Report from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council on the experience acquired from the statistical survey on plantations of certain species of fruit trees, carried out by the Member States in 2002 in application of Directive 2001/109/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 December 2001
Date: 2004-12-22
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU statistics, agricultural statistics, area of holding, fruit-growing, report, statistics

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 

Brussels, 22.12.2004 
COM(2004) 826 final 

. 

REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION  
TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL 

on the experience acquired from the statistical survey on plantations of certain species 
of fruit trees, carried out by the Member States in 2002 in application of Directive 
2001/109/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 December 2001 

EN 

   EN 

 
 
 
1. 

The 2002 basic survey on plantations of certain species of fruit trees was carried out 
in  the  15  EU  Member  States  in  application  of  the  Directive  2001/109/EC1  of  the 
European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  19  December  2001  and  in  accordance 
with  the  Commission  Decision  2002/38/EC  of  27  December  20012  setting  out  the 
survey parameters and laying down the code and standard rules for the transcription, 
in machine-readable form, of the data. 

The  present  report  on  experience  acquired  during  the  2002  survey  is  submitted  in 
accordance with Article 7 of the Directive 2001/109/EC. 

The previous report (on experience acquired during the 1997 survey) was presented 
by  the  Commission  to  the  European  Parliament  and  the  Council  as  document 
COM(2000) 362 final of 14 June 2000. 

2. 

In the 2002 basic survey, the following species were surveyed: 

(a) 

dessert apples (in the Member States of EU-15); 

(b) 

dessert pears (in the Member States of EU-15, except Ireland and Finland); 

(c) 

peaches (in France, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain and Austria only); 

(d) 

apricots (in France, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain and Austria only); 

(e) 

oranges (in France, Greece, Italy, Portugal and Spain only); 

(f) 

lemons (in France, Greece, Italy, Portugal and Spain only); 

(g) 

small-fruited citrus fruit (in France, Greece, Italy, Portugal and Spain only). 

Data  on  plantations  producing  apples  for  uses  other  than  dessert  fruit  were  sent 
optional by Germany, Spain, Ireland, Luxembourg, Portugal and United Kingdom. 

Data  on  plantations  producing  pears  for  uses  other  than  dessert  fruit  were  sent 
optionally by Germany, Spain, Luxembourg and Netherlands. 

3. 

In  accordance  with  Article  4  (4)  of  Directive  2001/109/EC,  Member  States  sent  to 
the  Commission  methodological  reports  on  how  the  survey  was  carried  out.  A 
summary  table  of  the  national  survey  methods  is  included  in  Annex  1  of  this 
Commission report. 

The 2002 survey was  

– 

a  complete  enumeration 
Ireland, 
Luxembourg, Netherlands, Austria, Finland, Sweden and United Kingdom (for 
large holdings); 

in  Belgium,  Denmark,  Germany, 

– 

an area frame sampling in Spain; 

1 
2 

OJ L 13 of 16.1.2002, p. 21. 
OJ L 16 of 18.1.2002, p. 35. 

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– 

a farm sample survey in the other Member States. 

4. 

The data from all Member States were transmitted in accordance with the rules and 
technical parameters indicated in the Commission Decision 2002/38/EC. 

Article 4 of Directive No 2001/109/EC states that the Member States shall notify the 
Commission of the results of the basic survey before 1 October of the year following 
the survey year. The transmission dates are presented in Annex 2. 

All Member States provided data on each variety representing more than 3% of the 
area of the species. 

Compared with the 1997 survey, progress was made regarding "the area of orchard 
considered". All Member States sent the 2002 survey results in terms of net orchards 
area (“net area” means surface solely occupied by trees). 

According  to  Directive  2001/109/EC,  Article  1  (3),  "the  survey  shall  apply  to  all 
holdings  with  an  area  planted  with  fruit  trees,  provided  that  the  fruit  produced  is 
entirely or mainly intended for the market”. In practice, the situation is different from 
Member State to Member State, ranging from "no threshold (all holdings surveyed" 
to  "threshold  ≥   50  ares").  Furthermore,  some  Member  States  have  changed  their 
threshold from one survey to the other. 

