COMMISSION DECISION
of 24 November 1999
relating to the definitions of the characteristics, the list of agricultural products, the exceptions to the definitions and the regions and districts regarding the surveys on the structure of agricultural holdings
(notified under document number C(1999) 3875)
(2000/115/EC)
THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,
Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 571/88 of 29 February 1988 on the organisation of Community surveys on the structure of agricultural holdings(1), as last amended by Commission Decision 98/377/EC(2) and in particular Article 8(1) thereof,
Whereas:
(1) In accordance with Article 8(1) of Regulation (EEC) No 571/88, any changes to the list of survey characteristics, as well as to the definitions of the survey characteristics and to the delimitation of the regions, survey districts and other territorial units, are laid down under the procedure given in Article 15 of this Regulation, i.e. by Commission decision following the Opinion delivered by the Standing Committee on Agricultural Statistics;
(2) The results of the Community surveys on the structure of agricultural holdings provided for in Regulation (EEC) No 571/88 can be in concordance throughout the European Community only if the terms contained in the list of characteristics are understood and applied in a uniform manner;
(3) The list of survey characteristics has been last amended by Decision 98/377/EC in view of the 1999/2000 basic survey on the structure of agricultural holdings and whereas Commission Decision 89/651/EEC(3), as last amended by Decision 97/418/EC(4), lays down the definitions, the list of agricultural products, the exceptions to the definitions applied in certain Member States and the regions and survey districts to be applied in the framework of the 1988 to 1997 structure surveys; whereas as a consequence Decision 89/651/EEC has to be adapted and supplemented;
(4) New variables have been added to the list of characteristics; whereas the development of agriculture has made it necessary to revise the definitions of various old variables; whereas Annex I to the present Commission Decision therefore contains a new list of definitions in view of the Community structure surveys after 1997;
(5) The list of agricultural products referred to in the definition of agricultural holdings and the list of exceptions to the Community definitions due to peculiar circumstances in certain Member States also need to be revised; whereas these revised lists of agricultural products and of the accepted exceptions to the list of definitions are contained in Annex II and III to the present Commission Decision;
(6) There is a need for a greater clarity of the correlation between the nomenclature of statistical territorial units (NUTS) and the regions and districts used for the purposes of the agricultural structure surveys; whereas it is useful if these regions and districts are defined in a separate Annex IV to the present Commission Decision;
(7) The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Standing Committee on Agricultural Statistics,
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:
Article 1
The Community definitions to be used for Community surveys after 1997 on the structure of agricultural holdings as provided for by Regulation (EEC) No 571/88 are given in Annex I, together with the relevant explanations and examples.
Article 2
The list of agricultural products referred to in the definition of agricultural holdings as contained in Annex I is given in Annex II.
Article 3
In view of circumstances peculiar to certain Member States, exceptions to the Community definitions shall be accepted as set out in Annex III.
Article 4
The list of regions and districts for the purposes of the Community agricultural structure surveys referred to in the definition of survey district as contained in Annex I is given in Annex IV.
Article 5
Decision 89/651/EEC is hereby repealed.
Article 6
This Decision is addressed to the Member states.
Done at Brussels, 24 November 1999.