly include principles and\ninstruments for climate protection in general and reduction of\ndamage resulting from soil degradation in particular. It also\nconsiders it necessary to strengthen the parameters for\neco-conditionality and their application throughout the EU, above\nall as regards biodiversity and organic matter in soils, and to\nextend them to cover water protection. Community funding for\nmeasures to adjust the agricultural sector to climate change must\nbe based on a territorial approach which takes account of the level\nof vulnerability of the EU regions. Members point out that,\naccording to reliable assessments, the agricultural soils of\nsouthern Europe are more susceptible to climate change.
\nThey regret the short-sighted attitude of the heads of\nstate and government in deciding to reduce funding for rural\ndevelopment. The resources provided for under the second pillar are\ntoo limited for tackling the new challenges arising from climate\nchange. The Commission is asked to consider the introduction of a\nspecific fund for financing preventive actions which would\nbenefit all economic sectors concerned, including\nagriculture.
\nThe EU should provide greater support for improving\nwater management in respect of agricultural land. The\ncommittee stresses that this will necessitate creating incentives\nfor introducing more efficient irrigation systems adapted to\ndifferent crops, promoting appropriate research, and encouraging\nways of building on advances in biotechnology.
\nIt takes the view that agricultural and forestry\nsystems should include programmes for the forestation of\nmarginal and/or polluted farm land. Members advocate a Community\nforestry policy grounded primarily in the need to tackle climate\nchange. It is also necessary to encourage agricultural measures\naimed at ensuring the preservation of surface vegetation, so as to\nprevent salinisation of groundwaters arising from\nerosion.
\nAmong the criteria for retaining organic matter\nin soil, the CAP 'good agricultural and environmental condition'\nprinciples should provide incentives for carbon absorption and\nfixation based on optimum use of dryland farming techniques\n(minimum tilling, crop rotation, genotypes suited to the local\nenvironment, etc.)
\nThe report also advocates the creation of a\nCommunity drought monitoring centre and the reinforcement of\nthe Union's coordinated reaction capacity in facing forest fires.\nIt keenly awaits the creation of the European observatory and early\nwarning system on drought.
\nMembers call on the Commission and Member States, as\nappropriate, to do the following:
\nThe European Parliament adopted by 327 votes to 268,\nwith 11 abstentions, a resolution on the challenge of deterioration\nof agricultural land in the EU and in particular in southern\nEurope: the response through EU agricultural policy\ninstruments.
\nThe text adopted in plenary had been tabled by the\nEPP-ED group, in accordance with Rule 45(2) of the\nParliament's Rules of Procedure, in the form of a proposal for a\nresolution to replace the proposal for a resolution tabled by the\nCommittee on Agriculture and Rural Development.
\nThe resolution notes that agricultural soils in\nsouthern Europe and other regions of the Union's Member States are\nat the centre of a process of environmental degradation.\nDesertification is now considered to be one of the most significant\nthreats in terms of land deterioration in the Mediterranean\ncountries. Moreover, according to reliable assessments, the\nagricultural soils of southern Europe are more susceptible to\nclimate change.
\nClimate protection: the\nParliament considers that CAP guidelines and management methods\nshould explicitly include principles and instruments for climate\nprotection in general and reduction of damage resulting from soil\ndegradation in particular. Community funding for measures to adjust\nthe agricultural sector to climate change must be based on a\nterritorial approach which takes account of the level of\nvulnerability of the EU regions.
\nIn this context, MEPs note that the resources provided\nfor under the second pillar are too limited for tackling the new\nchallenges arising from climate change.
\nWater management: the\nresolution considers that the EU should provide greater support for\nimproving water management in respect of agricultural land. It\nstresses that this will necessitate creating incentives for\nintroducing more efficient irrigation systems adapted to different\ncrops, promoting appropriate research, and encouraging ways of\nbuilding on advances in biotechnology. MEPs also consider that\n\"micro\" reservoirs for irrigation (hill reservoirs) and for\nfighting fires, to be managed by the relevant local agencies,\nshould be built. They stress the importance of terraces in\ncombating erosion and increasing the water-storage capacity of\nsoil.
