CELEX: 51976PC0322
Language: en
Date: 1976-06-28
Title: Proposal for a COUNCIL REGULATION relating to the organisation of a survey on the structure of agricultural holdings for 1977 (submitted by the Commission to the Council)

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COM (76) 322
Vol. 1976/0096
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 ---pagebreak--- COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
                                       COM(76)322 final
                                       Brussels , 28 June 1976
                                Proposal for a
                              COUNCIL REGULATION
                 relating to the organisation of a survey on
                 the structure of agricultural holdings for 1977
                 ( submitted by the Commission to the Council )
    C0WC76 ) 322 final
 ---pagebreak---                                      - 1 -
                           EXPLANATORY IEMORAKDUM
The Commission is submitting a proposal for a Regulation on the organization of
a survey on the structure of agricultural holdings.
This survey is a sequel to the "basic survey prescribed "by Regulation n° 70/66/EEC
( l ), as amended "by Regulation n° 35/67/EEC ( 2 ), to the general census of agri­
culture recommended "by the PAO and prescribed "by Directive n° 69/400/EEC ( 3 ) and
to the structures survey for 1975 prescribed by Directive n° 75/108/EEC ( 4).
The present proposal provides for the continuation of the collection of data on
the structure of agricultural holdings throughout the Community, in order to
satisfy the requirements of the common agricultural policy. The proposed survey
will permit the data already obtained in the course of the three previous sur­
veys , to be updated , comparable data to be collected throughout the Member
states and basic data for research on the structure of agricultural holdings to
be provided.
In order to safeguard the comparability of the figures , the definitions used
for the 1975 structures survey are in principle to be retained for the present
survey, while however allowing the possibility of certain adaptations to the
definitions for the specific needs of the 1977 survey.
The proposal for a Regulation contained in this document is based on the ack­
nowledged interest of providing high quality information periodically on trends
in agricultural structures , which is , moreover , one of the main conditions for
the success of the measures agreed at Community level .
The development of the measures at regional level , particularly those envisaged
for mountain and hill farming and certain less-favoured areas , makes it all the
more necessary to collect data at regional or area level .
(1 ) OJ n° 112 of 24 June 1966, p. 206^/66
( 2 ) OJ n° 33 of 24 February 1967 , P* 524/67
( 3 ) OJ n* L288 of 17 November 1969 , P«1
( 4 ) OJ n° L 42 of 15 February 1975 , p*21 .
1028/76 e
 ---pagebreak---                                          - 2 -
   In design and execution , this survey is similar to the 1969 general agricul­
   tural census ? at the same time , .. however , it permits comparison with the re­
   sults of the structures survey for 1975 » which was the first survey to pro­
   vide comparable information for the nine Member states. It is based on the
   annual or periodic surveys already carried out in most of the Member states
   and provides a Community schedule of tables for the purposes of analysis of
' the data at Community level . This survey basically covers the following cha­
   racteristics ; type of - tenure , land use , livestock , machinery and equipment ,
   and farm labour, force .
   Provision is made for applying for the first time on the occasion of this
   survey the community classification of agricultural holdings - currently being
   developed by the Commission 's services and the Member states.
                                            *
                                         *     *    '
    ■\    '  . . •  .                                   ...                    ^
                                                                                I
  1028/76 e
 ---pagebreak---                          PROPOSAL_FOR _ A_ÇÇyrjÇIL REGULATION
on the organization of a survey on the structure of agricultural holdings
for 1977
THE COUNCIL OF THE * EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES ,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community ,
and in particular Article 43 thereof ,
                                                         (1 )
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission             ,
                .......            , . .  _         _  . .      . (2)
Having regard to the Opinion of the European Parliament               ,
Whereas the findings of the structures survey for 1975 set up by Directive
75/ 1CS/ EEC ^^ provided the Community for the first time with comparable
information for the nine Member States on the structure of agricultural
holdings ;    whereas the said Directive provided a programme of Community
surveys necessary to the common agricultural policy ;
Whereas any such programme should include , in particular a survey aimed at
providing essential information for defining the structure of agricultural
holdings ;
Whereas trends in the structure of agricultural holdings are an important
factor in determining the course to be followed by the common agricultural
policy ; whereas such trends cannot be recorded unless comparable data are
available and it is therefore necessary for the survey to have the same
scope as the structures survey for 1975 ;
 (1 )
(2)
 ( 3 ) OJ No L 42 , 15.2.1975 , p. 21 .
