Activities of Benoît BITEAU related to 2021/0020(COD)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on statistics on agricultural input and output and repealing Regulations (EC) No 1165/2008, (EC) No 543/2009, (EC) No 1185/2009 and Council Directive 96/16/EC
Amendments (35)
Amendment 53 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 1
Recital 1
(1) A transparent and reliable statistical knowledge base is necessary to design, implement, monitor, evaluate and review policies related to agriculture in the Union, in particular the sustainable use of pesticides policy (‘SUD’)1a, the common agricultural policy (‘CAP’), including rural development measures, as well as Union policies relating to, among other things, the environment, climate change, land use, regions, public health and the sustainable development goals of the United Nations. _________________ 1aDirective 2009/128/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 October 2009 establishing a framework for Community action to achieve the sustainable use of pesticides (OJ L 309, 24.11.2009, p.71)
Amendment 58 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 2
Recital 2
(2) The collection of statistical data, in particular on agricultural input and output, should aim, among other things, to inform the decision-making process with updated data to support the European Green Deal with the related ‘farm to fork’ and ‘biodiversity’ strategies and future CAP reforms. In particular, the present regulation aims at establishing a fully operational and transparent system for the regular collection of statistical data on pesticide use and other chemicals inputs relied on in agriculture. The goal is to ensure that the data needed to establish the impacts of occupational and non- occupational exposure to pesticides on human and animal health, and presence of pesticide residues in the environment, especially in soil and water is finally available.
Amendment 65 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 2 a (new)
Recital 2 a (new)
(2a) Agriculture can have a major positive or negative impact on natural ressources, biodiversity and climate. A key element for the achievement of the Green Deal objective is the transition toward a multifunctional agriculture capable of producing safe and sufficient food while providing positive environmental outputs. This Regulation can make crucial step toward this objective by monitoring these benefits as agricultural outputs.
Amendment 66 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 3
Recital 3
(3) High quality harmonised statistical data are important to assess the state and trends of agricultural input and output in the Union, in order to provide meaningful and precise data on the pressures from agriculture on the environment and human health and the pace of the transition to sustainable agricultural practices. The data collected also should inform on the functioning of markets, and food security and to assess the sustainability as well as the environmental, economic and social impacts of Union and national policies. Those data include, but are not limited to, livestock and meat statistics, the production and use of eggs, and the production and use of milk and milk products. Statistics on the area, yield and production of arable crops, vegetables, various permanent crops and grasslands and commodity balances are also important. Increasingly, sStatistics on the sales and use of plant protection products and fertilisers are neededsynthetic inputs, including plant protection products, biocidal products, veterinary medicinal products and fertilisers are fundamental considering these inputs constitute key pressures on the environment and public health. Statistics on agricultural practices using minimal chemical inputs are the pre-condition to a basic understanding of the pace of the transition to sustainable practices and the need for further actions to accelerate this transition.
Amendment 88 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 16 a (new)
Recital 16 a (new)
(16a) Statistics on the placing on the market and use of synthetic inputs must be detailed up to the level of the active substances and product for the data to allow a meaningful assessment of trends of the reliance on chemicals inputs in agriculture. It is indeed considered a priority to remove restrictive aggregation requirements for synthetic inputs to ensure publication of more useful statistics and the development of more meaningful harmonised risk indicators under Directive 2009/128/EC to assess the progress made towards the policy objectives.
Amendment 100 #
(22) Where EU law requires professionals to keep records of inputs and outputs, these records shall be used for collection of data under this regulation. Mandatory data collection is recommended as the best option because it allows the development of accurate and reliable data on the placing on the market and use of inputs quickly and cost- efficiently. In order to ensure flexibility and to reduce the administrative burden on respondents, NSIs and other national authorities, Member States should be allowed to usesupplement this mandatory data through the use of statistical surveys, administrative records and any other sources, methods or innovative approaches, including scientifically based and well documented methods such as imputation, estimation, citizen science and modelling. The quality, and in particular the accuracy, timeliness and comparability of statistics based on these sources, should always be ensured.
Amendment 104 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 23 a (new)
Recital 23 a (new)
(23a) On 25 June 1998 the Community signed the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters (hereinafter the Aarhus Convention). The EU approved the Aarhus Convention on 17 February 2005. Provisions of EU law shall be consistent with that Convention. The Aarhus Convention calls for public access to environmental information either following a request or by active dissemination by the authorities covered by the Convention.
Amendment 106 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 23 b (new)
Recital 23 b (new)
(23b) Regulation (EC) No 1367/2006 and Directive 2003/4/EC on the application of the provisions of the Aarhus Convention, include provisions on the collection, public access and dissemination of environmental information. In particular, this Regulation and Directive provide that an overriding public interest in disclosure shall be deemed to exist where the information requested relates to emissions into the environment, even if disclosure would undermine the protection of commercial interests, including the public interest in maintaining statistical confidentiality.
Amendment 107 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 23 c (new)
Recital 23 c (new)
(23c) To ensure consistency with the Aarhus Convention, the present regulation specifies, regarding the data collected on chemicals input (fertilisers, plant protection products, biocidal products and veterinary medicinal products), the level of details to which the data collected must be published proactively by Eurostat. Such proactive dissemination will also prevent the administrative burden for Eurostat and national authorities of handling multiple access to document requests.
