1996D0411 — EN — 21.10.2000 — 003.001 — 1
This document is meant purely as a documentation tool and the institutions do not assume any liability for its contents
►B COUNCIL DECISION
of 25 June 1996
on improving Community agricultural statistics
(96/411/EC)
(OJ L 162, 1.7.1996, p. 14)
Amended by:
Official Journal
No page date
►M1 Council Decision 98/3/EC of 18 December 1997 L 1 9 3.1.1998
►M2 Commission Decision 98/514/EC of 29 July 1998 L 230 28 18.8.1998
►M3 Decision No 2298/2000/EC of the European Parliament and of the
Council of 28 September 2000 L 263 1 18.10.2000
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COUNCIL DECISION
of 25 June 1996
on improving Community agricultural statistics
(96/411/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 (1),
Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament (2),
Having regard to Council Decision 93/464/EEC of 22 July 1993 on the
framework programme for priority actions in the field of statisticalinformation 1993 to 1997 (
3), and in particular Article 4 (a) thereof,
Whereas the 1993-1997 framework programme envisaged by Decision
93/464/EEC establishes, inter alia , the need for better utilization of the
resources devoted to agricultural statistics by implementation of theresults of a ‘screening’ operation carried out under the previousstatistical programme envisaged by the Council Resolution of 19 June
1989 on the implementation of a plan of priority actions in the field of
statistical information: Statistical programme of the European Commu-nities (1989 to 1992) (
4);
Whereas this screeening has identified the main aspects of the changes
to be incorporated in Community agricultural statistics;
Whereas these changes include some of the main areas where savings
may be made and where there are new or increasing needs; whereasthese changes should conform to agreed general principles;
Whereas national adaptations have to be coordinated at Community
level, in order to ensure that:
(a) data remain sufficiently reliable in the case of each Member State
and comparable between Member States;
(b) the changes to Council legislation which may be necessary can be
identified, prepared and proposed by the Commission in good timeand in addition that the Commission approves implementing rulesfor Council legislation in good time;
(c) methodological studies by different Member States into efficient
ways of meeting the new information needs are appropriate;
(d) the scheduling of national activities takes account of collective
Community interest;
(e) the Community financial resources facilitating execution of this
programme are used as an addition to other national resources and inthe most efficient way;
Whereas the best means of achieving this coordination is within a formal
structure which allows the technical constraints and preferences to beconsidered collectively and choices made which reconcile national andCommunity interests;
Whereas a financial contribution by the Community to the Member
States is necessary, according to their objective needs, to facilitate theadaptations required;
Whereas, to achieve the desired savings, adaptations to the technical
implementation of certain surveys may be necessary; whereas suchadaptations should be permitted subject to appropriate safeguards;1996D0411 — EN — 21.10.2000 — 003.001 — 2
(1) OJ No C 336, 14. 12. 1995, p. 6.
(2) Opinion delivered on 24 May 1996 (OJ No C 166, 10. 6. 1996).
(3) OJ No L 219, 28. 8. 1993, p. 1.
(4) OJ No C 161, 28. 6. 1989, p. 1.
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Whereas provision should be made for a possible extension of this
Decision in the context of the next framework programme for priorityactions in the field of statistical information relating to the period after
1997;
Whereas the distribution of tasks between the Commission and the
Member States is fully in accord with the principle of subsidiarity,
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:
Article 1
Purpose
In order to improve the way in which Community agricultural statistics
meet information needs resulting from the reform of the CommonAgricultural Policy, Member States shall, within the limits imposed byavailable resources, take appropriate measures to adapt their national
systems of agricultural statistics. In this they will take account of the
work areas set out in Annexes I and II hereto, and the objectives,characteristics and criteria given in Annex III.
Article 2
Role of the Commission
The Commission, acting in concert with the Member States, shall:
(a) define the priority statistical fields, amongst those set out in Annex
II, which may be the subject of actions at Member State level for the
following year;
(b) check data quality and comparability;
(c) identify and implement Community-level actions which are
important for the purposes of this Decision.
