1988R0571 — EN — 15.02.2002 — 003.001 — 1
This document is meant purely as a documentation tool and the institutions do not assume any liability for its contents
►B COUNCILREGULATION(EEC)No571/88
of29February1988
on the organization of Community surveys on the structure of agricultural holdings
►M6 ◄
(OJ L 56, 2.3.1988, p. 1)
Amended by:
Official Journal
No page date
►M1Commission Regulation (EEC) No 807/89 of 20 March 1989 L 86 1 31.3.1989
►M2 amended by Commission Decision 93/156/EEC of 9 February 1993 L 65 12 17.3.1993
►M3Commission Regulation (EEC) No 1057/91 of 26 April 1991 L 107 11 27.4.1991
►M4Commission Decision 94/677/EC of 6 October 1994 L 269 38 20.10.1994
►M5Commission Decision 96/170/EC6 of 15 February 199 L 47 23 24.2.1996
►M6Council Regulation (EC) No 2467/96 of 17 December 1996 L 335 3 24.12.1996
►M7Commission Decision 98/377/EC of 18 May 1998 L 168 29 13.6.1998
►M8Commission Regulation (EC) No 143/2002 of 24 January 2002 L 24 16 26.1.2002
Amended by:
►A1Act of Accession of Austria, Sweden and Finland C 241 21 29.8.1994
(adapted by Council Decision 95/1/EC, Euratom, ECSC) L 1 1 1.1.1995
NB: This consolidated version contains references to the European unit of account and/or the ecu, which from 1 January 1999
should be understood as references to the euro — Council Regulation (EEC) No 3308/80 (OJ L 345, 20.12.1980, p. 1) andCouncil Regulation (EC) No 1103/97 (OJ L 162, 19.6.1997, p. 1).
▼B
COUNCILREGULATION(EEC)No571/88
of29February1988
ontheorganizationofCommunitysurveysonthestructureofagri-
culturalholdings ►M6 ◄
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic
Community, and in particular Article 43 thereof,
Having regard to the proposals from the Commission(1),
Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament(2),
Whereastrendsin the s tructure of agricultural holdingsare an impor-
tant factor in determining the development of the common agricultural
policy; whereas the series of surveys on the structure of agricultural
holdings, carried out on a Community basis since 1966/67, should becontinued;
Whereas such trends cannot be examined at Community level unless
comparable data are available for all the Member States; whereas it is
therefore necessary to continue previous harmonization and synchroni-zation efforts;
Whereas the workloads of the Member States and of the Commission
in the execution of this task must be reduced as much as possible;
Whereas, where at all possible, the characteristics, definitions and
geographic units laid down for similar previous structure surveysshould be retained;
Whereas, when determining the characteristics to be examined
►
M6 ◄, there must be an endeavour to curtail as far as
possible the workload of persons concerned by the survey;
Whereas, in order to assess the situation of Community agriculture and
monitor trends in agricultural structures, it is necessary to carry out atregular intervals statistical surveys in agricultural holdings which havea certain agricultural area utilized for farming or if they produce acertain proportion for sale or whose production exceeds certain
physical thresholds;
Whereas, in view of the variety of statistical services in the Member
States, the efficiency of sample survey methods and the necessity toobtain reliable information at reasonable cost, Member States should
be allowed to decide whether the surveys they carry out are of a full
or sample type, on condition that the results of the random samplesurveys are reliable at the various levels of aggregation required;
Whereas it is nonetheless necessary to carry out, at least every ten
years, a census (full survey) of all the agricultural holdings in order to
update the basic registers of holdings and the other informationrequired for the stratification of sample surveys;
Whereas, when the procedures to be employed for the Community
censuses in 1989/90 and 1999/2000 are determined, acocunt (SIC!account) must be taken as far as possible of the recommendations of
the United NationsFood and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
regarding world censuses of agriculture to be conducted sometimearound 1990 and also around 2000;
Whereas for the requirements of agricultural policy it is necessary to
provide the statistical offices of the Member States and the Commis-sion with a new system of analysing the data and disseminating the1988R0571 — EN — 15.02.2002 — 003.001 — 2
(1) OJ No C 179, 8. 7. 1987, p. 3 and
OJ No C 4, 8. 1. 1988, p. 10.
