Proposal for a European Parliament and Council Decision amending Decision 96/411/EC on improving Community agricultural statistics
Date: 1999-07-08
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU programme, EU statistics, agricultural statistics, national statistics, statistical method

26.10.1999

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 307 E/29

Proposal for a European Parliament and Council Decision amending Decision 96/411/EC on
improving Community agricultural statistics

(1999/C 307 E/03)

COM(1999) 332 final (cid:151) 1999/0137(COD)

(Submitted by the Commission on 8 July 1999)

THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL
OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

1. Article 2(a) is replaced by the following:

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community, and in particular Article 285 thereof,

(cid:145)(a) define the priority statistical fields, including those set
out in Annex II, which may be the subject of actions at
Member State level for the following year;(cid:146)

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,

2. Article 3 is replaced by the following:

Acting in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article
251 of the Treaty,

(cid:145)Article 3

(1) Whereas Council Decision 96/411/EC of 25 June 1996 on
improving Community agricultural statistics, most recently
amended by Decision 98/3/EC (1),
is designed to allow
Community agricultural statistics to respond more satisfac-
torily to the information needs arising from the reform of
the common agricultural policy;

(2) Whereas the report by the Commission to the European
Parliament and the Council on progress in implementing
Decision 96/411/EC makes a positive assessment of the
application of that Decision;

(3) Whereas the process of adapting national statistical systems
to the needs arising from the reform of the common agri-
cultural policy has not yet been completed;

(4) Whereas Council Decision 1999/126/EC of 22 December
1998 (2) on the Community statistical programme for 1998
to 2002 recommends continuation of
to
improve existing agricultural statistics and to plan future
developments with a view to responding more satisfactorily
to the needs of the common agricultural policy;

the actions

(5) Whereas the validity of Decision 96/411/EC needs to be

extended;

Application time frame and procedure

The process of adapting Community agricultural statistics
provided for in Article 1 shall be continued during the
period 2000-2002.
the
Commission through technical action plans as provided
for in Article 4. After this period, the Council may decide
to extend the process in accordance with the Commission
proposals provided for in Article 11.(cid:146)

coordinated by

shall be

It

3. Article 4(2) is deleted.

4. Article 5 is replaced by the following:

(cid:145)Article 5

Member State reports

The Member States shall submit to the Commission:

(a) by 31 May of each year, a communication setting out
their intention, if any, to participate in priority actions
for the following year, accompanied by a summary of
the plans for implementation and an estimate of costs;

(6) Whereas certain provisions of Decision 96/411/EC need to
be amended in the light of experience, so as, inter alia, to
simplify their implementation,

(b) following adoption by the Commission of the technical
action plan, a working plan for each action which
concerns them;

HAVE ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

Decision 96/411/EC is amended as follows:

(1) OJ L 1, 3.1.1998, p. 9.
(2) OJ L 42, 16.2.1999, p. 1.

(c) after completion of each action, a brief

report on
the action in which they have

implementation of
participated.

The documents to be submitted pursuant to points a), b)
and c)
to the
methodology of implementation, work to be carried out,
difficulties identified and proposals for overcoming them,

the planned amendments

should cover

C 307 E/30

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

26.10.1999

the national and Community resources to be mobilised and
proposals for improvements at Community level. Actions
for which Community financial support is required shall
be identified as such.

Following the procedure laid down in Article 10,
the
Commission shall draw up simplified standard forms to
facilitate the presentation of the above information.(cid:146)

cation to and acceptance by the Commission of the working
plan for the action in question. The balance shall be paid
once the report on implementation of the action by the
Member States has been submitted to and approved by
the Commission. The Commission shall carry out any
on-the-spot checks it deems necessary in cooperation with
the competent authorities of the Member States.(cid:146)

6. In Article 11, the year (cid:145)1999(cid:146) is replaced by (cid:145)2002(cid:146).

5. Article 6(3) is replaced by the following:

(cid:145)3.
The contribution shall be paid to the Member States
in two tranches, the first of which, equivalent to 30 % of the
cost of the action, shall be paid as an advance, after notifi-

Article 2

This Decision is addressed to the Member States.