\nForests: MEPs take the\nview that agricultural and forestry systems should include\nprogrammes for the forestation of marginal and/or polluted farm\nland. They advocate a Community forestry policy grounded primarily\nin the need to tackle climate change. It is also necessary to\nencourage agricultural measures aimed at ensuring the preservation\nof surface vegetation, so as to prevent salinisation of\ngroundwaters arising from erosion.
\nPlant genetic resources:\nthe resolution acknowledges the important role which plant genetic\nresources can play in helping land management adjust to changing\nclimatic conditions. It therefore calls on the Commission and the\nMember States, therefore, to draw up programmes to foster the\nconservation and further development of plant genetic resources by\nfarmers and gardeners and by small-and-medium-sized\nnurseries.
\nCarbon: among the\ncriteria for retaining organic matter in soil, the CAP 'good\nagricultural and environmental condition' principles should provide\nincentives for carbon absorption and fixation based on optimum use\nof dryland farming techniques (minimum tilling, crop rotation,\ngenotypes suited to the local environment, evapotranspiration\ncontrol, targeted fertilisation, integrated control,\netc.).
\nCommunity monitoring centre: the resolution advocates the creation of a Community\ndrought monitoring centre, as a special department within the\nEuropean Environment Agency in Copenhagen, and the reinforcement of\nthe Union's coordinated reaction capacity in facing forest fires.\nIt also recommends the development of a rapid alert and continuous\nsurveillance system for soil conditions.
\nThe EU is called upon to:
\nThe Parliament calls on the Commission, in connection\nwith the proposal for a new definition of mountain areas and\nother areas with natural handicaps it is to submit in 2009, to\ninclude among the priority evaluation criteria the level of risk of\nsoil degradation and desertification in the areas subject to\nmonitoring. During the mid-term review of the Seventh Framework\nProgramme for research, the Commission should look into the\nprovision of greater incentives to support research and development\nprogrammes aimed at improving knowledge with a view to ensuring\nmore sustainable management of soils and areas affected by\ndegradation.
\nThe Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development\nadopted an own-initiative report by Vincenzo AITA (GUE/NGL,\nIT) on the challenge of deterioration of agricultural land in the\nEU and in particular in southern Europe: the response through EU\nagricultural policy instruments. It notes that agricultural soils\nin southern Europe and other regions of the Union's Member States\nare at the centre of a process of environmental degradation brought\nabout by negative interactions between human activity and climate\nevents. Desertification is now considered to be one of the most\nsignificant threats in terms of land deterioration in the\nMediterranean countries.
\nThe report considers that CAP guidelines and\nmanagement methods should explicitly include principles and\ninstruments for climate protection in general and reduction of\ndamage resulting from soil degradation in particular. It also\nconsiders it necessary to strengthen the parameters for\neco-conditionality and their application throughout the EU, above\nall as regards biodiversity and organic matter in soils, and to\nextend them to cover water protection. Community funding for\nmeasures to adjust the agricultural sector to climate change must\nbe based on a territorial approach which takes account of the level\nof vulnerability of the EU regions. Members point out that,\naccording to reliable assessments, the agricultural soils of\nsouthern Europe are more susceptible to climate change.
\nThey regret the short-sighted attitude of the heads of\nstate and government in deciding to reduce funding for rural\ndevelopment. The resources provided for under the second pillar are\ntoo limited for tackling the new challenges arising from climate\nchange. The Commission is asked to consider the introduction of a\nspecific fund for financing preventive actions which would\nbenefit all economic sectors concerned, including\nagriculture.
\nThe EU should provide greater support for improving\nwater management in respect of agricultural land. The\ncommittee stresses that this will necessitate creating incentives\nfor introducing more efficient irrigation systems adapted to\ndifferent crops, promoting appropriate research, and encouraging\nways of building on advances in biotechnology.
\nIt takes the view that agricultural and forestry\nsystems should include programmes for the forestation of\nmarginal and/or polluted farm land. Members advocate a Community\nforestry policy grounded primarily in the need to tackle climate\nchange. It is also necessary to encourage agricultural measures\naimed at ensuring the preservation of surface vegetation, so as to\nprevent salinisation of groundwaters arising from\nerosion.
\nAmong the criteria for retaining organic matter\nin soil, the CAP 'good agricultural and environmental condition'\nprinciples should provide incentives for carbon absorption and\nfixation based on optimum use of dryland farming techniques\n(minimum tilling, crop rotation, genotypes suited to the local\nenvironment, etc.)
