No C 119/6 Official Journal of,the European Communities 6. 5. 88 
(g) Details on how the population concerned will be warned and kept informed in the event of an 
accident; 
(h) Details of the actions and behaviour the population concerned should take in the event of an accident; 
(i) An assurance that the company has made adequate arrangements on site, including liaison with the 
emergency services, to deal with foreseeable accidents and to minimize their effects; 
(j) A reference to the off-site emergency plan drawn up to cope with any off-site effects from an accident. 
This should include advice to cooperate with any instructions or requests from the emergency services 
at the time of an accident; 
(k) Details of where further information can be obtained, such as general information on the preventive 
safety measures taken in the industrial activity and on the emergency plan, subject to the requirements 
of confidentiality laid down in national legislation. 
Proposal for a Council Decision adopting a pilot project on remote sensing applied to 
agricultural statistics 
COM(88) 163 final 
(Submitted by the Commission to the Council on 20 April 1988) 
(88/C 119/03) 
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 proposal from the Commission, 
In cooperation with the European Parliament, 
Whereas, in order to meet the needs of the common 
agricultural policy, action is needed to identify and 
measure as accurately and rapidly as possible the areas 
under main crops, and in particular those for which 
production aid is granted on an area basis; 
Whereas, for the management of the agricultural 
markets, reliable regionally-based estimates of 
production must be available in good time; 
Whereas the availability of forecasts for the production 
of crops which have the greatest impact on world 
markets, in third countries, is also relevant to the 
management of agricultural markets and for the inde­
pendence of Community decision-making; 
Whereas remote sensing offers a response to these needs, 
which have not been met to date by the existing agri­
cultural statistics and forecasting systems; whereas it 
could enhance the accuracy, objectivity, speed and 
frequency with which observations are made when stat­
istical data are collected; whereas it could help perfect 
agricultural forecasting models, and in particular 
establish regionally-based agricultural forecasting 
models; Whereas remote sensing must be incorporated into the 
existing statistical systems to make good specific de­
ficiencies or weaknesses and to replace to better 
advantage certain aspects of the work currently being 
carried out; 
Whereas remote sensing could have applications — in its 
own right or as an adjunct — in the establishment and 
collection of agricultural statistics; 
Whereas the experience gained by Member States in 
incorporating remote sensing in their own statistical 
systems should be turned to, good account, in consul­
tation with the Standing Committee on Agricultural Stat­
istics; 
Whereas remote sensing could help align the Member 
States' various agricultural statistical systems, by estab­
lishing a common means of collecting and transmitting 
information; 
Whereas remote sensing could enable savings to be 
planned in the future, either directly in the cost of 
drawing up sampling plans and of collecting statistical 
data, or indirectly in EAGGF expenditure; 
Whereas steps should be taken to develop the opera­
tional applications of remote sensing to agricultural stat­
istics in the short, medium and long term, and to 
continue the measures embarked upon; 
6. 5. 88 Official Journal of the European Communities NoC 119/7 
Whereas these operational applications of remote sensing 
to agricultural statistics must be conducted in a manner 
which is compatible with the Corine programme (') on 
the establishment of an information system on the state 
of the environment in the Community, 
HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS: 
Article 1 
1. The pilot project on remote sensing applied to agri­
cultural statistics, summarized in the Annex, is hereby 
adopted. 
2. The planned duration of the project is five years, 
starting on 1 January 1989; it shall be carried out by the 
Joint Research Centre in close collaboration with 
national laboratories and bodies. 
3. The amount of financing considered necessary for 
the total duration of the project is 35,5 million ECU, 
divided into annual tranches as shown in the Annex. 
(') OJ No L 176, 6. 7. 1985, p. 14. 4. The Council shall review the project, including its 
financial aspects, on the basis of the first report referred 
to in Article 3, before 30 April 1991. 
Article 2 
The Commission shall be responsible for the execution 
of the project. 
Article 3 
1. The Commission shall present to the European 
Parliament and to the Council by 31 December 1990 a 
report on the progress of the work and, where necessary, 
proposals on the review of the project as provided for in 
Article 1 (4). 
2. On completion of the project, and in any case not 
later than 31 July 1994, the Commission shall report to 
the European Parliament and to the Council on the 
results of the activities provided for in this Decision and 
on the use of the financial resources allocated to these 
measures. 
Article 4 
This Decision shall take effect on 1 January 1989. 
ANNEX 
10-year project of the European Community for the application of remote sensing in Community agriculture 
statistics 
Remote sensing seems to be the most promising technique to upgrade the agriculture statistical system. 
The primary necessity is to distinguish, identify and measure the area of crops of significant importance. 
The second is to estimate production in time for making decisions. When such basic statistics are available, 
then forecasting can be considered. 
The results of this plan should fit into a framework which can be called an advanced agriculture infor­
mation system. In the plan, emphasis will be placed upon remote sensing, but in operational use, this 
technique being seen as complementary to more conventional data. The semi-operational projects within 
the plan will test this kind of complementarity. 
While the development effort is planned to be extended over 10 years, the present proposal considers in 
some detail only the first five years. During this period, the plan should already lead to an integration of 
new methods in the Community agricultural information system. Cereals and oil seeds, which are generally 
growing on flat terrain and large fields, will be considered first. When feasible, vineyards and olive trees 
will also be dealt with because of their economic importance. 
