Agricultural holdings: network for the collection of accountancy data on the incomes and business operation; Commission delegated and implementing powers

PURPOSE: to align Council Regulation (EC) No 1217/2009 setting up a network for the collection of accountancy data on the incomes and business operation of agricultural holdings in the European Community with the new rules of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) (Commission delegated and implementing powers).

LEGISLATIVE ACT: Regulation (EU) No 1318/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Council Regulation (EC) No 1217/2009 setting up a network for the collection of accountancy data on the incomes and business operation of agricultural holdings in the European Community.

CONTENT: the amended Regulation has the key object to apply the implementing powers currently provided to the Commission by Regulation (EC) No 1217/2009 on the Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN) the distinction introduced by Articles 290 and 291 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) between the delegated powers and implementing powers of the Commission.

Delegated powers: the Commission has the power to adopt delegated acts concerning: i) the amendment of Annex I with respect to Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN) divisions per Member State; ii) laying down the rules for fixing the threshold for the economic size of returning holdings and the rules for establishing the plan for the selection of returning holdings; iii) fixing the reference period for the standard output; iv) defining the general and principal types of farming; v) specifying the main groups of accountancy data to be collected; and vi) adopting general rules on the accountancy data to be included in the farm return.

The power to adopt delegated acts is conferred on the Commission for a period of five years (renewable) from 20 December 2013. The European Parliament or the Council may raise objections in regard to a delegated act within two months of notification of that act (this period may be extended by two months).

Implementing powers: in order to ensure uniform conditions for the implementation of Regulation (EC) No 1217/2009 and to avoid discrimination between farmers, implementing powers should also be conferred on the Commission. In this context, the Commission shall be assisted by a Committee called “Committee for the Farm Accountancy Data Network”.

Simplification: in the light of the experience gained through the application of Regulation (EC) No 1217/2009, some of the provisions of that Regulation should be adapted or deleted. In particular, the reports based on FADN data are no longer submitted to the European Parliament and Council for the purpose of fixing prices of agricultural produce. The current provision whereby the reports shall be annually submitted to the European Parliament and Council is therefore obsolete.

However, in order to ensure simple and convenient access for other institutions and the public to the annual analytical reports based on FADN, provision should be made for reports covering selected sectors to be published on a dedicated website.

ENTRY INTO FORCE: 20/12/2013. The Regulation shall apply from 01/01/2014.