1028 / 76 e
 ---pagebreak---                                          « 2
Whereas the definitions laid down in Commission Decision 75 / 682 / EEC of
October 1975 Laying down for the purposes of a structures survey for 1975
as part of the programme of surveys on the structure of agricultural
holdings , the definitions relating to the list of characteristics and the
                                 £1 )
 list of agricultural products        , are in principle to be retained for the
1977 structure survey ; whereas it is nevertheless necessary to introduce
a procedure which allow certain adjustments to be made to the definitions
for the specific needs of the present survey ;
Whereas Council Directive 75 / 268/ EEC of 28 April 1975 on mountain and hill
farming in certain less-favoured areas ^, as amended by Directive
76/4C0/EEC ^, defined certain less-favoured farming areas and whereas it
is appropriate to take account of them in the presentation of the results of
this survey ;
Whereas the proposed survey satisfies Community requirements and whereas
the Community must therefore make a contribution towards the costs ;         whereas
certain Member States already conduct snnuat or periodic surveys which may
be used as the basis for the Community survey ;        whereas other Member States
will have to bear a greater financial burden since their programme of
surveys does not include a survey of this type ;        whereas it is therefore
reasonable that the Community contribution should be related to the additional
national expenditure arising out of this survey ;                       •  1    >
Whereas in order to facilitate implementation of the provisions specified,
there should be close cooperation between the Member States and the           •
Commission , within the Standing Committee for Agricultural Statistics set
up by Decision 72/279/ EEC ^,                        '   *
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION :
( 1 ) OJ No L 301 , 20.11.1975 , p. 8 .
( 2 ) OJ No L 128 , 19.5.1975 , p. 1 .
( 3 ) OJ No L 108, 26.4.1976 , p. 21 .
( 4 ) OJ No L 179, 7.8.1972 , p. 1 .
1028/ 76.e
 ---pagebreak---                                           - 3 -
                                        Article 1
Member States shall carry cut a survey, hereinafter referred to as "the
survey", cf the agricultural holdings in their territories covering one crop
year - the crop of which will be harvested in 1977 .
                                        Article 2
The survey shall be conducted in one or more stages between 1 December 1976
and 31 January 1978 .
The survey shall be carried out by means of a full survey ,or by random
sampling .
                                        Article 3
1.   For the purposes of these provisions :                  "             ^
     ( a ) agricultural holding shall mean a single unit , both . technically
             and economically , which has a single management and the cut of
            which is agricultural products ;
     ( b ) agricultural area utilized for farming shall q?ean the total area
          " taken up by arable land , permanent pasture and    \3dow , land used ,
             for permanent crops and subsistence plots .
2.   The survey shall cover :
     ( a ) agricultural holdinrs where the agricultural area utilized for
            "fcrming is one hectare -or mere ;
     ( b ) agricltural holdings where the at ri cultural area utilized for
             farming is less than one hectare , if they market a certain proportion
             of their products or if their standard gross production exceeds
             certain physical units .
3.   The agricultural area utilized for farming shall be' allocated -between
     the various crops surveyed in such a way that the area actually devoted
    to each one is known .
1028 / 76 e          *                                                         • .
 ---pagebreak---                                          r 4 r
                                       ArtTcLo_4
 Member States shall carry out the survey on the characteristics listed in
 the Annex hereto .     The definitions relating to them shall be determined
 according to the procedure taid down in Article 6 .
                                     . Article 5
 Member States shall :
 ( a ) prepare the results of the survey in the form of a schedule of tables
drawn up in accordance with a Community outline .      The Community schedule of
tables shall be drawn up in accordance with the procedure laid down in'.
 Article 6 ;
 ( b ) prepare the results of the survey at national level . The following Member
 States shall also prepare the results , at the regional level indicated below :
GERMANY           :  Federal "Lander "
 FRANCE           :  regions "de programme"
 ITALY            ;  regions                   \        "
UNITED KINGDOM :    Northern Ireland , Scotland^ Wales , agricultural regions
                    of England .                                          >
The results extrapolated at regional levet by Member States which conduct the
survey by random sampling must have' a degree of accuracy corresponding at least
  to that obtained at district survey level in the structures survey for 1975 ;
  ( c ) with the exception of the Netherlands , give the results of the survey
                     ι
  by a breakdown of less-favoured agricultural areas , within the meaning of
Article 3 of Directive 75 / 268/ EEC , or by groups of "such areas , and by '
favoured agricultural areas or by groups of such areas . The Commission
 shall decide , in cooperation with the Member States , the groupings of
 less-favoured and favoured agricultural areas;'
 ( d ) transcribe the results of the survey mentioned in ( a ), ( b ) and ( c ) onto
magnetic tape using a standard programme for all . Member States . This
 standard programme shall be drawn up in accordance with the . procedure laid
down in Article 6 ;
1028 / 76 e                                                     .........