With the improvements mentioned above, namely in relation with the common use of 
the  concept  of  net  areas,  the  2002  survey  can  be  considered  satisfactory  in  overall 
terms. With regard to future surveys, consideration should be given to the update of 
the list of varieties and codes, and the harmonisation of thresholds. The integration of 
this  survey  with  other  surveys,  such  as  the  survey  on  the  structure  of  agricultural 
holdings, should be explored. 

5. 

The  main  results  of  the  2002  survey  are  presented  in  Annex  3  and  are  available 
through Eurostat’s databases. 

87,5% of the EU orchard area was concentrated in Spain, Italy, Greece and France. 

The EU orchard area declined by approximately 161 000 ha (13% in relative terms) 
from 1997 to 2002. This decline was particularly notable for apple and peach trees 
(both in absolute values and in relation to the total area under these species). On the 
other hand, there was an increase for small-fruited citrus trees (resulting mainly from 
a significant rise in Spain). With the exception of Greece, Ireland and Finland, areas 
under fruit trees shrank in all Member States. 

An  analysis  of  the  proportion  of  the  individual  varieties,  within  a  given  species, 
reveals considerable developments linked to changes in consumer preferences.  

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ANNEX 1 

SURVEY METHODS USED BY THE MEMBER STATES-BASIC SURVEY 2002 

BELGIUM 

DENMARK 

GERMANY 

GREECE 

1.  Coverage 
1.1 Species surveyed 

1.1.1  Based on 
Directive 

Apples, pears 

Apples, pears 

Apples, pears 

pears, 
Apples, 
peaches, 
apricots, 
oranges,  small-fruited 
citrus, lemons 

1.1.2  Others 

None 

peaches, 
plums, 
walnuts 

apricots, 
cherries, 

cherries 

1.2  Holdings 

(minimum 

threshold of orchards) 

all 
threshold: 
No 
holdings producing fruit 
for sale 

holdings  with 
All 
surfaces  planted  with 
apple and pear trees 

Holdings with at least 
30 ares of the defined 
species, 
producing 
fruit for sale 

Holdings with at least 
10  ares  (0,1  hectare) 
planted  with 
the 
defined species 

1  are:  all  holdings 
producing  species  not 
for sale 

2.  Type of survey 

Complete enumeration 

Complete enumeration 

Complete 
enumeration 

Random  sampling  in 
one stage 

3.  Survey date 

1 November 2002 

June 2002 

January-June 2002 

May-July 
Reference period  

2002 

4.  Survey characteristics 

4.1  Orchard 

considered 

4.2  Varieties 

4.3  Age 

4.4  Density 

area 

Net area 

Net area 

Net area 

Net area 

list 

Pre-selected 
of 
major  varieties,  plus 
"others" 

list 

Pre-selected 
of 
major  varieties,  plus 
"others" 

Exhaustive  coverage 
of varieties 

Pre-selected 
list  of 
major  varieties,  plus 
"others" 

Age  classes  determined 
from 
of 
planting 

year 

the 

Age  classes  determined 
from 
of 
planting 

year 

the 

Surveyed  directly  on 
site or calculation based 
on planted area 

Calculation  based  on 
planted  area  and 
the 
number of trees 

The  actual  year  of 
planting  (autumn  or 
spring) 

The  actual  year  of 
planting  (autumn  or 
spring) 

Calculation  based  on 
planted area 

Calculation  based  on 
the  number  of  trees 
per  hectare  or  on  tree 
spacing 
and 
in 
between rows 

EN 

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SPAIN 

FRANCE 

IRELAND 

ITALY 

1.  Coverage 
1.1  Species surveyed 

1.1.1  Based on 
Directive 

Apples,  pears,  peaches, 
apricots, oranges, small-
fruited citrus, lemons 

Apples,  pears,  peaches, 
apricots,  oranges,  small-
fruited citrus, lemons 

Apples 

1.1.2  Others 

Cherries, plums 

1.2  Holdings  (min.  thres-
hold of orchards) 

Holdings  with  at  least 
50  ares  producing  fruit 
for  sale  (smaller  plots 
included 
if  producing 
for sale) 

