Proposal for a Council Directive amending Council Directives 93/23/EEC, 93/24/EEC and 93/25/EEC of 1 June 1993 on the statistical surveys to be carried out on pig, bovine animal and sheep and goat production
Date: 1997-07-29
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: agricultural statistics, cattle, goat, livestock, sheep

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 

Brussels, 29.07.1997 
COM(97)413  final 

97/0220 (CNS) 

Proposal for a 

COUNCIL DIRECTIVE 

amending 

COUNCIL  DIRECTIVES  93/23/EEC,  93/24/EEC  and  93/25/EEC  of  1  June 
1993  on the statistical  surveys  to  be  carried  out  on  pig,  bovine  anima!  and 
sheep and goat production. 

(presented by the Commission) 

Summary 

The purpose of the animal livestock  surveys  is to  regularly  review the current 
livestock  population  and  to  enable  production  forecasts  based  on  the 
These  surveys  are  covered  by  three  COUNCIL 
livestock  situation. 
DIRECTIVES  93/23/EEC,  93/24/EEC  and  93/25/EEC  of  1 June  1993  on the 
statistical surveys to be carried out on pig, bovine animal and sheep and goat 
production.  Until  now  these  three  Directives  have  stated  precise  dates 
throughout the year on which the surveys take place. 

April, August and December for the pig surveys, 
June and December for the bovine animal surveys, 
December for the sheep and goat survey. 

In order  that  each  Member  State  may  rationalize  its  survey  programme,  the 
Commission  is  proposing  to  change  the  present  Directives  by  introducing  a 
more flexible system of dates for when the surveys should take place as well 
as  authorizing  those  Member  States  who  so wish, to  reduce  the  number  of 
pig surveys from three to two per year.  However the authorization  to  reduce 
the number of pig surveys would be granted only  if the Member State  proves 
that  reliable  production  forecasts  can  still  be  attained  from  only  two  pig 
surveys  which  themselves  would  have  to  be  carried  out  at  a  six  monthly 
interval to take production cycles into account. 

These alterations to the  Directives do not lead to a reduction  in the quality  of 
statistical  information  in  the  animal  sector,  but  rather  enable  financial 
economy as well as reducing the workload which statistical surveys create for 
the farmers. 

A 

Explanatory memorandum 

Member  States  have  raised  initiatives  and  put  forward  suggestions  to  the 
Commission with the  purpose  of  rationalizing  the  statistical  surveys  on pig, 
bovine  animal  as well  as  sheep  and goat  production.  The  following  are  the 
main arguments for the implementation of these proposals: 

An improved synchronization  of the surveys provides for  a  better  use of the 
resources available for agricultural statistical surveys. 

The  survey  units' workload  in the area  of statistical  surveys will  be  reduced 
for instance through the synchronization of the various animal surveys or with 
the  farm  structure  survey.  Additional  savings  can  be  obtained  with  a  more 
flexible  calendar  for  the  surveys,  especially  in  relation  to  the  August  pig 
survey. 

The costs incurred by the Member States from the production  surveys will be 
reduced. 

through 

The  consolidation  of  several  surveys  will  be  achieved 
the 
amendment  to  Directive  93/23/EEC  "Pigs"  wherein  the  period  for  the  April 
and December surveys will be extended. 
In  the  interests  of  market  administration  the  August  pig  survey  can  not  be 
dispensed with  altogether.  However  it will  be  proposed  that  Member  States 
only  two 
may  request  to  carry  out  -  under  duly  justified  circumstances  - 
surveys  per  year  at  a  six  monthly 
interval  at  May/June  and 
November/December  if  adequate  documentation  is  presented  showing  that 
the quality of the  production estimates  does  not deteriorate  through  only  two 
surveys  being  undertaken.  Applications  for  this  derogation  will  be  dealt  by 
the  Commission  within  a  "comitology"  procedure. 
If  the  quality  of  the 
production  estimates 
is  seen  to  deteriorate,  the  Agricultural  Statistics 
Committee will be empowered to revoke the derogation. 

