Agricultural statistics: permanent crops

PURPOSE: to update the common framework for the systematic production of permanent crop statistics.

LEGISLATIVE ACT : Regulation (EU) No 1337/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning European statistics on permanent crops and repealing Council Regulation (EEC) No 357/79 and Directive 2001/109/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council.

CONTENT: following an agreement at first reading with the European Parliament, the Council adopted this Regulation concerning European statistics on permanent crops.

The aim of the Regulation is to update and simplify the legal framework for European statistics on permanent crops (vines and fruits). Since Regulation (EEC) 357/79 on vines and Directive 2001/109/EC on fruit trees came into force, both production conditions and the market situation have undergone significant changes.

The new Regulation:

·        simplifies the breakdown of production and regions and takes into account recent changes in the categories of wines ;

·        significantly adapts the permanent crop statistics by cancelling the annual statistics on changes to plantations and the detailed breakdown on wine production ;

·        simplifies the variables and concepts involved;

·        responds to changes in user need e.g for data on olive plantations;

·        updates the transmission deadlines for data.

The main points are as follows:

List of permanent crops: the Regulation establishes a common framework for the systematic production of European statistics on the following permanent crops: (i) dessert apple trees; (ii) apple trees for industrial processing (optional); (iii) dessert pear trees; (iv) pear trees for industrial processing (optional); (v) apricot trees; (vi) dessert peach trees; (vii) peach trees for industrial processing (optional); (viii) orange trees; (ix) small citrus fruit trees (optional); (x) lemon trees; (xi) olive trees; (xii) vines intended for the production of table grapes; (xiii) vines intended for other purposes.

Coverage: statistics to be provided on permanent crops shall be representative of at least 95 % of the total planted area producing entirely or mainly for the market of each permanent crop referred to in each Member State. However, Member States may exclude holdings below a threshold of 0.2 ha of each permanent crop producing entirely or mainly for the market in each Member State. If the area covered by such holdings is less than 5% of the total planted area of the individual crop, Member States may increase that threshold provided that this does not lead to the exclusion of more than an additional 5 % of the total planted area of the individual crop.

Data production: save where the option referred to above has been exercised, only Member States with a minimum planted area of 1000 ha of each individual crop shall produce, during 2012 and every five years thereafter, the data referred to in Annex I.

Member States with a minimum planted area of 500 ha of vines for other purposes shall produce, during 2015 and every five years thereafter, the data referred to in Annex II.

Precision requirements: Member States conducting sample surveys in order to obtain statistics on permanent crops shall take all necessary steps to ensure that the coefficient of variation of the data shall not exceed, at national level, 3 % for the planted area for each crop.

Regional statistics: data with regard to statistics on permanent crops referred to above save vines for other purposes and further specified in Annex I to this Regulation, shall be broken down by NUTS 1 territorial units, save where a less detailed breakdown is specified in the Regulation. Data with regard to vines for other purposes shall be broken down by NUTS 2 territorial units. 

Transmission to the Commission: the data set out in Annexes I and II must be transmitted by 30 September of the year following the reference period.

Derogation: where the application of the Regulation to the national statistical system of a Member State requires major adaptations and is likely to cause significant practical problems with regard to the permanent, the Commission may adopt implementing acts granting a derogation from its application to that Member State until 31 December 2012. Those Member States benefiting from a derogation shall continue to apply Directive 2001/109/EC.

Review: the Commission will review the functioning of the Regulation by 31 December 2018 and every five years thereafter, and shall also assess whether it is necessary to produce all the data referred to in the text. Where the Commission considers that some of those data are no longer required, it shall be empowered to adopt delegated acts that delete certain data from Annexes I and II.

ENTRY INTO FORCE: 31/12/2011.

APPLICATION: 01/01/2012.

DELEGATED ACTS: the power to adopt the delegated acts is conferred on the Commission

for a period of 5 years from 31 December 2011 (tacitly extended for periods of an identical duration, unless the European Parliament or the Council opposes such extension not later than 3 months before the end of each period.) The delegation of power may be revoked at any time by the European Parliament or by the Council. A delegated act shall enter into force only if no objection has been expressed either by the European Parliament or the Council within a period of 2 months of notification of that act (extended by 2 months at the initiative of the European Parliament or of the Council.)