Areas under vines: statistical surveys (amend. regul. 357/79/EEC)

OBJECTIVE: to revise the system laid down by Regulation (EEC) 357/79 to make it more flexible from a technical point of view and in view of the need to lighten the burden of statistical operations required of the Member States. SUBSTANCE: the proposal is in response to the Commission's wish not only to facilitate the Member States' task of collecting statistics, but also to make savings. In particular, it provides for the vineyard register to be used as part of the basic survey, and to allow Member States to carry out the vineyard survey and the survey on the structure of agricultural holdings at the same time, even if the survey year is not the same, and to grant an exemption to Portugal alone for the 1999 survey. �