Plums,  cherries,  kiwis, 
nuts 

Holdings  with  at  least  30 
ares of orchard area 

holdings  with 
orchard 

All 
commercial 
area 

All holdings 
producing fruit 
mainly for sale 

2.  Type of survey 

Area Frame sampling 

Random sampling 

Complete enumeration 

3.  Survey date 

February-December 
2002 

January- June 2002 

July-December 2002 

Net area 

Net area 

Apples, pears, 
peaches, apricots, 
oranges, small-
fruited citrus, 
lemons 

Kiwis, cherries, 
plums and figs 

Random  sampling 
with  a  margin  of 
error  of  3%  at 
national  level  and 
the 
for 
5% 
regional level. 

October-
December 2002 

area; 
Net 
pure 
including 
area, 
(pro-rata) 
areas  of  mixed 
plantations. 
Isolated  trees  are 
not covered 

4.  Survey characteristics 

4.1  Orchard 

considered 

area 

4.2  Varieties 

4.3  Age 

4.4  Density 

area 

Net 
from 
surveyed); 

(calculated 
area 

gross 

(pro-rata) 
including 
associated 
of 
areas 
plantations.  Trees 
in 
rows  and  isolated  trees 
are not covered 

list 

of 
Pre-selected 
major  varieties,  plus 
"others" 

Pre-selected  list  of  major 
varieties, plus "others" 

Exhaustive  coverage  of 
varieties 

Exhaustive 
plus "others" 

list, 

The  actual  year  of 
planting 

The  actual  year  of  plan-
ting (autumn or spring) 

The  actual  year  of 
planting 

Calculated  on  the  basis 
of  tree  spacings  in  and 
between rows 

spacings 

Calculated on the basis of 
tree 
and 
between  rows  giving  the 
number  of 
trees  per 
hectare 

in 

Calculation  based  on 
planted  area  and 
the 
trees  per 
number  of 
hectare 

The actual year of 
plantingor grafting 
( 

Calculated  on  the 
basis  of  planted 
area 

EN 

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LUXEMBOURG 

NETHERLANDS 

AUSTRIA 

PORTUGAL 

1.  Coverage 
1.1  Species surveyed 

1.1.1  Based on Directive 

Apples, pears 

Apples, pears 

Dessert  apples,  dessert 
pears, peaches, nectarines, 
apricots 

Apples, 
pears, 
peaches,  oranges, 
small-
apricots, 
fruited 
citrus, 
lemons 

1.1.2  Others 

Plums, cherries, nuts 

Plums, 
bilberries, 
berries, stone fruits 

cherries, 
raspberries, 

Berries, elderberries, nuts, 
cherries, plums 

Cherries, 
and kiwis 

plums 

1.2  Holdings 

(minimum 

threshold of orchards) 

Holdings  with  at  least 
15  ares  of  fruit  trees  of 
species 
the 
producing fruit for sale 

defined 

Holdings with 40 ares of 
pear trees and 50 ares of 
apple  trees  in  standard 
holding units 

Holdings  with  at  least  15 
ares  of  fruit  trees  of  the 
defined  species  producing 
fruit for sale  

Concerning 
tall  stem 
plantations,  all  plots 
with  at  least  100  trees 
are covered. 

Holdings  with  at 
least  15  ares  of 
fruit  trees  of  the 
defined 
species 
producing fruit for 
sale 

2.  Type of survey 

Complete enumeration 

Complete  enumeration 
by post 

Complete enumeration 

Random sampling 

3.  Survey date 

During 2002 

April-June 2002 

 June 
2002-September 
2002 (date of reference: 1 
June 2002) 

April-May 2002 

4.  Survey characteristics 

4.1  Orchard 

considered 

area 

Net planted area 

Net orchard area 

(certain  rows  of  trees 
are  considered  :walnut 
and pear trees) 

All  areas  densely  planted 
with  species  based  on  the 
Directive 
other 
species (net orchard area) 

and 

Net 
area, 
including  pro-rata 
areas  of  mixed 
plantations 

4.2  Varieties 

list 

of 
Pre-selected 
major  varieties,  plus 
"others" 

list 

of 
Pre-selected 
major  varieties,  plus 
"others" 

