A4-0115/96

Proposal for a Council Decision on improving Community agricultural statistics (COM(95)0472 - C4-0526/95 - 95/0250(CNS))

The proposal was approved with the following amendments:

(Amendment 1)

Recital 4(i)

>Original text>

(i) data remain adequately reliable at country level and adequately comparable between countries,

>Text following EP vote>

(i) data remain adequately reliable at country level and adequately comparable between the countries of the Union and at international level,

(Amendment 18)

Recital 4(v)

>Original text>

(v) the Community financial resources facilitating this programme are used in the most efficient way;

>Text following EP vote>

(v) the Community financial resources facilitating this programme are used as an addition to other national resources and in the most efficient way;

(Amendment 2)

Recital 5a (new)

>Text following EP vote>

Whereas it is necessary to design a coherent system to monitor the agricultural sector at a time when it is undergoing sudden changes and the formulation of policies requires accurate and up-to-date information;

(Amendment 3)

Recital 5b (new)

>Text following EP vote>

Whereas the possible enlargement of the European Union to include the countries of Central and Eastern Europe is giving rise to grave uncertainties which make it advisable to study the consequences of the application of the reform of the common agricultural policy with a view to taking sound decisions;

(Amendment 4)

Recital 5c (new)

>Text following EP vote>

Whereas there has been an increase in the administrative data suitable for statistical use as a result of the reform of the common agricultural policy; whereas these administrative data contain information which is valuable in itself and as a contrast to other statistics;

(Amendment 5)

Recital 5d (new)

>Text following EP vote>

Whereas the cost of gathering information deriving from payments under the EAGGF Guarantee Section is nil and its use would require making only slight changes to the computer programs used by the bodies managing payments in the Member States;

(Amendment 6)

Recital 6

>Original text>

Whereas a financial contribution from the Community to Member States is necessary under carefully defined conditions to facilitate the changes required;

>Text following EP vote>

Whereas a financial contribution from the Community to Member States is necessary on the basis of their objective requirements to facilitate the changes required;

(Amendment 7)

Recital 8

>Original text>

Whereas the collection and primary processing by Member States of agricultural statistics needed for Community purposes and the coordination of this work as well as the secondary processing, storage and dissemination of the data concerned by the services of the Commission, governed where appropriate by legal acts of the Council, is fully in accord with the principles of subsidiarity;

>Text following EP vote>

Whereas the collection and primary processing by Member States of agricultural statistics needed for Community purposes and the coordination of this work as well as the secondary processing, storage and dissemination of the data concerned by the services of the Commission should not restrict the initiatives which may be undertaken by statistics bodies to the lowest common denominator;

(Amendment 8)

Article 3

>Original text>

A first phase of improvements to Community agricultural statistics shall be carried out during the period 1995 to 1997. It shall be coordinated by the Commission through technical action plans as provided for in Article 4 hereto.

>Text following EP vote>

The process of adapting Community agricultural statistics shall start during the period 1996-1997. The Commission shall coordinate this process through technical action plans as provided for in Article 4 hereto. After this period the Council may decide on a renewal in accordance with the Commission's proposals under Article 11.

(Amendment 9)

Article 4(1)

>Original text>

1. A technical action plan for agricultural statistics shall be decided by the Commission each year in accordance with the procedure in Article 10. These plans shall cover the actions to be carried out by the Member States pursuant to Article 1 hereto. They shall use available resources in such a way as to make the greatest improvement to the cost-efficiency of Community agricultural statistics, in meeting the requirements of Community law, informal agreements and new information needs.

>Text following EP vote>

1. On the basis of cooperation between Eurostat and the Standing Committee on Agricultural Statistics and the Statistical Programme Committee, the Commission shall decide on a technical action plan for agricultural statistics each year, in accordance with the procedure in Article 10. These plans shall cover the actions to be carried out by the Member States pursuant to Article 1 hereto. They shall use available resources in such a way as to make the greatest improvement to the cost-efficiency of Community agricultural statistics, in meeting the requirements of Community law and new information needs.