Article 3
Application time-frame and procedure
The process of adapting Community agricultural statistics provided for
in Article 1 shall be continued during the period 2000 to 2002. It shall be
coordinated by the Commission through technical action plans asprovided for in Article 4. After this period, the European Parliament andthe Council may decide to extend the process in accordance with theCommission proposals provided for in Article 11.
Article 4
Technical action plans for agricultural statistics
1. A technical action plan for agricultural statistics shall be
established by the Commission each year in accordance with the
procedure laid down in Article 10. These plans shall cover the actions to
be carried out by the Member States pursuant to Article 1. Availableresources shall be used in such a way as to make the greatest possibleimprovement in the cost-effectiveness of Community agriculturalstatistics in meeting the requirements of Community law, informalagreements and new information needs.1996D0411 — EN — 21.10.2000 — 003.001 — 3
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Article 5
Member State reports
The Member States shall submit to the Commission:
(a) by 31 May at the latest of each year, a communication setting out
their intention, if any, to participate in priority actions for the
following year, accompanied by a summary of the plans forimplementation and an estimate of costs;
(b) following adoption by the Commission of the technical action plan,
a working plan for each action which concerns them;
(c) after completion of each action, a brief report on implementation of
the action in which they have participated.
The documents to be submitted pursuant to points (a), (b) and (c) should
cover the planned amendments to the methodology of implementation,work to be carried out, difficulties identified and proposals forovercoming them, the national and Community resources to be
mobilised and proposals for improvements at Community level. Actions
for which Community financial support is required shall be identified assuch.
Following the procedure laid down in Article 10, the Commission shall
draw up simplified standard forms to facilitate the presentation of theabove information.
Article 6
Financial provisions
1. The Community shall contribute to the costs realized by the
Member States in making adaptations to national agricultural statistical
systems or to such costs for preparatory work relating to new or
increasing needs which are part of a technical action plan.
2. The amount of the contribution for Member States shall be decided
each year by the Commission in conjunction with the technical action
plan and in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 10.
3. The contribution shall be paid to the Member States in two
instalments, the first of which, equivalent to 30 % of the Communityshare of the cost of the action, shall be paid as an advance, after
notification to and acceptance by the Commission of the working plan
for the action in question. The balance shall be paid once the report onimplementation of the action by the Member States has been submittedto and approved by the Commission. The Commission shall carry outany on-the-spot checks it deems necessary in cooperation with thecompetent authorities of the Member States.
4. The financial framework for the implementation of this
programme for the period 2000 to 2002 is hereby set at EUR 3 million.
The annual appropriations shall be authorised by the budgetary authority
within the limits of the financial perspective.
Article 7
Flexibility
Where necessary to achieve the purposes of this Decision and for the
duration of a technical action plan the Commission, acting in accordance
with the procedure laid down in Article 10, may approve a Member
State's request to be allowed to adapt one or more of the followingfeatures of the agricultural statistical surveys listed in Annex IV: regionscovered, territorial sub-divisions, definitions, survey methodology,survey date, list of characteristics and size of classes.1996D0411 — EN — 21.10.2000 — 003.001 — 4
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Article 8
Adapting to changing circumstances
The Commission may modify Annex I (statistical areas in which
potential savings have been identified) and Annex II (statistical areas
where there are new or increasing needs) in accordance with theprocedure laid down in Article 10. It shall inform the EuropeanParliament and the Council of these modifications.
Article 9
Role of the Standing Committee on Agricultural Statistics
The Standing Committee on Agricultural Statistics set up under
Decision 72/279/EEC (
1) shall meet at least once a year to discuss the
following:
(a) the reports made by the Member States on the execution of the
programme in the previous year;
(b) the actions proposed by the Member States for the following year
and the outlook for the two years thereafter;
(c) the technical action plan for the following year;
(d) the Community financial contribution provided for in Article 6;
(e) possible changes to Annexes I and II.
