No C 159/12 Official Journal of the European Communities 29. 6. 81 
Opinion on the proposal for a Council Regulation amending Regulation No 79/65/EEC 
setting up a network for the collection of accountancy data on the income and business 
operation of agricultural holdings in the European Community 
The text referred to the Committee has been published in Official Journal of the 
European Communities No C 341 of 3 December 1980. 
A. LEGAL BASIS FOR THE OPINION 
On 13 January 1981 the Council referred the abovementioned proposal to the Economic 
and Social Committee in accordance with Article 43 of the Treaty establishing the 
European Economic Community. 
B. OPINION OF THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE 
The Economic and Social Committee prepared its opinion on the above matter at its 
186th to plenary session held in Brussels on 25 and 26 March 1981. 
The full text of the opinion is as follows: 
THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE, unanimously: 
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the 
European Economic Community, and in particular 
Article 43 thereof, 
Having regard to the request made by the Council of 
the European Communities on 13 January 1981 for 
an opinion on the proposal for a Council Regulation 
amending Regulation No 79/65/EEC setting up a 
network for the collection of accountancy data on the 
income and business operation of agricultural 
holdings in the European Economic Community, 
Having regard to the decision taken by its Bureau on 
27 January 1981 instructing its Section for 
Agriculture to prepare its work on this matter, 
Having regard to the opinion issued by the Section 
for Agriculture at its 223rd meeting on 18 March 
1981, 
Having regard to the oral report made by the 
Rapporteur, Mr de Caffarelli, 
Having regard to the discussions at its 186th plenary 
session, held on 25 and 26 March 1981 (meeting of 
25 March 1981), 
HAS ADOPTED THE FOLLOWING OPINION 1. General comments 
In its report to the Council on the operation of the 
Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN) the 
Commission lists a series of internal changes which 
have already been implemented or are on the point of 
being made. The draft Regulation covers only those 
matters which explicitly necesssitate reform. The 
Committee nevertheless considers that these two 
aspects are interconnected. 
The Committee approves the proposed reform of the 
FADN. It would stress in particular the importance 
which it attaches to the following points: 
— the alignment of the financial years in the 
Member States; 
— the enlargement of the sample to ensure that there 
is a better spread of agricultural holdings, 
provided that this does not jeopardize the quality 
of the information; 
— the weighting of the annual results which, because 
of the extension of the scope of the network, 
ought to allow meaningful results to be obtained 
for the whole of the field of survey; 
— the updating of the FADN results. 
29. 6. 81 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 159/13 
2. Specific comments 
The Committee would also stress the importance 
which it attaches to a number of points which are not 
explicitly provided for the draft Regulation, 
namely: 
— the rapid publication of the results; 
— the making available to the various economic and 
social interest groups of hitherto unpublished 
basic data (subject to the observance of the 
secrecy of statistical data); 
— the preparation and publication of duly weighted 
data in respect of previous years which is 
comparable to the data to be submitted in 
accordance with the amended Regulation; 
— the need, when calculating incomes, to avoid 
taking into account apparent movements due to 
erratic fluctuations in the prices of certain 
stocks. 
Done at Brussels, 25 March 1981. 3. Reservations 
The Committee regrets that: 
— the calculating methods actually used in each 
Member State in connection with Community 
Directives are not explained in a document 
dealing with methodology; 
— the form of the farm return does not make it 
possible to differentiate between changes in the 
values of the different items brought about by 
fluctuations in volumes and those brought about 
by price factors. This information is particularly 
valuable from the point of economic analyses (the 
Committee is nevertheless aware of the need to 
keep down the cost of collecting the 
information). 
The Committee lays particular stress on the need to 
ensure that information on interest paid out is 
actually collected in all Member States. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic and Social Committee 
Tomas ROSEINGRAVE