\nThe report also advocates the creation of a\nCommunity drought monitoring centre and the reinforcement of\nthe Union's coordinated reaction capacity in facing forest fires.\nIt keenly awaits the creation of the European observatory and early\nwarning system on drought.
\nMembers call on the Commission and Member States, as\nappropriate, to do the following:
\nThe European Parliament adopted by 327 votes to 268,\nwith 11 abstentions, a resolution on the challenge of deterioration\nof agricultural land in the EU and in particular in southern\nEurope: the response through EU agricultural policy\ninstruments.
\nThe text adopted in plenary had been tabled by the\nEPP-ED group, in accordance with Rule 45(2) of the\nParliament's Rules of Procedure, in the form of a proposal for a\nresolution to replace the proposal for a resolution tabled by the\nCommittee on Agriculture and Rural Development.
\nThe resolution notes that agricultural soils in\nsouthern Europe and other regions of the Union's Member States are\nat the centre of a process of environmental degradation.\nDesertification is now considered to be one of the most significant\nthreats in terms of land deterioration in the Mediterranean\ncountries. Moreover, according to reliable assessments, the\nagricultural soils of southern Europe are more susceptible to\nclimate change.
\nClimate protection: the\nParliament considers that CAP guidelines and management methods\nshould explicitly include principles and instruments for climate\nprotection in general and reduction of damage resulting from soil\ndegradation in particular. Community funding for measures to adjust\nthe agricultural sector to climate change must be based on a\nterritorial approach which takes account of the level of\nvulnerability of the EU regions.
\nIn this context, MEPs note that the resources provided\nfor under the second pillar are too limited for tackling the new\nchallenges arising from climate change.
\nWater management: the\nresolution considers that the EU should provide greater support for\nimproving water management in respect of agricultural land. It\nstresses that this will necessitate creating incentives for\nintroducing more efficient irrigation systems adapted to different\ncrops, promoting appropriate research, and encouraging ways of\nbuilding on advances in biotechnology. MEPs also consider that\n\"micro\" reservoirs for irrigation (hill reservoirs) and for\nfighting fires, to be managed by the relevant local agencies,\nshould be built. They stress the importance of terraces in\ncombating erosion and increasing the water-storage capacity of\nsoil.
\nForests: MEPs take the\nview that agricultural and forestry systems should include\nprogrammes for the forestation of marginal and/or polluted farm\nland. They advocate a Community forestry policy grounded primarily\nin the need to tackle climate change. It is also necessary to\nencourage agricultural measures aimed at ensuring the preservation\nof surface vegetation, so as to prevent salinisation of\ngroundwaters arising from erosion.
\nPlant genetic resources:\nthe resolution acknowledges the important role which plant genetic\nresources can play in helping land management adjust to changing\nclimatic conditions. It therefore calls on the Commission and the\nMember States, therefore, to draw up programmes to foster the\nconservation and further development of plant genetic resources by\nfarmers and gardeners and by small-and-medium-sized\nnurseries.
\nCarbon: among the\ncriteria for retaining organic matter in soil, the CAP 'good\nagricultural and environmental condition' principles should provide\nincentives for carbon absorption and fixation based on optimum use\nof dryland farming techniques (minimum tilling, crop rotation,\ngenotypes suited to the local environment, evapotranspiration\ncontrol, targeted fertilisation, integrated control,\netc.).
\nCommunity monitoring centre: the resolution advocates the creation of a Community\ndrought monitoring centre, as a special department within the\nEuropean Environment Agency in Copenhagen, and the reinforcement of\nthe Union's coordinated reaction capacity in facing forest fires.\nIt also recommends the development of a rapid alert and continuous\nsurveillance system for soil conditions.
\nThe EU is called upon to:
\nThe Parliament calls on the Commission, in connection\nwith the proposal for a new definition of mountain areas and\nother areas with natural handicaps it is to submit in 2009, to\ninclude among the priority evaluation criteria the level of risk of\nsoil degradation and desertification in the areas subject to\nmonitoring. During the mid-term review of the Seventh Framework\nProgramme for research, the Commission should look into the\nprovision of greater incentives to support research and development\nprogrammes aimed at improving knowledge with a view to ensuring\nmore sustainable management of soils and areas affected by\ndegradation.
\n