(2) OJ No C 305,16. 11. 1987, p. 147.▼M6
▼B
▼B
results of the surveys which is more flexible and rapid than the
previousone, while alleviating the workload of the Member States ;
Whereasthe introduction of adequate proceduresenabling the Commis -
sion and the Member States to make the best use of the statisticsprepared from the data collected in surveys of the structures of agricul-tural holdingss hould be facilitated;
Whereas individual data are subject to statistical confidentiality;
Whereas it is necessary, when implementing a new system for the use
of surveys and the circulation of their results,
to take account of the positions of the Directors-General of the Member
States' national statistical institutions on the preparation of rules on theconfidentiality of statistics,
to ensure close cooperation between the Member States in the analysis
of the data;
Whereasthe coordinating role of the Statis tical Office of the European
Community is necessary to meet the Community requirements for
information in the field in question and to ensure uniform analysis ofthe results obtained;
Whereas, in order to carry out these surveys, considerable funding will
be required from both the Member States and the Commission over a
number of years, a large proportion of which will be used to meet the
requirements of the Community; whereas provision should therefore bemade for a Community subsidy to assist this programme;
Whereas, in order to facilitate the implementation of the provisions of
thisRegulation, clos e cooperation between the Member Statesand the
Commission should continue, in particular via the Standing Committee
for Agricultural Statistics set up by Decision 72/279/EEC(
1),
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:
Article 1
As part of the programme of statistical surveys of the Community,
Member Statess hall, between ►M61988 and 2007 ◄, carry out
surveys on the structure of the agricultural holdings in their territories,
hereinafter referred to as ‘surveys’. The reference periods of thesesurveys are set out in Articles 2 and 3.
Article 2
1. In line with the FAO recommendations for world censuses of
agriculture, Member States shall carry out a basic survey in one ormore stages in the form of a general census (full survey) of all agricul-tural holdings, between 1 December 1988 and 1 March 1991 andbetween 1 December 1998 and 1 March 2001 respectively. These
surveys shall relate to the crop year corresponding to the crop to be
harvested in 1989 or 1990 and in 1999 or 2000.
Nevertheless, in the framework of the 1989/90 basic survey, Member
States may use random sample surveys, hereinafter referred to as‘sample survey’ for certain characteristics; the results obtained thereby
shall be extrapolated.
2. Member Statesmay, however, bring forward or defer the carrying
out in the 1989/90 basic survey by 12 months at most, in which casethey shall carry out a sample survey, relating to one of the crop years1989 or 1990.1988R0571 — EN — 15.02.2002 — 003.001 — 3
(1) OJ No L 179, 7. 8. 1972, p. 1.▼M6
▼B
Article 3
The following surveys ►M6(interim surveys) ◄on the structure of
agricultural holdings shall be carried out in one or more stages in the
form of full or sample surveys:
(a) between 1 December 1992 and 1 March 1994, covering the crop
year corresponding to the crop to be harvested in 1993 (structuresurvey 1993);
(b) between 1 December 1994 and 1 March 1996, covering the crop
year corresponding to the crop to be harvested in 1995 (structuresurvey 1995); and
(c) between 1 December 1996 and 1 March 1998, covering the crop
year corresponding to the crop to be harvested in 1997 (structure
survey 1997);
(d) between 1 December 2002 and 1 March 2004, covering the crop
year corresponding to the crop to be harvested in 2003 (structure
survey 2003);
(e) between 1 December 2004 and 1 March 2006, covering the crop
year corresponding to the crop to be harvested in 2005 (structure
survey 2005);
and
(f) between 1 December 2006 and 1 March 2008, covering the crop
year corresponding to the crop to be harvested in 2007 (structuresurvey 2007).
Article 4
Member States conducting sample surveys shall take the necessary
steps to obtain reliable results at the various levels of aggregationrequired, which are asfollows :
— the regionsreferred to in Article 8,
— the districts referred to in Article 8 (for base surveys only),
— the ‘objective zones’ within the meaning of Regulation (EEC) No
2052/88(
1) and Commission Decision 94/197/EC(2) (for the 1999/
2000 basic survey only),
and in so far as the following territorial units are important locally:
— the ‘less-favoured agricultural areas’ as defined in Article 3 of
Directive 75/268/EEC(3) and the ‘mountain areas’ as defined in
paragraph 3 of the same Article,
— the principal technical economic guide-lineswithin the meaning of
Decision 85/377/EEC(4),
— the particular technical economic guide-lineswithin the meaning of
the same Decision.
Member States shall take the necessary measures to ensure that
samples are structured in a way which allows the use of one singlecoefficient per holding for raising the information collected bysampling.1988R0571 — EN — 15.02.2002 — 003.001 — 4
(1) OJ No L 185, 15. 7. 1988, p. 9. Regulation aslas t amended by Regulation
(EC) No 3193/94 (OJ No L 163, 2. 7. 1996, p. 45).
(2) OJ No L 96, 14. 4. 1994, p. 1.