The  consolidation  of  several  surveys  will  be  achieved 
the 
amendment  to  Directive  93/24/EEC  "Bovine  animals",  wherein  the  month  of 
November will be proposed as an alternative to the December survey. 

through 

The consolidation of several surveys will be achieved through the 
amendment to Directive 93/25/EEC "sheep and goats" which will ensure that 
the derogations already given to Denmark and the Netherlands  (wherein the 
December survey can be carried out in the preceding May or June) are now 
extended to Germany and Belgium with particular consideration given to 
those Member States where the number of sheep and goats represent a 
relatively small proportion of the sum of the total Union. 

QL 

Proposal  for a 

COUNCIL  DIRECTIVE 

amending 

COUNCIL  DIRECTIVES  93/23/EEC,  93/24/EEC  and  93/25/EEC  of  1  June 
1993  on the  statistical  surveys  to  be  carried  out  on pig,  bovine  anima'  and 
sheep and goat production. 

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION -

Having  regard  to  the  Treaty  establishing  the  European  Community,  and  in 
particular Article 43 thereof, 

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,1 

Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament,2 

Whereas,  in order to ensure  that the common agricultural  policy  is properly 
administered,  particularly  where  the  pigmeat,  the  beef  and  veal  and  the 
sheep-  and  goatmeat  markets  are  concerned,  the  Commission  requires 
regular data on trends in livestock and in pigmeat, beef and veal and sheep-
and goatmeat production. 

Whereas the Council Directives 93/23/EEC, of  1 June  1993 on the statistical 
surveys to be carried out on pig production 3, 93/24/EEC  of  1 June  1993 on 
the  statistical  surveys  to  be  carried  out  on  bovine  animal  production  4  and 
93/25/EEC  of  1  June  1993  on  the  statistical  surveys  to  be  carried  out  on 
sheep  and  goat  stocks  5  rule  on  the  frequency  of  statistical  surveys  to  be 
carried out on pig, bovine animal and sheep and goat production. 

Whereas  to adapt the periods of reference  in order  achieve  a  better  use of 
the resources available for agricultural statistical surveys. 

Whereas to relieve the survey units from work related to statistical surveys. 

Whereas  to achieve  a  better  synchronization  of  different  surveys within the 
sector of agricultural statistics. 

Whereas in some Member  States the stock of sheep and goats represents a 
relative minor part of the Community's total stock. 

OJ n° L 149 of 21 June 1993, p.l 
OJ n° L 149 of 21 June 1993, p. 5 
OJ n° L 149 of 21 June 1993, p. 10 

3 

HAS ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE 

Article 1 

Amendment of Council Directive 93/23/EEC 

The Council Directive 93/23/EEC  is amended as follows: 

(1) 

In Article  1 the paragraph 4 is added as follows: 

"(4) The Member States may, at their request and based on an 
appropriate documentation, be authorized to carry out only two 
surveys per year, at a six monthly interval in the months of May/June 
and November/December.  This derogation may only be granted under 
the condition that they can prove to guarantee the quality of the 
forecasts as given in article  12. In the light of experience  and based on 
the results of those forecasts, this authorization may be revoked. The 
Commission shall consider such requests in accordance with the 
procedure laid down in Article  17. " 

(2) 

In Article 5 the paragraphs 3 and 4 are added as follows: 

"(3) Those Member States authorized to carry out only two surveys per 
year shall notify the Commission of the provisional results of the 
surveys and additional estimates before: 
-  31 July of the same year for the May/June survey, 
-15  February of the following year for the  November/December 
survey. 

(4) Those Member States authorized to carry out only two surveys per 
year shall notify the Commission of the results of the surveys and 
additional estimates, as defined in Article 4 (2), before: 
-  15 September of the same year for the May/June survey, 
-  1 April of the following year for the November/December  survey." 

(3) 

In Article 6 (1 ) the term "December" shall be replaced by the term 
"November/December". 
In Article 6 (2) the term "April" shall be replaced by the term "April or 
^ay/June". 

(4) 

!n Article 8 (1 ) the term "December" shall be replaced by the term 
"November or  December". 

'-/ 

Article 2 

Amendment of Council Directive 93/24/EEC 

The Council Directive 93/24/EEC is amended as follows: 

(1) 

Article 1 shall be replaced by the following: 

"Article 1 
(1 ) The Member States shall carry out statistical surveys of the bovine 
population on their territory each year with reference to one day in the 
month of May/June and with reference to one day in the month of 
November/December. 

