Agricultural statistics: production potential of plantations of fruit trees (amend. Directive 76/625/ECC)

PURPOSE: to amend directive 76/625/EEC concerning the statistical surveys to be carried out by the Member States in order to determine the production potential of plantations of certain species of fruit trees. CONTENT: the Commission proposes that the provision by Member States of annual data on the clearance and new plantings of fruit trees covered by directive 76/625/EEC (to be obtained from surveys or other sources of information) should become optional. Equally, the Commission proposes that the presentation by the Commission to the Council of annual reports on the data on the clearance and new plantings of fruit trees should also become optional. The Commission gives the following reasons for the proposed amendments to directive 76/625/EEC: - these data are not indispensable for establishing production potential and the medium-term trend in Community production; - the statistical work of the Member States and the Commission in the fruit sector needs to be simplified and made more and more flexible; - reducing the burden of information requested of the Member States enables not only them but also the Commission to make savings. The proposed amendment of the directive therefore has a financial impact on the Community budget in that it enables savings to be made and it has no impact on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).