(3) OJ No L 128, 19. 5. 1975, p. 1. Directive aslas t amended by the 1994 Act
of Accession.
(4) OJ No L 220, 17. 8. 1985, p. 1. Decision as last amended by Commission
Decision 96/393/EC (OJ No L 163, 2. 7. 1996, p. 45).▼M6
▼B
Article 5
For the purposes of applying this Regulation:
(a) ‘agricultural holding’ shall mean a single unit, both technically and
economically, which hasa s ingle management and which produces
agricultural products;
(b) ‘agricultural area utilized for farming’ shall mean the total area
taken up by arable land, permanent pasture and meadow, landused for permanent crops and kitchen gardens.
Article 6
The surveys shall cover:
(a) agricultural holdingswhere the agricultural area utilized for
farming isone hectare or more;
(b) agricultural holdingswhere the agricultural area utilized for
farming isles sthan one hectare, if they produce a certain propor-
tion for sale or if their production unit exceeds certain physical
thresholds.
However, Member States which use a different survey threshold
commit themselves to fixing this threshold at a level excluding onlythe smallest holdings which together contribute 1% or less to the totalstandard gross margin (SGM), within the meaning of Decision 85/377/
EEC, for the Member State concerned.
Before the surveys are carried out Member States shall inform the
Commission of the methods used to fix their thresholds.
Article 7
1. In the case of combined crops, the agricultural area utilized for
farming shall be allocated between the various crops in proportion tothe amount of land the latter take up.
The procedure for thisallocation and, if appropriate, exceptionsto the
general rule will be settled by the Member States in agreement with the
Commission.
Furthermore, the area used for combined crops shall also be recorded
separately from the utiized (SIC! utilized) agricultural area (UAA) inaccordance with the groupingslis ted in Annex I.
2. The area used for successive secondary crops shall be recorded
separately from the ‘utilized agricultural area.’
Successive secondary crops shall be enumerated in accordance with the
groupingslis ted in Annex I.
Article 8
1. Member States shall take the necessary steps to ensure that the
information collected in the surveys referred to in this Regulation
complies with the characteristics listed in Annex I. The changes to bemade to that list of characteristics for the ►
M61993 to 2007 ◄
surveys shall be determined in accordance with the procedure laiddown in Article 15.
2. In the framework of determining the list of characteristics for the
1992/2000 basic survey, Member States may, at their request and onthe basis of appropriate documentation, be authorized by the Commis-sion, in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 15, to userandom sample surveys for certain characteristics.
In accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 15, likewise on
request and on the basis of appropriate documentation and in the
framework of determining the list of survey characteristics, MemberStates may be authorized to use, for certain characteristics as from the1997 survey, already available information from sources other thanstatistical surveys.1988R0571 — EN — 15.02.2002 — 003.001 — 5
▼M6
▼M6
3. In the 1999/2000 basic survey, the geographical situation of each
holding shall be defined by a code which allows for aggregation byterritorial units lower than the survey-district level or at least by objec-
tive zones.
4. The definitionsrelating to the characteris ticsand to the delimina-
tion (SIC! delimitation) and coding of regions, survey districts andother territorial unitss hall be fixed in accordance with the procedure
laid down in Article 15.
►
M65◄. Where, for the purpose of applying the Community
typology for agricultural holdings in certain Member States, standardgross margins have been established relating to subdivisions of certaincharacteristics listed in Annex 1, the Member States concerned shallcollect all the information necessary to permit the application of these
standard gross margins.
Article 9
Member States shall take all appropriate steps to carry out the surveys
in their territories. In particular they shall:
(a) devise questionnaires appropriate to the collection of the informa-
tion provided for in the list of characteristics mentioned in Article8 (1);
(b) check whether the questionnaires have been completed in full and
whether the replies are credible; where necessary and as far aspossible, they shall complete missing data and correct inaccurate
data.
Article 10
Member States shall forward to the Statistical Office of the European
Communitiesthe information mentioned in Article 8 (1) obtainedfrom the censuses and sample surveys in the form of individual dataper holding, in accordance with the procedure described in Annex II,
hereafter called ‘Eurofarm project’.
Member States shall ensure that the data transferred in the Eurofarm
standard record layout are complete and plausible, using the uniformchecking conditionslaid down by the Statis tical Office of the European
Communities after close collaboration with the competent services of
the Member States; they shall also use the checking tables mentionedin paragraph 9 of Annex II for checking individual data.
Article 11
Member States shall supply the Statistical Office of the European
Communitieswith any information it may require of them regarding
the organization and methodology of the surveys covered by this Regu-
lation; in particular, they shall provide detailes (SIC! details) of thetimetable for the data collection operationsin the field.