 ---pagebreak--- ( e) submit the magnetic tapes provided frr 'in Cd ) to the " Statist fcal' Office of
  •the European Communities. They shall be submitted within 12 months of comple­
  tion of the field work and at the latest by. 31 December 1978 . However, data
  which would make it possible to identify an individual agricultural holding
   shall not be forwarded to the Statistical Office of the' European Communities.
                                   Article 6
  1 » Where the procedure laid down in this Article is invoked, the Standing
 Committee for Agricultural Statistics , set up by the Council Decision of ,
  31 July 1972 , hereinafter called "the Committee", shall give an Opinion, the
 votes of Member States being weighted as laid down in the first subparagraph
 of Article 148 ( 2 ) of the Treaty. The Chairman shall not vote.
                            \
  2 . In such cases , the Chairman shall refer the matter to the Committee , either •
 on his own initiative or at the request of the representative of a Member State
  3 . The Commission representative shall submit a draft of the measures to be
 taken. The Committee shall give its Opinion on these measures within a time
 limit to be set by the Chairman according to the urgency of the matters con­
 cerned. It shall act by a majority of 41 votes .
 4» The Commission shall adopt measures which shall take immediate effect . How­
 ever, if these measures are not in accordance with the Committee 's Opinion
 the Commission shall submit them forthwith to the Council ? in this case , the
 Commission may defer application of the measures it has adopted for not more
 than one month from the date of their submission to the Council .
 The Council , acting by a qualified majority, may take a different decision
 within a period of one month.
 ---pagebreak---                                  Article 7 .
Member States shall receive a contribution towards the costs of drawing up the
Community . schedule of tables . This contribution shall take into account the
additional expenditure arising out of this syrvey. This sum shall be charged
to the appropriations set aside for this purpose in the budget of tae Euro­
pean Communities .
This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable
in - all Member states .
Done at Brussels ,                              For the Council
1028 /76 e
                                                                  \
 ---pagebreak---                                                                   ΑΜΕΧ
                                                                                    Χ)
 LIST OF CHARACT5RI STIC S FOR THE COMMtTNTTY SCHEDULE OF TABLES FOR 1977
 Number
                   Geographical situation of the holding
     1             Region
                     ^
                             , .
                             (n\
     2             Farm tvpevw      , .
                   Type or tenure (C )
                   Agricultural area utilized
     3             for owner farming (c/oi )
     4             for tenant farming (c /02)
                   Land use ( 3 )
                   Arable Land ( E ) ( figures in ra/a)
                   Cereals for the production of grain ( including seeds ) :
     5             Common wheat and spelt ( E / 01 )
     6             Durum wheat (e/02)
    7             Barley (E/04)
    8              Grain maize ( s/06)
    9              Total cereals including rice (E/0I-E/08 )
  10 ;            Pulses ( including seed and mixtures of cereals and pulses) (E/09 )
  11              Potatoes ( including new potatoes and sets)(E/lO)
  12              Sugar "beet ( excluding seed)(E/ll )
  13              Forage roots and brassicas ( excluding seed)(E/l2 )
  14              Forage crops ( E/l8 )
  15              Fresh vegetables , melons , strawberries
                  - outdoor ( market gardenin,^) ( E/l4b )
  16              Crops .under glass (E/15 , E/17 . H/07 )
  17              Fruit and "berry plantations ( H/Ol )
  18              Vineyards (H/04)
  19              Total area of holding ( E,F,G,H, i)                                1
  20              Woodland (1/02 )
  21              Unutilized agriculture,! area ( I/ Ol )
  22              Other land ( 1/03 )
  23              Agricultural area utilized ( E,F,G,H)
  24              Arable land ( E )
  25              Permanent pasture and meadow including mountain pastures ( G/Ol )
  26              Permanent crops ( H)
( 1 ) The reference numbers are those used in the list of characteristics given
       in Directive n° 75/l08/EEC ? headings without a reference number indicate a
       change in relation to this list of characteristics .
( 2 ) The h&oi-G fi.r^uraa uced in datormisin.?' -bha fans typo , aro thOtnsi -
       rsl-itijig to the crop and livestock hoadinsro 'riven in~tfcio- Annex tew
       Directive n° 75/l08/EEC »             ■                                  « «
                                                                                « \    '
                                                                              /
1028/76 e
 ---pagebreak---    Narober .
