Proposal for a Council Decision amending Decision 96/411/EC on improving Community agricultural statistics
COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES Brussels, 01. 10. 1997 COM(97) 482 final 97/ 0245 (CNS) Proposal for a COUNCIL DECISION amending Decision 96/411/EC on improving Community agricultural statistics (presented by the Commission) EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM 1. 2. 3. 4. Introduction Council Decision 96/411/EC on improving Community agricultural statistics^) has provided the Commission's services with a flexible tool which makes it possible to adapt statistical applications to changes in information needs. The Decision has already been implemented and technical action plans adopted for 1996 and 1997. Initial experiences suggest, however, that two amendments could enhance its effectiveness. They relate to: a) the submission deadline for Member State reports (Article 5 of Decision 96/411/EC); the Commission's report to the European Parliament and the Council on progress in implementing the Decision (Article 11). b) Submission deadline for Member State reports Several Member States have indicated that, given the seasonal nature of the phenomena which their statistical activities are designed to measure, the 31 March submission deadline is impracticable. Putting back the deadline to 31 July would enable the results of the activities to be assessed more effectively. Commission report Certain activities performed in accordance with the plans for 1996 and 1997 (e. g. improvement of supply balance sheets, meat production forecasts) will not yield any results before 1999. This precludes any possibility of assessing the implementation of Decision 96/411/EC before 1 November 1997, which in turn makes it impossible for the Commission to submit its report under the conditions set out in Article 11. It is therefore proposed that the deadline for the report be put back by two years. (')OJ L 162 of 1 July 1996, p. 14. J, PROPOSAL FOR A COUNCIL DECISION of amending Decision 96/411/EC on improving Community agricultural statistics THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 43 thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission , Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament (2) , Whereas, Decision 96/411EC of the Council, from 25 July 1996, concerning the improvement of (3) Community agricultural statistics foresees the presentation of reports, on the one hand, by the Member States to the Commission, and, on the other, by the Commission to the European Parliament and to the Council; Whereas, the deadlines set for the transmission of these reports are proving to be too inflexible taking into account the experience gathered; Whereas, it is necessary therefore to delay the dates foreseen and to introduce more flexible deadlines, HAS ADOPTED THIS PRESENT DECISION: Decision 96/411/EC, is amended as follows: Article 1 (i) in Article 5, the date "31 March" is replaced by "31 July", (ii) in Article 11, the year "1997" is replaced by "1999". Article 2 This Decision is addressed to the Member States. Done at Brussels, For the Council The President cn (2) OJNo OJNo OJNoL162of 1. 7. 1996,p. l4 of of 5 ISSN 0254-1475 COM(97) 482 final DOCUMENTS EN 17 03 Catalogue number : CB-CO-97-493-EN-C ISBN 92-78-24864-9 Office for Official Publications of the European Communities L-2985 Luxembourg 4