Exhaustive  coverage  of 
varieties 

4.3  Age 

Actual  year  of  planting 
(autumn or spring) 

Actual  year  of  planting 
(autumn or spring) 

Actual  year  of  planting 
(autumn or spring) 

Pre-selected list of 
as  many  varieties 
as  possible,  plus 
"others" 

Actual  year  of 
planting 
(autumn 
or spring) 

4.4  Density 

In  accordance  with  the 
direct survey of density 

Number  of 
trees  per 
hectare in the plantation 

Number  of 
hectare in the plantation 

trees  per 

Calculation  based 
on planted area 

EN 

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FINLAND 

SWEDEN 

UNITED KINGDOM 

on

Apples 

Apples, pears 

Apples, pears 

1.  Coverage 
1.1  Species surveyed 

1.1.1  Based 

Directive 

1.1.2  Others 

1.2  Holdings 

(minimum 

threshold of orchards) 

Holdings  with  an  area 
of  at  least  1  are  planted 
with apples intended for 
sale 

2500m2  of  open-air 
crops 
horticultural 
(limited 
to  fruits  for 
sale) 

2.  Type of survey 

Complete  enumeration 
by post 

Complete  enumeration 
by post 

Plums, 
other species 

cherries 

and 

Orchard  areas  with  at 
least  30  areas  of  fruit 
trees producing fruit for 
sale 

Complete  enumeration 
for  large  holdings  and 
sampling 
for  smaller 
holdings 

3.  Survey date 

June and July 2002 

31.12.2002 

June 2002 

4.  Survey characteristics 

4.1  Orchard 

considered 

4.2  Varieties 

4.3  Age 

4.4  Density 

area 

Net area 

Net area 

Net area. 

list 

Pre-selected 
of 
major  varieties,  plus 
"others" 

list 

Pre-selected 
of 
major  varieties,  plus 
"others" 

list 

Pre-selected 
of 
major  varieties,  plus 
"others" 

The  actual  year  of 
planting 

The  actual  year  of 
planting  or  grafting  is 
recorded 

The  actual  year  of 
planting 

Calculation  based  on 
planted  area  and 
the 
number of trees 

Number  of 
trees  per 
hectare  calculated  from 
the number in the field 

Number  of 
hectare 

trees  per 

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ANNEX 2 

2002 basic survey of fruit trees 

Country 

Data 
transmission 

Latest corrections 

BELGIUM 

DENMARK 

GERMANY 

GREECE 

SPAIN 

FRANCE 

IRELAND 

ITALY 

17.04.2003 

- 

14.10.2003 

1.06.2004 

27.10.2003 

22.06.2004 

30.07.2003 

23.07.2004 

15.09.2003 

10.08.2004 

12.06.2003 

29.07.2004 

3.03.2004 

28.06.2004 

22.10.2003 

21.07.2004 

LUXEMBOURG 

04.07.2003 

4.06.2004 

NETHERLANDS 

15.05.2003 

AUSTRIA 

22.04.2003 

- 

- 

PORTUGAL 

24.07.2003 

21.07.2004 

FINLAND 

SWEDEN 

9.07.2003 

11.09.2003 

UNITED KINGDOM 

3.10.2003 

- 

- 

- 

EN 

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ANNEX 3 

Table A: Breakdown of the various fruit species by Member State and 
for EU-15, 2002 