Article 10
1. The Commission shall be assisted by the Standing Committee on
Agricultural Statistics, hereinafter referred to as ‘the Committee’.
2. Where reference is made to this Article, Articles 4 and 7 of
Decision 1999/468/EC shall apply, having regard to the provisions ofArticle 8 thereof.
The period laid down in Article 4(3) of Decision 1999/468/EC shall be
set at three months.
3. The Committee shall adopt its rules of procedure.
Article 11
Report
Before►
M11 November ►M32002◄◄ the Commission, having
consulted the Standing Committee on Agricultural Statistics, shall make
a report on the progress of this Decision to the European Parliament andto the Council accompanied if necessary by proposals for its extension.
Article 11a
Database of payments by the EAGGF (Guarantee Section)
The Commission shall continue current feasibility studies to determine
the technical possibility of setting up a database relating to the paymentsmade by the EAGGF (Guarantee Section) to include in particular, at thelevel of each beneficiary, data on the level of aid received, the areas andthe number of animals concerned, and the most appropriate computersystem for processing such data.
At the latest on 31 December 2001, the Commission shall submit a
report to the European Parliament and to the Council on the results ofthese feasibility studies, and on the resources (technical, financial andhuman) which would be required to implement the database and toprocess the data statistically.1996D0411 — EN — 21.10.2000 — 003.001 — 5
(1) OJ No L 179, 7. 8. 1972, p. 2.▼M3
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Article 12
This Decision is addressed to the Member States.1996D0411 — EN — 21.10.2000 — 003.001 — 6
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ANNEX I
STATISTICAL AREAS IN WHICH POTENTIAL SAVINGS HAVE BEEN
IDENTIFIED (1)
1. Farm structure surveys: simplification and restructuring of the list of
characteristics, particularly for intermediate surveys.
2. Survey on the area under vines: simplification of the programme of statistical
tables.
3. Survey on fruit trees: reduction in the obligations relating to intermediate
surveys.
4. Agricultural income index: elimination of the first disaggregated estimates in
October and elimination of any details of secondary importance.
5. Total income of agricultural households: greater flexibility in frequency and in
target concepts.
6. Animal surveys: application of the agriflex concept, i.e. adapting the
frequency of the surveys to the numbers of livestock in each country.
7. Dairy statistics: elimination of weekly statistics, elimination of statistics on
casein, reduction of certain annual statistics and simplification of statistics on
dairy structures.1996D0411 — EN — 21.10.2000 — 003.001 — 7
(1) In the review of agricultural statistics carried out under the Statistical Programme of the
European Communities 1989-1992. Some of the savings identified have already been
implemented since this exercise started.
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ANNEX II
AREAS WHERE THERE ARE NEW OR INCREASING NEEDS
Topics
1. Farm structure survey: adapting the list of characteristics to take account of
new needs.
2. Rapid estimates of sowings and planting intentions at the beginning of the
winter for principal crops.
3. Improvement to and rapid provision of the production statistics in certain
sectors (fruit and vegetables, wine, eggs and poultry, flowers).
4. Improved statistics on consumption and on stock levels and changes for main
products with a view to regular production of supply balances at the European
level.
5. Livestock feed: overcoming certain delays in the fodder balances.
6. Development of better harmonised Community forestry statistics.
7. Agricultural price statistics: new selection of the absolute agricultural price
series taking into account the technical progress and economic changes.
8. Statistical data on rural development and on the environmental impact of
agriculture.
Methodology
9. Improved and new methods to allow Member States to meet more efficiently
existing and new information needs e.g. light surveys, administrative data,
panels, remote sensing.1996D0411 — EN — 21.10.2000 — 003.001 — 8
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ANNEX III
OBJECTIVES, CHARACTERISTICSAND CRITERIA OF THE COMMU-
NITY AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS SYSTEM
Constant improvement
1. Community agricultural statistics will steadily increase in cost-effectiveness
and in their capacity to meet the statistical needs of the Community and third
countries.