(Amendment 10)

Article 6(1) and (2)

>Original text>

1. The Community shall contribute to the costs of adapting national agricultural statistical systems or of preparatory work related to new or reinforced needs.

>Text following EP vote>

1. The Community shall contribute to the costs of adapting national agricultural statistical systems or of preparatory work related to new or reinforced needs. This contribution shall be essentially restricted to investment expenditure and may not exceed 50% of the total cost of each operation.

>Original text>

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.

>Text following EP vote>

2. The amount of the contribution for Member States shall be decided each year by the Commission in conjunction with the technical action plan on the basis of the objective needs and the appropriations established by the budgetary authority.

(Amendment 11)

Article 7

>Original text>

Where necessary to meet the purposes of this Decision, the Commission may approve a Member State's request to adapt one or more of the following features of the surveys listed in Annex 4: regions covered, territorial sub-divisions, definitions, survey methodology, survey date, list of characteristics and size classes, in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 10.

>Text following EP vote>

Where necessary to meet the purposes of this Decision, the Commission may approve a Member State's request to adapt one or more of the following features of the surveys listed in Annex 4 for the duration of a technical action plan: regions covered, territorial sub-divisions, definitions, survey methodology, survey date, list of characteristics and size classes, in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 10.

(Amendment 12)

Article 8

>Original text>

The Commission may add new items to Annex I (areas in which potential economies have been identified) or Annex II (areas where there are new or reinforced needs) in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 10.

>Text following EP vote>

The Commission may add new items to Annex I (areas in which potential economies have been identified) or Annex II (areas where there are new or reinforced needs) in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 10. It shall notify the European Parliament and the Council of any additions made.

(Amendment 13)

Article 9(iv)

>Original text>

(iv) the Community financial contribution provided for in Article 6 hereto.

>Text following EP vote>

Deleted

(Amendment 14)

Article 9a (new)

>Text following EP vote>

Article 9a

Role of management bodies for EAGGF payments in the Member States

>Text following EP vote>

The bodies responsible for managing payments under the EAGGF Guarantee Section in each Member State shall:

>Text following EP vote>

(a) carry out the statistical processing of information concerning payments under the EAGGF Guarantee Section in accordance with the specifications drawn up by the Standing Committee on Agricultural Statistics,

>Text following EP vote>

(b) inform the statistics offices in the Member States of the aggregate results obtained from the statistical processing of information concerning payments under the EAGGF Guarantee Section.

(Amendment 15)

Annex II(8a) (new)

>Text following EP vote>

8a. Statistics on the application of the common agricultural policy.

(Amendment 16)

Annex II(8b) (new)

>Text following EP vote>

8b. Comparative statistical data relating to agricultural income in the countries of the Union and its main trading partners.

(Amendment 17)

Annex II(9)

>Original text>

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.

>Text following EP vote>

9. Improved and new methods to allow Member States to meet more efficiently existing and new information needs, e.g. light surveys, panels, remote sensing.

>Text following EP vote>

In order to meet the new needs arising from the reform of the common agricultural policy, there will be systematic statistical processing of administrative data deriving from payments under the EAGGF.

Legislative resolution embodying Parliament's opinion on the proposal for a Council Decision on improving Community agricultural statistics (COM(95)0472 - C4-0526/95 - 95/0250(CNS))

(Consultation procedure)

The European Parliament,

- having regard to the Commission proposal to the Council, COM(95)0472 - 95/0250(CNS) ((OJ C 336, 14.12.1995, p. 6.)),

- having been consulted by the Council pursuant to Article 43 of the EC Treaty (C4-0526/95),

- having regard to Rule 58 of its Rules of Procedure,

- having regard to the report of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development and the opinion of the Committee on Budgets (A4-0115/96),

1. Approves the Commission proposal, subject to Parliament's amendments;

2. Calls on the Council to notify Parliament should it intend to depart from the text approved by Parliament;

3. Asks to be consulted again should the Council intend to make substantial modifications to the Commission proposal;

4. Instructs its President to forward this opinion to the Council and Commission.