COUNCIL DECISION of 14 November 1994 on the continued application of remote sensing to agricultural statistics during the period 1994 to 1998 (94/753/EC)
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 43 thereof,
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,
Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament (1),
Whereas the pilot project on remote sensing applied to agricultural statistics adopted by Decision 88/503/EEC (2), which expired on 31 December 1993, covered the first part of a development programme planned to last for 10 years;
Whereas the project was launched, in particular, because of the need to improve agricultural statistics systems in the Community and there continues to be a need for this, particularly in the context of the new common agricultural policy;
Whereas the abovementioned pilot project has met its objectives during the first five years, particularly with regard to the development and integration of certain advanced methods into the Community's agricultural information system;
Whereas some of the actions developed under the project have reached the operational stage according to schedule; whereas, therefore these measures should be separated from those actions which require further research;
Whereas the operational actions to be continued during the period 1994 to 1998 concern the application of remote sensing to provide early estimates of acreages and yields at European or national level and to improve the statistical systems of the Member States;
Whereas the activities which require further development during the second phase of the 10-year programme initially planned are covered by the fourth framework programme for research and development;
Whereas, however, close complementarity must be ensured between the operational actions and those still being developed under the 10-year programme on the application of remote sensing to agricultural statistics;
Whereas the operational actions should benefit from the technical and methodological improvements resulting from the development work; whereas they will induce new research;
Whereas the actions concerning the application of remote sensing to agricultural statistics are consistent with the principle of subsidiarity, since the responsibility for and implementation of the various actions is shared between the Member States and the Commission in accordance with criteria of efficiency and feasibility;
Whereas these actions help make technologial improvements to the Community's production of statistics and to methods of management and control of the common agricultural policy;
Whereas the technological lead gained by the Community and the Member States during the previous phase of the project needs to be maintained;
Whereas an amount of ECU 15,7 million is deemed necessary for the implementation of this multiannual programme,
HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:
Article 1
Remote sensing will continue to be applied to agricultural statistics for a period of five years starting on 1 January 1994. Its purpose shall be to:
- facilitate the use of remote sensing by interested Member States with a view to improving their agricultural statistics systems;
- provide estimates, before harvest, of acreages and potential production of the main crops at European and, if possible, national level, within the limits of the financial resources currently available.
Article 2
The Commission shall be responsible for the execution of the measures, in accordance with the guidelines laid down in part I of the Annex, and shall submit an annual report to the Member States, in accordance with the procedure laid down in
Article 4, on implementation procedures, methods used, use of appropriations, evaluation of the results obtained and how the work should be continued the following year.
Article 3
The funds estimated as necessary for the whole of the measure amount to ECU 15,7 million, broken down year by year as follows, for guidance:
1994: ECU 2,5 million,
1995: ECU 3,3 million,
1996: ECU 3,3 million,
1997: ECU 3,3 million,
1998: ECU 3,3 million.
Article 4
1. Where the procedure laid down in this Article is to be followed, the chairman shall refer the matter to the Standing Committee on Agricultural Statistics, hereinafter referred to as the 'Committee', either on his own initiative or at the request of the representative of a Member State.
2. The representative of the Commission shall submit to the Committee a draft of the measures to be taken. The Committee shall deliver its opinion on the draft, within a time limit which the chairman may lay down according to the urgency of the matter. The opinion shall be delivered by a majority of 54 votes, Member States' votes being weighted in the manner set out in Article 148 (2) of the Treaty. The chairman shall not vote.
3. (a) The Commission shall adopt the intended measures where they are in accordance with the Committee's opinion.
(b) When the intended measures are not in accordance with the opinion of the Committee, or in the absence of any opinion, the Commission shall forthwith submit to the Council a proposal relating to the measures to be taken. The Council shall act by a qualified majority.
If, on the expiry of three months from the date on which the matter was referred to it, the Council has not adopted any measures, the Commission shall adopt the proposed measures and apply them immediately.
Article 5
The Commission shall submit to the European Parliament and to the Council, by 31 July 1998, a report on the implementation of the measures, and on the use of the financial resources put at its disposal for the purpose, including, where necessary, proposals on the continued application of remote sensing to agricultural statistics.
Article 6
This Decision shall take effect on the day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Communities.
Done at Brussels, 14 November 1994.