Article 12
In the context of the Eurofarm project, the Statistical Office of the
European Communities shall be responsible for disseminating thetabular results of the survey. The practical details of such disseminationshall be agreed by the appropriate committees and working parties.
Article 13
Every three years, and in the first instance not later than 31 December
1992, the Commission shall submit to the Council a report on theoperation of the Eurofarm project. It shall propose any necessarychangesto thisRegulation.1988R0571 — EN — 15.02.2002 — 003.001 — 6
▼B
▼M6
▼B
▼B
Article 14
1. Asa contribution to expens esincurred by the Member States
►M6in carrying out the surveys provided for in Articles 2 and
3◄, 20 ECU per holding for which complete survey results are
forwarded to the Statistical Office of the European Communities shallbe reimbursed up to a maximum per survey of:
— 100 000 ECU for Luxembourg,
— 500 000 ECU for Belgium and Denmark,
— ECU 600 000 for Sweden,
— 700 000 ECU for the Netherlands,
— ECU 700 000 for Finland,
— 1 100 000 ECU for Ireland,
— 1 300 000 ECU for the United Kingdom,
— ECU 1 400 000 for Austria.
— 2 000 000 ECU for Germany, Greece, Spain, France, Italy and
Portugal.
For Member States which carry out a general census (full survey) in
1999/2000 of all agricultural holdingss urveying all the required char-acteristics, the abovementioned sums shall be increased by 50%.
The annual appropriationss hall be authorized by the budgetary
authority within the limitsof the financial pers pective.
2. The maximum annual financial reference amount for the develop-
ment, maintenance, necessary adaptations to, and management of, theEurofarm project, including dissemination of results, shall be:
— ECU 480 000 for 1989,
— ECU 440 000 for 1990,— ECU 240 000 for 1991,— ECU 80 000 for the years1992 to 1998,— ECU 700 000 for the years1999 and 2000,— ECU 550 000 for the years2001 to 2010.
The annual appropriationss hall be authorized by the budgetary
authority within the limitsof the financial pers pective.
Article 15
1. Where the procedure laid down in thisArticle isinvoked, the
matter shall be referred to the Standing Committee for AgriculturalStatistics (hereinafter referred to as ‘the Committee’) by its Chairman,
either on this 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 itsopinion on the draft within a time limit which the Chairmanmay lay down according to the urgency of the matter. The opinionshall be delivered by the majority laid down in Article 148 (2) 1of
the Treaty in the case of decisions which the Council is required to1988R0571 — EN — 15.02.2002 — 003.001 — 7
1Regulation (EC) No 2467/96 modifiesArticle 15 (2) of Regulation (EEC) No
571/88. However, this modification cannot be inserted due to successive
amendmentsto the bas ic act, which have not been taken into account. Regu-
lation (EC) No 2467/96 indicatesthat the Committe adopts‘by a majority of
62 votes’ (as provided in Article 148 (2) of the Treaty.▼M6
▼B
▼M6
▼B
▼M6
▼B
▼M6
▼B
▼A1
▼A1
adopt on a proposal from the Commission. The votes of the representa-
tivesof the Member Stateswithin the Committee s hall be weighted inthe manner set out in that Article. The Chairman shall not vote.
3. The Commission shall adopt measures which shall take
immediate effect. However, if these measures are not in accordancewith the Committee's opinion, the Commission shall submit them forth-with to the Council; in this case, the Commission may defer applicationof the measures it has adopted for not more than one month from the
date of their submission to the Council.
The Council, acting by qualified majority, may take a different deci-
sion within one month.
Article 16
ThisRegulation s hall enter into force on the day following that of its
publication in the Official Journal of the European Communities .
ThisRegulation s hall be binding in itsentirety and directly applicable
in all Member States.1988R0571 — EN — 15.02.2002 — 003.001 — 8
▼B
ANNEX I
▼M81988R0571 — EN — 15.02.2002 — 003.001 — 9
▼M81988R0571 — EN — 15.02.2002 — 003.001 — 10
▼M81988R0571 — EN — 15.02.2002 — 003.001 — 11
▼M81988R0571 — EN — 15.02.2002 — 003.001 — 12
▼M81988R0571 — EN — 15.02.2002 — 003.001 — 13
▼M81988R0571 — EN — 15.02.2002 — 003.001 — 14
▼M81988R0571 — EN — 15.02.2002 — 003.001 — 15
▼M81988R0571 — EN — 15.02.2002 — 003.001 — 16
▼M81988R0571 — EN — 15.02.2002 — 003.001 — 17
▼M81988R0571 — EN — 15.02.2002 — 003.001 — 18
▼M81988R0571 — EN — 15.02.2002 — 003.001 — 19
▼M81988R0571 — EN — 15.02.2002 — 003.001 — 20
▼B
ANNEX II
EUROFARMPROJECT
Descriptionandcontent
1. The Eurofarm project is a set of data banks to be used for processing
Community surveys on the structure of agricultural holdings for the
requirementsof national and Community agricultural policies .