Country 

Total 

Apple 

Pear 

Peach  Apricot Orange  Lemon  Small-
fruited 
citrus 

ha 

EU-15 

1,085,944  241,991 110,550

201,324

59,301 252,475 

68,865 151,436

Belgium 

Denmark 

14,638 

8,249

6,389

1,797 

1,398

400

Germany  

33,309 

31,219

2,090

-

-

-

-

-

-

- 

- 

- 

-

-

-

-

-

-

Greece 

Spain 

France 

Ireland 

Italy 

102,079 

10,828

3,647

35,152

5,227

33,387 

7,001

6,838

452,737 

43,334

31,385

69,476

22,615 131,435 

43,851 110,640

93,038 

47,593

9,039

19,691

14,924

634 

634

-

-

-

29 

- 

37

-

1,725

-

303,406 

54,285

38,420

73,091

15,574

76,042 

17,620

28,374

Luxembourg 

1,148 

1,014

134

Netherlands 

17,506 

11,176

6,329

-

-

-

-

8,172 

6,952

470

280

470

- 

- 

- 

-

-

-

-

-

-

43,591 

13,632

10,034

3,636

491

11,582 

357

3,859

516 

516

-

1,515 

1,342

172

11,860 

9,819

2,041

-

-

-

-

-

-

- 

- 

- 

-

-

-

-

-

-

Austria 

Portugal 

Finland 

Sweden 

United 
Kingdom 

EN 

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Table B:Breakdown of the various fruit species by Member State and 
for EU-15, 1997∗ 

Country 

Total 

Apple 

Pear 

Peach  Apricot Orange  Lemon  Small-
fruited 
citrus 

ha 

EU-15 

 1,246,828   293,961 131,799

244,434

66,564 282,738 

85,693 141,639

Belgium 

Denmark 

19,850 

13,532

6,318

1,921 

1,522

399

Germany  

38,165 

35,793

2,372

-

-

-

-

-

-

- 

- 

- 

-

-

-

-

-

-

Greece 

Spain 

France 

Ireland 

Italy 

101,696 

10,673

3,185

37,092

4,417

33,349 

8,429

4,551

455,737 

50,672

35,838

76,855

27,616 126,511 

45,348

92,898

106,246 

54,359

11,837

23,027

14,923

500 

500

-

-

-

98 

- 

36

-

1,966

-

425,644 

71,841

51,458

102,279

18,673 111,939 

31,452

38,002

Luxembourg 

1,221 

1,063

159

Netherlands 

21,187 

15,166

6,021

-

-

-

-

8,433 

7,091

505

401

437

- 

- 

- 

-

-

-

-

-

-

47,887 

16,275

10,842

4,780

498

10,841 

428

4,222

 402 

 402

-  

1,892 

1,653

239

16,044 

13,418

2,626

-

-

-

-

- 

- 

-

-

-

-

Austria 

Portugal 

Finland 

Sweden 

United 
Kingdom 

∗ 

1997: data was recalculated from gross into net area for Finland, France and Spain. 

EN 

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Table C: EU-15, 2002 (EU-15, 1997∗ = 100%) 

Country 

Total 

Apple 

Pear 

Peach  Apricot Orange  Lemon  Small-
fruited 
citrus 

% 

EU-15 

87.1 

82.3

83.9

82.4

89.1

89.3 

80.4

106.9

73.7 

61.0

101.1

93.6 

91.8

100.2

87.3 

87.2

88.1

-

-

-

-

-

-

- 

- 

- 

-

-

-

-

-

-

100.4 

101.5

114.5

94.8

118.3

100.1 

83.1

150.3

Belgium 

Denmark 

Germany  

Greece 

Spain 

France 

Ireland 

Italy 

Luxembourg 

99.3 

87.6 

85.5

87.6

126.9 

126.9

71.3 

94.0 

75.6

95.3

87.6

76.4

-

74.7

84.4

Netherlands 

82.6 

73.7

105.1

Austria 

Portugal 

Finland 

Sweden 

United 
Kingdom 

96.9 

91.0 

98.0

83.8

 128.3 

 128.3

80.1 

73.9 

81.2

73.2

93.0

92.6

-

72.1

77.7

90.4

81.9

103.9 

96.7

119.1

85.5

100.0

29.6 

102.3

87.8

-

-

- 

-

-

71.5

83.4

67.9 

56.0

74.7

-

-

-

-

69.8

107.5

- 

- 

- 

-

-

-

-

-

-

76.1

98.6

106.8 

83.4

91.4

-

-

-

-

-

-

- 

- 

- 

-

-

-

-

-

-

∗ 

1997: data was recalculated from gross into net area for Finland, France and Spain. 

EN 

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