No C 60/4 Official Journal of the European Communities 2.3.84 
II 
(Preparatory Acts) 
COMMISSION 
Proposal for a Council Regulation on the organization of surveys on the structure of 
agricultural holdings for 1985 and 1987 
COM(84) 66 final 
(Submitted by the Commission to the Council on 21 February 1984) 
(84/C 60/04) 
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, 
Having regard to the opinion of the European Par­
liament, 
Whereas trends in the structure of agricultural 
holdings are an important factor in determining the 
development of the common agricultural policy; 
whereas implementation of the statistical programme 
providing for a series of surveys on the structure of 
agricultural holdings should continue in 1985 and 
1987; whereas the most recent such surveys have been 
conducted pursuant to Council Regulations (EEC) 
No 218/78 C) and (EEC) No 449/82 (2); 
Whereas such trends cannot be examined at 
Community level unless comparable data are available 
for all of the Member States; whereas it is therefore 
necessary to continue previous harmonization efforts; 
Whereas it is necessary to achieve the stated aims 
while reducing as far as possible the burden of work 
on the Member States and the Commission; 
Whereas, with minor changes, the characteristics and 
definitions laid down by Regulation (EEC) No 
449/82 and Commission Decision 83/461/EEC (J), 
and the Community outline of the schedule of tables, the standard code and the detailed rules for the 
transcription onto magnetic tape of the data, laid 
down in Commission Decision 83/460/EEC (4), 
should be retained; 
Whereas the coordinating role of the Statistical 
Office of the European Communities is necessary to 
ensure uniform analysis of the results obtained and to 
meet the Community requirements for information in 
this sector; 
Whereas, in order to facilitate the implementation of 
the provisions of this Regulation, close cooperation 
between the Member States and the Commission 
should continue, in particular via the Standing 
Committee for Agricultural Statistics set up by 
Council Decision 72/279/EEC (5), 
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: 
Article 1 
Member States shall, as part of the Community stat­
istical programme, carry out surveys on the structure 
of the agricultural holdings in their territories (here­
inafter referred to as 'the surveys') covering the crop 
year corresponding to the crop to be harvested in 
1985 and 1987 respectively. 
Article 2 
The surveys shall be conducted in one or more stages 
by means of full censuses or random sample surveys 
between 1 December of the year prior to the crop 
year and 1 March of the following year. 
(') OJNoL35, 4. 2. 1978, p. 1. 
O OJNoL59, 2. 3. 1982, p. 1. 
(3) OJ No L 251, 12. 9. 1983, p. 100. (4) OJ No L 251, 12. 9. 1983, p. 24. 
(5) OJNoLl79, 7. 8. 1972, p. 1. 
2. 3. 84 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 60/5 
Article 3 
For the purposes of applying this Regulation: 
(a) 'agricultural holding' shall mean a single unit, 
both technically and economically, which has a 
single management and which produces agri­
cultural products; 
(b) 'agricultural area utilized for farming' shall mean 
the total area taken up by arable land, permanent 
pasture and meadow, land used for permanent 
crops and kitchen gardens. 
Article 4 
The survey shall cover: 
(a) agricultural holdings where the agricultural area 
utilized for farming is one hectare or more; 
(b) agricultural holdings where the agricultural area 
utilized for farming is less than one hectare, if 
they produce a certain proportion for sale or if 
their production unit exceeds certain physical 
units. 
Article 5 
1. In the case of combined crops, the agricultural 
area utilized for farming shall be allocated between 
the various crops in proportion to the amount of land 
the latter take up. 
2. The area used for secondary successive crops 
shall be recorded separately from the area used for 
farming. 
Article 6 
1. Member States shall take the necessary steps to 
ensure that the information collected relates to the 
characteristics listed in the Annex hereto. The 
definitions relating to these characteristics shall be 
those laid down in Decision 83/461 /EEC, and any 
changes shall be adopted in accordance with the 
procedure laid down in Article 12. 
2. Where, for the purpose of applying the 
Community typology for agricultural holdings, 
standard gross margins have been established relating 
to subdivisions of certain characteristics listed in the 
Annex, the Member States concerned shall collect all 
information necessary to permit the application of 
these standard gross margins. 
Article 7 
Member States conducting sample surveys shall 
design their sample with the aim of achieving stat­
istically reliable raised results, for the needs of the 
Communities, at the various levels of aggregation 
required by Article 8 (b) and (c). Article 8 
For the purposes of the surveys, Member States shall: 
(a) devise questionnaires appropriate to the collection 
of the information provided for in Article 6; 
(b) subsequent to checking and correction where 
appropriate of the information collected, set out 
the results of each survey at national and regional 
levels in the form of schedules of tables drawn up 
in accordance with a Community outline. These 
schedules shall be drawn up in accordance with 
the procedure laid down in Article 12; 
(c) with the exception of the Netherlands, give the 
results of each survey in tabular form broken 
down by less-favoured agricultural areas within 
the meaning of Article 3 of Council Directive 
75/268/EEC ('), and by mountain areas within 
the meaning of paragraph 3 of that Article. The 
Commission may lay down, in agreement with 
the Member State concerned, groupings of these 
areas; 
(d) transcribe the tabular results referred to in (b) 
and (c) on to magnetic tape using a standard 
method for all Member States. The standard 
method and detailed rules for transcription of 
results shall be drawn up in accordance with the 
procedure laid down in Article 12; 
(e) subsequent to control and correction, where 
appropriate, of the tabular results, submit the 
magnetic tapes to the Statistical Office of the 
European Communities in one or more stages at 
the latest by 1 March 1987 or 1 March 1989 
respectively. If, by the deadline set out above, a 
Member State cannot submit all tabular results, 
the Member State concerned shall notify the 
Commission. For the missing tables a new 
deadline shall be agreed in accordance with the 
procedure laid down in Article 12; 
(f) furnish the Commission as necessary with any 
information it may request from them concerning 
the performance of their tasks under this Regu­
lation. 
