Proposal for a Council Regulation on the measures to be undertaken by the Commission in 2008-13 making use of the remote-sensing applications developed within the framework of the common agricultural policy
Date: 2007-07-05
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU financing, agricultural statistics, common agricultural policy, crop yield, management information system, remote sensing

EN 

EN 

   EN 

 
 
COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 

Brussels, 5.7.2007 
COM(2007) 383 final 

2007/0132 (CNS) 

Proposal for a 

COUNCIL REGULATION 

on the measures to be undertaken by the Commission in 2008-13  
making use of the remote-sensing applications developed  
within the framework of the common agricultural policy 

(presented by the Commission) 

EN 

   EN 

 
 
 
  
EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM 

Decision No 2066/2003/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council covers, inter alia, 
the  pilot  project  applying  remote-sensing  techniques  to  the  monitoring  of  the  agricultural 
markets in 2003-07. Experience gained over that period has enabled the agro-meteorological 
system for forecasting yields and monitoring land and crop conditions to become operational. 
Remote  sensing  has,  moreover,  demonstrated  that  it  offers  a  response  tailored  to  the 
management needs of the common agricultural policy, and that the needs identified could not 
be met by the traditional agricultural statistics and forecasting systems. 

Provision  should  therefore  be  made  for  the  continued  application  of  these  operational 
measures with financing from the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund (EAGF). 

EN 

2 

   EN 

 
2007/0132 (CNS) 

Proposal for a 

COUNCIL REGULATION 

on the measures to be undertaken by the Commission in 2008-13  
making use of the remote-sensing applications developed  
within the framework of the common agricultural policy 

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, 

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular the third 
subparagraph of Article 37(2) thereof, 
Having regard to the proposal by the Commission1, 
Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament2, 

Whereas: 

(1) 

(2) 

(3) 

Under  Article 33  of  the  Treaty  establishing  the  European  Community,  the  common 
agricultural  policy  is  to  take  account  of  the  particular  nature  of  agricultural  activity, 
which  results  from  the  social  structure  of  agriculture  and  from  structural  and  natural 
disparities  between  the  various  agricultural  regions.  There  is  considerable  need  for 
information  on  the  condition  of  land  and  crops  in  this  context,  in  particular  for  the 
management  of 
the  markets.  Remote-sensing 
applications  can  provide  some  of  the  information  required  to  this  end,  provided  that 
they can cover all the areas of interest for the management of the agricultural markets. 

the  common  organisations  of 

Experience gained in 2004-07, within the framework of Decision No 1445/2000/EC of 
the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  22  May  2000  on  the  application  of 
aerial-survey  and  remote-sensing  techniques  to  the  agricultural  statistics  for  1999  to 
20033,  as  amended,  and  the  decisions  which  preceded  it4,  has  enabled  the  agro-
meteorological system for forecasting yields and monitoring land and crop conditions 
to  achieve  an  advanced  operational  and  development  stage  and  to  demonstrate  its 
effectiveness. 

Remote  sensing  has  thus  demonstrated  that  it  provides  a  response  tailored  to  the 
management  needs  of  the  common  agricultural  policy,  and  that  the  needs  identified 
cannot be met by the traditional agricultural statistics and forecasting systems. It has 
also enhanced the accuracy, objectivity, speed and frequency with which observations 
are  made  and  helped  perfect  agricultural  forecasting  models,  in  particular  by 
establishing  regionally  based  models.  Finally,  it  has  facilitated  the  development  of 
specific and ancillary applications for the establishment and collection of agricultural 
statistics, and has enabled savings to be made in the costs of monitoring and control of 

1 
2 
3 

4 

OJ C …, …, p. …. 
OJ C …, …, p. …. 
OJ L 163, 4.7.2000, p. 1. Decision as last amended by Decision No 786/2004/EC (OJ L 138, 30.4.2004, 
p. 7). 
In particular Council Decision 88/503/EEC (OJ L 273, 5.10.1988, p. 12). 

EN 

3 

   EN 

 
                                                 
(4) 

(5) 

agricultural  expenditure.  Provision  should  therefore  be  made  for  the  continuation  of 
these  applications  using  financing  from  the  European  Agricultural  Guarantee  Fund 
(EAGF) in the period 2008-13, pursuant to Article 3(2)(e) of Council Regulation (EC) 
No 1290/2005 of 21 June 2005 on the financing of the common agricultural policy5. 

The  detailed  implementing  rules  for  measures  to  be  undertaken  by  the  Commission 
within the framework of the common agricultural policy making use of remote sensing 
should,  however,  be  adjusted  and  reorganised,  and  the  operational  measures  carried 
out within the framework of this system should be separated from those which require 
more research and development work. Separate provision should therefore be made for 
the latter measures in the framework programme for research and development. 

It should also be laid down that the information and estimates which result from the 
measures undertaken and are held by the Commission should be made available to the 
Member States, and the European Parliament and the Council should be informed by 
means  of  an  interim  and  a  final  report  of  the  conditions  for  implementation  of  the 
remote-sensing measures undertaken and on the use of the resources made available to 
the  Commission,  accompanied,  where  appropriate,  by  a  proposal  to  continue  these 
measures beyond the period laid down in this Regulation, 

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: 

Article 1 

1. 