The project will be designed and implemented by the statistical services of
the Member States and of the Commission, working in close consultation
and with Commission support.
2. The Eurofarm data banksare asfollows :
— the individual data bank (BDI), which will contain the individual data
not directly indentifiable (SIC! identifiable) on all holdings(in the
case of basic surveys) or data on all holdings or on a representative
sample of holdings (in the case of interim surveys) which is sufficient
to enable analyses to be carried out at the geographical levels
mentioned in Article 4 of the Regulation.
— the Tabular Data Bank (BDT), which will contain the survey results in
the form of statistical tables. The contents of the BDT will be decided
in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 15 of thisRegu-
lation.
Locationofthedatabanks
3.►M6Except in case of the individual data of Germany concerning the
1988 to 1997 surveys ◄, the BDI for all Member Statesislocated in a
Commission processing centre. The Statistical Office of the European
Communities has sole responsibility for access to it and for its manage-
ment.
4. The BDT is housed in a Commission processing centre.
Communication of the individual data to the Statistical Office of the
EuropeanCommunities
5. Individual data will be supplied using a uniform code specified by Eurostat
in agreement with the Member Statesand within time limitsto be deter-
mined in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 15 of this
Regulation.
6. By way of derogation, Germany will not forward individual data but
tabular results corresponding to the BDT table programme mentioned under
paragraph 2. Thisderogation expiresafter the s urveysof the period 1988 to
1997.
Germany undertakesto centralize the individual data on a magnetic carrier
in a single data-processing centre, within 12 months of completion of data
collection in the field.
Communicationofthetabulardata
7. On the basis of the individual data supplied by the Member States the
Statistical Office of the European Communities will compile:
— tablesintended for BDT,
— ad hoc tablesasdefined in paragraph 15.
8.1. Where the individual data forwarded by the Member Statesdo not enable
the Statistical Office of the European Communities to prepare all the tables
for the BDT specified in accordance with the procedure laid down in
Article 15, the Member States in question shall undertake to supply the
missing tables three months after the date for the forwarding of individual
data referred to in paragraph 5 of the Annex.
8.2. Where the individual data forwarded by the Member Statesdo not enable
the Statistical Office of the European Communities to prepare the ad hoc
tables based on the characteristics listed in Annex I, the Commission, in
collaboration with the Member States, shall consider how the tables in
question are to be forwarded.1988R0571 — EN — 15.02.2002 — 003.001 — 21
▼M6
▼B
▼M6
▼B
▼B
9. Together with the individual data the Member Statesundertake to forward
the checking tableswhich will be defined by the Statis tical Office of the
European Communitiesin concert with the Member States .
Confidentialityofindividualdata
10. The individual data must be forwarded to the Statistical Office of the
European Communitiesin an anonymousform which doesnot allow hold-
ingsto be directly identified.
11. The Commission will take suitable precautions within its data-processing
system to safeguard the confidentiality of the data and shall inform the
Member Statesthereof.
12. Access to the individual data is restricted to the persons responsible within
the Statistical Office of the European Communities for implementation of
the Regulation.
13. The tablesreferred to in paragraph 14 mus t not allow direct or indirect
identification of holdings.
Useofthedataanddisseminationoftheresults
14. The Statistical Office of the European Communities undertakes to use the
individual data communicated by the Member States for statistical purposes
only, and to exclude all use for administrative ends.
The individual data will be used in compiling:
— the tablescontained in the BDT,
— the ad hoc tables.
15. Ad hoc tables are those for which no provision has been made in the
original Community programme fixing the content of the BDT, but whose
compilation, on the basis of the characteristics indicated in Annex I, is
requested in order to satisfy the information requirements of the Commu-
nity institutions or of the Member States' statistical offices.
Coordination
16. In the framework of their respective responsibilities and in accordance with
Regulation (Euratom, EEC) No 1588/90, the Statistical Office of the
European Communities and the Member States will establish rapid consul-
tation procedureswith a view to:
— ensuring the confidentiality and statistical reliability of the information
prepared on the basis of the individual data,
— informing the Member States of the use made of these data.1988R0571 — EN — 15.02.2002 — 003.001 — 22
▼M6