Proposal for a Council Decision repealing Directive 82/606/EEC relating to the organization by the Member States of surveys on the earnings of permanent and seasonal workers employed in agriculture
Date: 1997-05-26
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: agricultural labour force, agricultural statistics, economic survey, pay, seasonal worker

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN  COMMUNITIES 

Brussels,  26.05.1997 
COM(97) 221  final 

Proposal  for  a 

ÇQUNÇH DECISION 

repealing Directive 82/606/EEC relating to the organization by the Member States of 
surveys on the earnings of permanent and seasonal workers employed in agriculture 

(presented by the Commission) 

EXPLANATORY  MEMORANDUM 

1. 

2. 

Specific  surveys on the earnings of permanent workers employed  in agriculture 
have been carried out in the Member States of the Community since  1974. Up to 
and  including  1980  the  surveys  were  annual,  but  the  scope  was  not  always 
identical  : those  for  1977,  1978  and  1979  referred  only  to  male  workers  and 
used a reduced sample. 

In  Regulation  (EEC)  3112/80  on  the  organization  of  the  1980  survey,  the 
Council  stipulated  that  future  surveys  should  be  organized  on  the  basis  of  a 
directive  establishing  a permanent  system.  The  system  itself  was  laid  down  in 
Council Directive  82/606/EEC of 28 July  1982. According to that Directive the 
Member  States  were  obliged,  in  1982  and  every  two  years  thereafter,  to  carry 
out a survey by random sampling on the actual earnings of permanent  full-time 
and/or  seasonal  workers  of  both  sexes,  employed  on  holdings  engaged  in 
activities  specified  and  defined  under  Class  01  of NACE  70  (Agriculture  and 
Hunting);  this  obligation  did  not  apply  to  holdings  whose  activities  consisted 
exclusively  or  mainly  in  the  creation  and  maintenance  of  parks  and  gardens, 
hunting and activities ancillary to agriculture. 

3.  Directive  82/606/EEC  was  amended  in  1988.  Under  Article  8  of  Directive 
88/562/EEC  the  Council  was  to  review  the  Directive  in  1990  and  submit 
proposals  on  the  system  to  be  implemented,  if  necessary,  for  the  years  after 
1990. To this end the Commission  submitted  a report on the experience  gained 
in  carrying  out  the  surveys,  including  a  recommendation  to  conduct  the  next 
survey on earnings for the year  1991 and every three years  thereafter. 

4.  A  new  Directive  was  approved  in  1991  (91/534/EEC).  The  surveys  on  1991 

and  1994 have been carried out. 

5.  With a view to limiting the amount of EU legislation to the minimum necessary 
and  reducing  the  workload  of  the  National  Statistical  Institutes,  Eurostat  has 
consulted  the  Member  States  in  order  to  examine  the  extent  to  which  such  a 
survey is necessary to fulfil  national and EU statistical requirements. 

6. 

7. 

8. 

9. 

The results of the consultation show that for most countries the survey is carried 
out  to  meet  Community  requirements,  and  that  in  countries  where  such 
information  is necessary, other sources can meet users' needs. The Commission 
departments concerned have not expressed the need to continue the survey. 

In view  of the above, Eurostat  is of the opinion that  Directive  82/606/EEC  can 
be repealed. 

The  Statistical  Programme  Committee,  consulted  by  written  procedure  on  16 
January  1997, has given a favourable opinion on this proposal. 

The  Commission  therefore  submits  the  attached  proposal  for  Decision  to  the 
Council for approval. 

c*^ 

COUNCIL DECISION 

of 

repealing Directive 82/606/EEC relating to the organization by the Member States of 
surveys on the earnings of permanent and seasonal workers employed in agriculture 

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION 

Having regard  to the Treaty establishing the  European  Community, and  in particular  Article 
213 thereof, 

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, 

Whereas  Council  Directive  82/606/EEC  relating  to the  organization  by the  Member  States 
of  surveys on the earnings  of permanent  and  seasonal workers  employed  in agriculture,  last 
amended  by  Directive  91/534/EEC  ,  was  adopted  in  order  to  make  available  comparable 
statistics on the development of the earnings of agricultural workers in the Member States; 

Whereas the requirement  for  national  and Community  statistics  can now  be met using  other 
sources; 

Whereas  it  is  in the  general  interest  to  reduce  the  volume  of Community  legislation  and  to 
limit the statistical burden on the Member States to those requirements which are essential; 

Whereas  the  Statistical  Programme  Committee  established  by  Council  Decision 
89/382(EEC/Euratom) ,  has  been  consulted  in  accordance  with  Article  3  of  the  aforesaid 
89/382(EI 

Decision, 

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: 

Article 1 

Directive 82/606/EEC is hereby repealed. 

This Decision is addressed to the Member States. 

Article 2 

Done at Brussels, 

'OJL 247,23.8.1982, p.22 
2 OJL 288, 18.10.1991, p.36 
'OJL 181, 28.6.1989, p.47 

2> 

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COM(97) 221 final 

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