Article 9 
The information referred to in Article 8 (b) and (c) 
and in Article 11 shall be communicated to the Stat­
istical Office of the European Communities in such a 
form that the holdings concerned cannot be 
identified. 
(') OJNoL 128, 19. 5. 1975, p. 1. 
No C 60/6 Official Journal of the European Communities 2.3.84 
Article 10 
The Commission shall be responsible for: 
(a) having the data provided for in Article 8 (d) 
aggregated to Community level by the Statistical 
Office of the European Communities; 
(b) making available results of the surveys in consul­
tation with Member States. This dissemination 
shall take place within six months following the 
delivery of definitive results from all Member 
States. 
Article 11 
1. Further tables or geographic levels may, subject 
to an acceptable level of statistical reliability, be 
added to the schedule referred to in Article 8 in 
accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 
12; in such cases the cost to the Member States shall 
be examined. 
2. If the Commission undertakes further studies, 
the Member States shall as necessary and as far as 
possible provide the information requested by the 
Commission. This shall be done by joint agreement 
between the Commission and the Member State 
concerned, subject, in particular, to the necessary 
guarantee of statistical confidentiality. Article 12 
1. Where the procedure laid down in this Article is 
invoked, the matter shall be referred to the Standing 
Committee for Agricultural Statistics (hereinafter 
referred to as 'the Committee') by its chairman, either 
on his own initiative or at the request of the rep­
resentative of a Member State. 
2. The Commission representative shall submit to 
the Committee a draft of the measures to be taken. 
The Committee shall give its opinion on that draft 
within a time limit set by the chairman having regard 
to the urgency of the matter. Opinions shall be 
delivered by a majority of 45 votes, the votes of the 
Member States being weighted as provided in Article 
148 (2) of the Treaty. The chairman shall not vote. 
3. The Commission shall adopt measures which 
shall take immediate effect. However, if these 
measures are not in accordance with the Committee's 
opinion, the Commission shall submit them forthwith 
to the Council; in this case, the Commission may 
defer application of the measures it has adopted for 
not more than one month from the date of their 
submission to the Council. 
The Council, acting by a qualified majority, may take 
a different decision within one month. 
Article 13 
This Regulation shall enter into force on the day 
following its publication in the Official Journal of the 
European Communities. 
This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and 
directly applicable in all Member States. 
2. 3. 84 Official Journal of the European Communities NoC 
ANNEX 
LIST OF CHARACTERISTICS 
A. Geographical situation of the holding 
01 Region 
02 Less-favoured area yes/no 
(a) Mountain area yes/no 
B. Legal personality and management of the holding 
(on the day of the survey) 
01 Is the legal and economic responsibility of the holding assumed by. a 
natural person? yes/no 
02 If yes, is this person (the holder) also the manager? yes/no 
C. Type of tenure (in relation to the holder) 
Agricultural area utilized: ha/a 
01 for owner farming /...., 
02 for tenant farming / 
03 for share farming or other modes / 
D. Arable land 
Cereals for the production of grain (including seed): 
01 Common wheat and spelt / 
02 Durum wheat / 
03 Rye / 
04 Barley / 
05 Oats / 
06 Grain maize /,.... 
07 Rice / 
08 Other cereals / 
09 Dried vegetables (including seed and mixtures of cereals and dried 
vegetables) / 
10 Potatoes (including early potatoes and seed potatoes) / 
11 Sugar beet (excluding seeds) / 
12 Forage roots and tubers (excluding seeds) / 
13 Industrial plants (including seeds for herbaceous oil-seed plants: excluding 
seeds for fibre plants, hops, tobacco and other industrial plants) of which: 
(a) tobacco / 
(b) hops(') / 
(c) cotton (2) / 
(d) other oil-seed and fibre plants and other industrial plants: / 
(i) other oil-seed and fibre plants (3) / 
(ii) other industrial plants (3) / 
(') Optional for Greece. 
(2) Optional except for Greece. 
(3) Optional. 
No C 60/8 Official Journal of the European Communities 2. 3. 84 
ha/a 
Fresh vegetables, melons, strawberries: 
14 — outdoor, of which /.. 
(a) open field /.. 
(b) market gardening /.. 