                 ' Livestock (K) .              -
        27          Holdings with livestock (K/o I-K/16 )
        28          Bovine animals (K/02-K/08 ) :
        29          Dairy cows (K/07 )
        30          Other cows (K/o8 )
        31          Sheep (K/09 )
        32          Total pigs (K/ll-K/13)
        33          Breeding sows (K/l2 )
        34          Other pigs (K/l3 )
        35          Total poultry. (K/l4-K/l6 )
        36          Broilers ( K / 14 )
        37          Laying hens (x/15 ).                        ,
                    Machinery and equipment (L)^^           Number
                                                            Number bel
                                                                    belonging  Use
                                                            to the holding    tick
                    Tractors ( L/02)
        38          – less than 51 hp
        39          - 51 hp and over
       40           Combine-harvesters (L/04)
       41           Potato-harvesters ( fully mechanized)(L/06 )
       42           Sugar beet-harvesters ( fully mechanized)(L/07 )
       43           Milking machinery ( fixed or movabl9)(L/08 )
       44           Ground area covered "by green^houses in use ( L/10,L/ll )
                    Parm labour foroe ( M; .
                    Holder ( M/Ol )
       45           - âge
       46           - male/female
       47           - full-time / 50 - < 100$/
                    Members of the holder 1 s' family ( M/02.M/03 )
       48           - total                        .                 ■
       49           - maie
        50          - full-timè -, \
       51           - 50 -< 100^ 2
                    Non-family labour regularly employed (M/04)
        52          – total
       53           - maie
       54           – full-time       (2\
       55           - 50 - < 100$ K
       56           Non-family labour not regularly employed ( M/05,M/06 )
                    hours worked ( 3 )               ,   .
    [1 ; Optional for Germany.
    ^ 2i Optional.
    k 3 ) For the Netherlands , Belgium, the United Kingdom, Ireland and Denmark
           yes/no .                     ■    .
1028/76
 ---pagebreak---                                         NOTE
     Proposal for a Council Regulation on the organization of a survey on the
      structure of agricultural holdings for 1977 .
     Financial effect of the proposal on the "budget of the European Communities.
     Expenditure arising out of Article 7 .
     For seven Member states expenditure is related to the additional cost of      •
     analysing the data , which may "be estimated at 20,000 u.a. per Member state .
     One of these Member states has specific data analysis problems in adapting
     its statistics , based on the ownership of the holdings, to the Community
     method of the total area cultivated in the current year* an additional sum of
     10,000 u.a. is earmarked for this purpose , thus making a total of 150,000 u.a
     for these seven Member states .
     One Member state does not have a system of continuous surveys ? the additio­
     nal expenditure must therefore cover the cost of the organization as well as
     of the analysis of the survey.
     This Member state is in a position to make certain savings on the cost of
     the structures survey for 197 5 » because :
     ( i ) the basic analysis file has recently been updated?
     ( ii ) it is not necessary to conduct the survey in all local areas ( only
             regional figures are required)?
     ( iii ) the results of the survey for 1977 can be compared with those of the
             survey for 1975 » a"t "the same time increasing the efficiency of the
             sample ?
     ( iv ) other Community surveys for 1977 can be combined with the structural
             survey for 1977 ? costs can thus be shared ?
     (v)     the scope of the survey for 1977 is narrower, thus affording greater
             possibilities for introducing questions of purely national interest ?
             the national administration should therefore make a contribution to
             the total costs .
    The number of holdings is reduced from 270,000 in 1975          60,000 and the
     all-in rate per holding from 12 u.a. to 10 u.a. Total expenditure will there­
     fore be 10 u.a. x 60,000 = 600,000 u.a.
1028 /76 e
 ---pagebreak---                                  - 2 -
The ninth Member state is currently setting up as an integrated structure
for carrying out regular surveys , partly intended to meet Community re- '
quirements . In view of the possibility of combining this survey with other
Community surveys , such as the cattle survey ( J0% of all holdings have some
cattle ) and in view of the possibility of making oertain savings on the
cost of the survey for 1975 » i"t seems possible to reduce the all-in rate
per holding from 12 u.a. to 6 u.a. . The all-in rate is therefore set at
C u.a. per holding for 25,000 holdings, making a total of 150,000 u.a.
Tctal expenditure for * the nine Member states is therefore 150,000 + 600,000
+ 150,000 « 900,000 u.a .
This erpenditvire will be charged to the appropriations set aside for this
purpose in the budget of the 3iiro?ean Communities for 1976 (Article 264
''Surveys and' studies of a statistical ns-ture").
                                  #    *
 1028 /76 e