L 230/28 Official Journal of the European Communities 18.8.98 COMMISSION DECISION of 29 July 1998 amending Council Decision 96/411/EC on improving Community agricultural statistics (notified under document number C(1998) 2135) (Text with EEA relevance) (98/514/EC) THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, Having regard to Council Decision 96/411/EC of 25 June 1996 on improving Community agricultural statistics (*), as amended by Decision 98/3/EC (%), and in particular Article 8 thereof, Whereas preserving the quality of the rural environment is one of the objectives of rural development policy; Whereas adequate instruments should be made available in order to provide reliable statistical information in this field; Whereas to that end Decision 96/411/EC should be amended by the replacement of Annex II thereto; Whereas the measures set out in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion delivered by the Standing Committee on Agricultural Statistics, () OJ L 162, 1. 7. 1996, p. 14. () OJ L 1, 3. 1. 1998, p. 9. HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: Article 1 Annex II of Decision 96/411/EC is replaced by the Annex to this Decision. Article 2 This Decision is addressed to the Member States. Done at Brussels, 29 July 1998. For the Commission Yves-Thibault DE SILGUY Member of the Commission