15 — under glass /.. 
Flowers and ornamental plants (excluding nurseries): 
16 — outdoor /.. 
17 — under glass /.. 
18 Forage plants: /.. 
(a) temporary grass /.. 
(b) other /.. 
19 Arable land seeds and seedlings (excluding cereals, dried vegetables, 
potatoes and oil-seed plants) /.. 
20 Other arable land crops /.. 
21 Fallow land /.. 
E. Kitchen gardens /.. 
F. Permanent pasture and meadow (') 
01 Pasture and meadow, excluding rough grazings /.. 
02 Rough grazings /.. 
G. Permanent crops 
01 Fruit and berry plantations: /.. 
(a) fresh fruit, including berries (2) /.. 
(b) nuts(2) /.. 
02 Citrus plantations /.. 
03 Olive plantations /.. 
04 Vineyards, of which normally producing: /.. 
(a) quality wine /.. 
(b) other wines /.. 
(c) table grapes /.. 
(d) raisins (2) /.. 
05 Nurseries /.. 
06 Other permanent crops /. 
07 Permanent crops under glass (3) /• 
H. Other land 
01 Unutilized agricultural land (agricultural land which is no longer farmed, 
for economic, social or other reasons, and which is not used in the crop 
rotation system) ' I-
(') Italy and Greece may merge heading 01 with heading 02. 
(2) Optional except for Greece. 
(3) Optional for Greece. 
2. 3. 84 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 60/9 
ha/a 
02 Wooded area, of which: / 
(a) non-commercial (') / 
(b) commercial (') / 
(i) deciduous (') / 
(ii) coniferous (') / 
(iii) mixed (') / 
03 Other land (land occupied by building, farmyards, tracks, ponds, quarries, 
infertile land, rock, etc. (2) / 
I. Successive cropping, mushrooms, irrigation, greenhouses 
01 Successive secondary non-fodder crops (excluding market garden crops 
and crops under glass) (3) / 
02 Mushrooms (4) / 
03 Irrigated area (4) / 
04 Ground area covered by greenhouses in use (4) / 
J. Livestock (on ) (date to be fixed): Number of 
head 
01 Equidae(5) 
Bovine animals: 
02 Under one year old 
(a) of which male 
(b) of which female 
One year or over but under two years old 
03 Male animals 
04 Female animals 
Two years old and over: 
05 Male animals . 
06 Heifers 
07 Dairy cows 
08 Other cows 
Sheep and goats: 
09 Sheep (all ages): " 
(a) of which ewes 
(b) of which other sheep 
10 Goats (all ages): 
(a) of which breeding females (6) 
(b) of which other goats (6) 
(') Optional. 
(2) The United Kingdom and Ireland may merge heading 03 with heading 01. 
(3) In Member States where the area covered by this heading is substantial, it may be subdivided into several 
(4) Optional for the Federal Republic of Germany. 
(s) Optional for the United Kingdom. 
(6) Optional except for Greece. 
No C 60/10 Official Journal of the European Communities 2. 3. 84 
Number of 
head 
Pigs: 
11 Piglets having a live weight of under 20 kilograms 
12 Breeding sows weighing 50 kilograms and over 
13 Other pigs 
Poultry: 
14 Broilers 
15 Laying hens 
16 Other poultry (ducks, turkeys, geese, guinea-fowl) 
17 Rabbits, breeding females (l) 
18 BeesC) 
19 Other livestock (') 
L. Farm labour force (in the 12 months preceding the day of the survey) Number of 
hives 
yes/no 
01 (a) Holder 
02 Spouse carrying 
out farm work on 
the holding 
03 Other members of 
holders' family 
04 Non-family 
labour 
regularly 
employed Farmwork for holding (2) as °/o of annual time 
worked by a full-time farm worker 
0— < 25 25 — < 50 50 — < 75 
Number of persons 75— < 100 100 
< 24 
01 (b) Age of holder (years) 
— tick: 
01 (c) Sex of holder 
— tick: 25—34 35—44 45—54 55—64 65 and 
over 
Male 
Female 
Non-family labour employed on a non-regular basis: 
05 + 06 Number of equivalent full-time working days during the 12 months 
preceding the day of the survey: 
(') Optional. 
(2) Apart from housework. 
2. 3. 84 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 60/11 
07 Does the holder have any other gainful activity: 
as his/her major occupation? 
as a subsidiary occupation? Tick as appropriate 
08 Does the holder's spouse, carrying out farmwork for the holding, have any other gainful 
activity: 
as his/her major occupation? 
as a subsidiary occupation? Tick as appropriate 
09 Does any other member of the holder's family engaged in the farmwork of the holding have 
any other gainful activity: 
as his/her major occupation? 
as a subsidiary occupation? Insert number of persons 
10 Total number of equivalent full-time working days of farmwork »of included under L 01 to 
L 06, undertaken on the holding by persons not employed directly by the holding (e.g. con­
tractors' employees). 
Insert number of equivalent full-time working days during the 12 months 
preceding the day of the survey ('). 
(') Optional for Member States which are able to provide a global estimate for this characteristic on national