Taking into account priorities, methodologies to be developed and the requirements of satellite data, the 
plan has been organized in seven actions (Table 1). The actions 1 to 5 each correspond to a given oper­
ational objective. Action 6 is support (ground surveys) necessary for all the actions. Action 7 consists of 
several long term studies, not connected with one particular operational objective. 
NoC 119/8 Official Journal of the European Communities 6. 5. 88 
For each action, specific methodology will be developed and development work will be undertaken in 
support of the semi-operational objective (actions 1, 2, 4 and 5), or as the very core of the action (actions 3 
to 7): see Table 2. 
In respect to the shift towards operational applications, the actions concern three different time schedules: 
— short term (three to five years): actions 1, 2 and 4, 
— medium-term (five to 10 years): actions 3 and 5, 
— long-term (more than 10 years): action 7. 
The costs of the project are summarized, for the next five years, in Table 3. 
TABLE 1 
Outline of the agriculture project 
Action 
1. Regional inventories 
(acreage) 
2. Vegetation conditions 
and yield indicators 
3. Models of yield 
prediction 
4. European rapid 
estimates of acreages 
and potential yield 
5. Advanced agriculture 
information system 
6. Area frame sampling 
associated surveys 
7. Long term studies Main orientation 
Semi-operational 
Semi-operational plus 
development work 
Development work 
Semi-operational 
Semi-operational and 
development work 
Support for other 
actions 
Development work Geographic localization 
Three to four selected 
administrative regions 
Selected regions and 
sampling of sites, then 
all of Europe 
Sampling of some 40 
or 50 sites throughout 
Europe 
Sampling of some 40 
or 50 sites throughout 
Europe 
Whenever it is needed, 
mainly on three to four 
regions and 40 to 50 
sites Input 
High-resolution 
satellite data 
Low-resolution satellite 
data 
(mainly AVHRR) 
Low-resolution satellite 
data, high-resolution 
satellite data, 
meteorological data 
High-resolution 
satellite data 
All data available 
Satellite imagery to 
build area frame 
New satellite data 
(microwaves, etc.) 
New analysis methods 
(expert systems, GIS, 
etc.) Output 
Precise regional 
inventories 
(plus localized 
statistics) 
Vegetation monitoring, 
alarm for main crops 
Yield prediction 
Estimates of surface 
prediction of yield at 
European level for 
main crops 
Integration of 
preceding methods 
with conventional ones 
Support documents 
data for other actions 
Improved inventories 
and yield prediction 
6. 5. 88 Official Journal of the European Communities NoC 119/9 
TABLE 2 
Methodologies and specific studies 
Action 
1. Regional inventories 
2. Vegetation conditions and 
yield indicators 
3. Models of yield prediction 
4. European rapid estimates of 
acreages and potential yield 
5. Advanced agriculture 
information system 
6. Area frame sampling 
associated surveys 
7. Long-term studies Methodology 
Regression estimate 
Spatial or temporal 
comparison of VI and I 
(integrated indices, etc.) 
— Improvement of actual 
agromet models: 
— better representation 
of stations 
— improving the data 
— Integration of satellite 
data in agromet models 
— Deriving agronomic 
parameters (ETR) 
— Direct relationship 
Computer-assisted 
photo-interpretation 
Integration of all available 
results 
Stratification-segmentation 
sample-surveys on site, 
surveys with farmers 
— Using new sensors with 
the preceding methods 
— GIS-expert systems Accuracy statements 
Comparison with 
conventional methods 
Comparison with 
conventional methods 
Assessment by specific 
sampling surveys 
Economic comparisons 
between methods 
Accuracy statements of 
inventories 
Comparison of results or 
timeliness Specific studies 
Improved classification and 
sampling strategies 
— Radiometric plus 
geometric correction 
— Resolution needed 
— Modelling of curves 
— Evapotranspiration 
Special emphasis on wine and 
olive production for 
conventional models 
— Automated procedures 
— Sampling scheme 
— Type of surveys 
No C 119/10 Official Journal of the European Communities 6. 5. 88 
TABLE 3 
Cost of the project 
(1 000 ECU) 
Actions 
1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
Coordination 
and support 
Specific funds 
Cost of staff 
Total cost 1987 
Staff 
0,5 
0,5 
1 
2 Specific 
funds 
1665 
800 
300 
2 765 
250 
3 015 1988 
Staff 
3 
2 
1 
1 
2 
1 
2 
12 Specific 
funds 
1 275 
700 
300 
750 
400 
600 
4 025 
1 500 
5 525 1989 
Staff 
3 
2 
1 
1 
2 
1 
2 
12 Specific 
975 
1 200 
600 
950 
500 
600 
4 825 
1 500 
6 325 1990 
Staff 
3 
2 
1 
1 
2 
1 
2 
12 Specific 
funds 
975 
1 200 
900 
1 150 
600 
600 
5 425 
1 500 
6 925 1991 
Staff 
3 
2 
1 
1 
2 
1 
2 
12 Specific 
975 
1 200 
900 
1 350 
700 
600 
5 725 
1 500 
7 225 1992 
Staff 
3 
2 
1 
1 
2 
1 
2 
12 Specific 
funds 
975 
1 200 
900 
1 550 
800 
600 
6 025 
1 500 
7 525 1993 
Staff 
3 
2 
1 
1 
2 
1 
2 
12 Specific 
funds 
900 
1 200 
900 
1 350 
1 050 
600 
6 000 
1 500 
7 500 
Observations: In 1989 the staff cost will figure in item B 730 (new nomenclature).