(2) The Member States may, at their request, be authorized to carry 
out the May/June respectively the November/December  surveys in 
selected regions, on the understanding that these surveys cover at 
least 70 % of the bovine population. 

Those Member States whose bovine population is less than 1,5 million 
per head may be authorized to dispense altogether with one of the two 
surveys laid down in paragraph 1 or to carry it out in selected regions 
only.  The Member States may, at their request, be authorized to use 
administrative sources instead of statistical surveys under paragraph 
1. 

(3) In considering the requests referred to in paragraph 2, the 
Commission shall decide in accordance with the procedure laid down 
in Article 17, the obligations arising from Article 6 being taken into 
account. 

In Article 5 (1 ) and (2) the terms "December" shall be  replaced by the 
term "November/December". 

In Article 6 (1 ) the term "December" shall be replaced by the term 
"November/December". 

In Article 8 (1 ) the term "December" shall be replaced by the term 
"November/December". 

In Section II the headline "SLAUGHTERS STATISTICS" shall be 
corrected to "SLAUGHTERING STATISTICS" 

(2) 

(3) 

(4) 

(5) 

5 

Article 3 

Amendment of Council Directive 93/25/EEC 

The Council Directive 93/25/EEC  is amended as follows: 

(1) 

In the title of the Directive 93/25/EEC the term "stocks" shall be 
replaced by "production". 

(2) 

Article 6 (2) shall be replaced by the following: 

"(2) By way of derogation from Articles  1 and 5, Belgium, Denmark, 
Germany  and the Netherlands shall be authorized to estimate the 
sheep and goat populations and the United Kingdom the goat 
population held in December on the basis of the populations  recorded 
during the annual livestock census or agricultural structure survey 
which they carry out in May/June of the same year. They shall forward 
the provisional results referred to in Article 5 (1) to the Commission 
before 1 March and the results referred to in Article 5 (2) before  1 April 
of the year following the reference year." 

(3) 

Article 9 shall be replaced by the following: 

"Article 9 
By way of derogation from Article 8: 
(a) Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands shall be authorized to 
notify sheep numbers by 'région/gewest', 'Laender' respectively 
'provincie' in the case of populations covered by the livestock census 
or agricultural structure survey conducted in May of the reference 
year, before  15 October of that year; 
(b) the Member States referred to in Article  1 (2) (b) shall be exempt 
from notifying the regional breakdown of their goat numbers." 

(4) 

Article  12 shall be replaced by the following: 

"Article 12 
By way of derogation from Article  11,  Belgium, Denmark,  Germany 
and the Netherlands shall be authorized to notify the data on the 
structure of their sheep and goat populations and the United Kingdom 
those of its goat population covered by the livestock census or 
agricultural structure survey conducted in May/June of the reference 
year before 15 May of the following year." 

G 

Article 4 

The  Member  States  shall  bring  into  force  the 
laws,  regulations  and 
administrative  provisions  necessary  to  comply  with  this  Directive  before 
1 January 1998. 

When  Member  States  adopt  these  measures,  they  shall  contain  a  reference 
to this  Directive  or shall be accompanied  by  such reference  on the  occasion 
of their official  publication. The  methods  ol making such a reference  shall  be 
laid down by the Member States. 

This Directive is addressed to the Member States. 

Article 5 

Done at 

For the Council 

Impact on small- and medium-sized enterprises 

The changes to the COUNCIL DIRECTIVES 93/23/EEC, 93/24/EEC and 
93/25/EEC of 1 June  1993 on the statistical surveys to be carried out on pig, 
bovine animal and sheep and goat production foresee amongst others, a 
reduction for the farmers in the workload involved in agricultural surveys by: 

1. The fact that the survey period would be lengthened enables the Member 
States to regroup surveys which have previously been spaced out over a time 
period.  In the future those Member States wishing to do so could collect data 
on both the livestock populations and the agricultural structure from a single 
survey, which up until now has necessitated two separate surveys of the 
farms. 

2. As long as a methodological paper is given showing that reliable forecasts 
for pig production can be made by surveying producers twice a year instead 
of three, the Member States would be authorized to carry out two surveys 
rather than three as at present. 

This reduction in the overall number of surveys whether it be in terms of 
questionnaires to be completed by the farmers or in terms of actual surveys 
carried out all lead to economies being made. 

* 

ISSN 0254-1475 

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