Positive comparability checking
2. Community agricultural statistics will incorporate continuous quality checking
to ensure that data are adequate for the needs to which they are put. In
particular, Member States may be required to inform the Commission and
other Member States of the statistical methods used and their suitability.
Response burden
3. Community agricultural statistics will impose the smallest possible burden of
response consistent with meeting information needs.
Integration of agricultural statistics with those of other activities
4. The improvement to Community agricultural statistics will facilitate:
(a) drawing on statistics from other areas;
(b) contributing to general statistical systems;
(c) use of the agricultural statistics apparatus to collect statistical information
required in other areas.
Complementarity between Community and national levels
5. National agricultural statistics systems may collect and deliver to the
Commission data not formally provided for at Community level. Similarly,
certain applications developed directly at Community level (for example
Eurofarm, SPEL) may be used to provide Member States with information
which is not available at national level.
Concentration on the most important aspects
6. The amount of information each Member State supplies may vary according to
the importance of the phenomenon covered regionally, nationally and at
Community level.
Most efficient national approach
7. Member States may collect basic data by the statistical method which is most
efficient, having regard to the definition, time limits and level of accuracy
required (subject to the checking referred to in point 2).
Optimization
8. The detailed Community requirements set out in various Community legal
instruments and informal agreements do not in themselves constitute an
optimized structure. Each Member State must ensure that its national system
of agricultural statistics is adapted and responds in an optimum way to
Community requirements. Community requirements must not unnecessarily
impede national optimization.1996D0411 — EN — 21.10.2000 — 003.001 — 9
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ANNEX IV
PRINCIPAL COUNCIL REGULATIONS AND DIRECTIVES ON AGRICUTURAL STATIS-
TICS
Council Directive 72/280/EEC of 31 July 1972 on the statistical surveys to be made by
Member States on milk and milk products
(OJ No L 179, 7. 8. 1972, p. 2)
Council Directive 76/625/EEC of 20 July 1976 concerning the statistical surveys to be
carried out by the Member States in order to determine the
production potential of plantations of certain species of fruit
trees
(OJ No L 218, 11. 8. 1976, p. 10)
Council Directive 93/23/EEC of 1 June 1993 on the statistical surveys to be carried out on
pig production
(OJ No L 149, 21. 6. 1993, p. 1)
Council Directive 93/24/EEC of 1 June 1993 on the statistical surveys to be carried out on
bovine animal production
(OJ No L 149, 21. 6. 1993, p. 5)
Council Directive 93/25/EEC of 1 June 1993 on the statistical surveys to be carried out on
sheep and goat stocks
(OJ No L 149, 21. 6. 1993, p. 10)
Council Regulation (EEC) No 2782/75 of 29 October 1975 on the production and marketing of eggs
for hatching and of farmyard poultry chicks
(OJ No L 282, 1. 11. 1975, p. 100)
Council Regulation (EEC) No 357/79 of 5 February 1979 on statistical surveys of areas under vines
(OJ No L 54, 5. 3. 1979, p. 124)
Council Regulation (EEC) No 571/88 of 29 February 1988 on the organization of Community
surveys on the structure of agricultural holdings between
1988 and 1997
(OJ No L 56, 2. 3. 1988, p. 1)
Council Regulation (EEC) No 837/90 of 26 March 1990 concerning statistical information to be
supplied by the Member States on cereals production
(OJ No L 88, 3. 4. 1990, p. 1)
Council Regulation (EEC) No 959/93 of 5 April 1993 concerning statistical information to be
supplied by Member States on crop products other than
cereals
(OJ No L 98, 24. 4. 1993, p. 1)1996D0411 — EN — 21.10.2000 — 003.001 — 10