From  1  January  2008,  for  a  six-year  period,  the  measures  undertaken  by  the 
Commission making use of remote-sensing applications within the framework of the 
common  agricultural  policy  may  be  financed  by  the  European  Agricultural 
Guarantee  Fund,  pursuant  to  Article 3(2)(e)  of  Regulation  (EC)  No  1290/2005, 
where their aim is to give the Commission the means to: 

(a)  manage agricultural markets; 

(b) 

ensure  agro-economic  monitoring  of  agricultural  land  and  of  the  condition  of 
crops,  to  enable  estimates  to  be  made,  in  particular  as  regards  yields  and 
agricultural production; 

(c) 

promote access to the information referred to in point (b); 

(d) 

ensure technological follow-up of the agro-meteorological system. 

2. 

The measures referred to in paragraph 1 shall be in particular: 

(a) 

collection or purchase of data needed to implement and monitor the common 
agricultural policy, in particular satellite data and meteorological data; 

(b) 

creation of a spatial data infrastructure and a website; 

(c) 

carrying out specific studies on climatic conditions; 

(d)  updating agro-meteorological and econometric models. 

Where  appropriate,  these  measures  shall  be  carried  out  in  close  collaboration  with 
national laboratories and bodies. 

5 

OJ L 209, 11.8.2005, p. 1. Regulation as amended by Regulation (EC) No 378/2007 (OJ L 95, 5.4.2007, 
p. 1).  

EN 

4 

   EN 

 
                                                 
The  Commission  shall  make  the  information  and  estimates  which  result  from  the  measures 
referred to in Article 1(1) available to the Member States electronically. 

Article 2 

Detailed rules for the implementation of this Regulation shall be adopted in accordance with 
the procedure laid down  in  Article 41(3) of Regulation (EC) No 1290/2005, in particular as 
regards making available the information and estimates referred to in this Regulation.  

Article 3 

Article 4 

Not later than 31 July 2010 and 31 July 2013, the Commission shall report to the European 
Parliament  and  to  the  Council  on  the  implementation  of  the  remote-sensing  measures 
undertaken  and  on  the  use  of  the  financial  resources  made  available  to  it  under  this 
Regulation, accompanied, where appropriate, in the second report, by a proposal to continue 
these measures within the framework of the common agricultural policy.  

Article 5 

This Regulation shall enter into force on the third day following that of its publication in the 
Official Journal of the European Union. 

It shall apply from 1 January 2008 to 31 December 2013. 

This Regulation shall be binding in is entirety and directly applicable in all Member States. 

Done at Brussels, […] 

For the Council 
The President 

EN 

5 

   EN 

 
 
 
FINANCIAL STATEMENT 

1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

BUDGET HEADING: 
05 08 03 - Restructuring of agricultural survey systems 

APPROPRIATIONS (2007): 
EUR 1.78 million in CA 
EUR 4.03 million in PA 

TITLE OF MEASURE: 
Council Regulation on the measures to be undertaken by the Commission in 2008-13 making use of 
the remote-sensing applications developed within the framework of the common agricultural policy  

LEGAL BASIS: 
Article 37 of the EC Treaty 

AIMS: 
To  obtain  the  means  to  manage  the  agricultural  markets,  ensure  agro-economic  monitoring  of 
agricultural land and of the condition of crops to enable estimates to be made, in particular as regards 
yields  and  agricultural  production,  and  ensure  technological  follow-up  of  the  agro-meteorological 
system. 

5. 

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS 

5.0 

EXPENDITURE CHARGED TO 
– 
THE EC BUDGET 
(REFUNDS / INTERVENTIONS) 
– 
– 

NATIONAL AUTHORITIES 
OTHER 

5.1  REVENUE 

OWN RESOURCES OF THE EC 

– 
(LEVIES / CUSTOMS DUTIES) 
– 

NATIONAL 

5.0.1  ESTIMATED EXPENDITURE 

5.1.1  ESTIMATED REVENUE 

5.2  METHOD OF CALCULATION: 

– 

CURRENT 
FINANCIAL 
YEAR 
2007 
(EUR million) 
– 

FOLLOWING 
FINANCIAL 
YEAR  
2008 (PDB) 
(EUR million) 
CA 1.90 
PA 1.14 

FINANCIAL 
YEAR 
2009 

(EUR million) 
CA 1.46 
PA 1.64 

– 

– 

– 

2010 
CA 1.46 
PA 1.46 
– 

2011 
CA 1.46
PA 1.46 
– 

2012 
CA 1.46 
PA 1.46 
– 

2013 
CA 1.46 
PA 2.04 
– 

6.0  CAN THE PROJECT BE FINANCED FROM APPROPRIATIONS ENTERED IN 

THE RELEVANT CHAPTER OF THE CURRENT BUDGET? 

6.1  CAN THE PROJECT BE FINANCED BY TRANSFER BETWEEN CHAPTERS 

OF THE CURRENT BUDGET? 

6.2  WILL A SUPPLEMENTARY BUDGET BE NECESSARY? 
6.3  WILL APPROPRIATIONS NEED TO BE ENTERED IN FUTURE BUDGETS? 

OBSERVATIONS: No additional administrative costs in relation to the current situation. 

YES NO 

YES NO 
YES NO 
YES NO 

EN 

6 

   EN