Amendment 113 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 31
Recital 31
(31) This Regulation should apply without prejudice to bothRegulation (EC) 1049/2001, Directive 2003/4/EC (27 ) and Regulation (EC) No 1367/2006 (28 ). This means in particular that the public shall be granted access upon request, in accordance with Regulation (EC) 1049/2001, Regulation (EC) No 1367/2006 and Directive 2003/4/EC, to data collected under this regulation that have not been proactively published. _________________ 27Directive 2003/4/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 January 2003 on public access to environmental information and repealing Council Directive 90/313/EEC (OJ L 41, 14.2.2003, p. 26). 28 Regulation (EC) No 1367/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 6 September 2006 on the application of the provisions of the Aarhus Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters to Community institutions and bodies (OJ L 264, 25.9.2006, p. 13).
Amendment 121 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 3 a (new)
Article 4 – paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. For the domain of environmental outputs of agriculture as referred to in Article 5(1), point (ca) the data shall cover 95% of the total utilised agricultural area (excluding kitchen gardens) of each Member State and the related environmental externalities.
Amendment 122 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 4
Article 4 – paragraph 4
4. For the topic of plant protection producsynthetic inputs as referred to in Article 5(1), point (d) (iii), the data shall cover (a) 100% of the plant protection products placed on the market as defined in Article 3, point 9 of Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009 . and the records of all professional users in accordance with Article 67 of Regulation 1107/2009; (b) 100% of the biocidal products placed on the market as defined in Article 3, point 1 of Regulation (EU) No 528/2012 for use on or in the vicinity of premises containing food-producing animals; (c) 100% of the veterinary medicinal products placed on the market as defined in Article 4 of Regulation (EU) 2019/6 for use in food-producing animals and the records in accordance with Article 57 of Regulation 2019/6;
Amendment 130 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point c a (new)
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point c a (new)
(ca) environmental outputs of agriculture (i) biodiversity related outputs (ii) soil related outputs (iii) water related outputs (iii) climate related outputs
Amendment 134 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point d – introductory part
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point d – introductory part
(d) statistics on nutrients and plant protection productsynthetic inputs and nutrient balances
Amendment 136 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point d – point iii a (new)
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point d – point iii a (new)
(iiia) biocidal products
Amendment 140 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point d – point iii b (new)
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point d – point iii b (new)
(iiib) veterinary medicinal products
Amendment 142 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point d a (new)
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point d a (new)
(da) statistics on the transition towards minimal use of chemical inputs including integrated pest management practices within the meaning of Directive 2009/128EC
Amendment 145 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 5
Article 5 – paragraph 5
5. Regional data shall be provided at NUTS2 level as defined in Regulation (EC) No 1059/2003 except if a more precise level (such as NUTS3) is specified in the Annexes.
Amendment 147 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 6
Article 5 – paragraph 6
6. Where a variable has low or zero prevalence in a Member States, the values of that variable may be excluded from the transmitted data sets, if the Member State concerned has duly justified its exclusion to the Commission (Eurostat). Such exclusion cannot apply to the data collected on synthetic inputs and nutrient balance as defined at Article 5(1)(d).
Amendment 152 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 8
Article 5 – paragraph 8
8. The Commission is empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 14 amendding the detailed topics set out in theto Annex I.
Amendment 153 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 9 – introductory part
Article 5 – paragraph 9 – introductory part
9. The Commission may adopt implementing acts to define the data sets to be transmitted to the Commission (Eurostat). TUnless already specified in Annex Ia, those implementing acts shall specify the following technical elements of the data to be provided, where appropriate:
Amendment 177 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 2
Article 7 – paragraph 2
2. A Member State may be exempted from certain regular transmissions of the data where the impact of the Member State on the EU total of a variable is limited. Such exemption cannot apply to the data collected on synthetic inputs and nutrient balance as defined at Article5(1)(d). The Commission may adopt implementing acts defining thresholds for variables according to specific methodology in such a way that the application of those thresholds does not reduce the information on the expected EU total of the variable in the reference year by more than 5%. The thresholds shall be revised so that they correspond to the trends of EU totals, initiated by the Commission (Eurostat).
Amendment 179 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 8 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
Article 8 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
1. For the purpose of obtaining statistics related to the inputs and outputs of agricultural activities, except if specified otherwise in paragraphs 3 to 6, Member States shall use one or more of the following sources or methods, provided that the information allows for the production of statistics that meet the quality requirements laid down in Article 10:
Amendment 181 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 8 – paragraph 3
Article 8 – paragraph 3
3. The statistics on the use of plant protection products as referred to in Article 5(1), point (d)(iii) shall be provided primarily using the records kept and made available in accordance with Article 67 of Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009 and Article 5 of Regulation No 183/2005 (in particular Annex I part A, point II 2 (a)), complemented by any further sources and methods according to paragraph 1.
Amendment 185 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 8 – paragraph 4
Article 8 – paragraph 4
4. For that purpose, the Member States shall request from professional users of plant protection products, in electronic format, records covering at least the name of the plant protection product, the dose of application, the maintime of application, the area and the crop where the plant protection product was used in accordance with this Regulation.
Amendment 188 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 8 – paragraph 4 a (new)
Article 8 – paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. The statistics on biocidal products as referred to in Article 5(1), point (d)(iiia), shall be provided using, as the minimum, the records kept in accordance with Article 68 of Regulation (EU) 528/2012 and Article 5 of Regulation No 183/2005 (in particular Annex I part A, point II 2 (a)). By 2023 the Commission shall present a legislative proposal to create new record keeping obligations to cover all professional users of biocidal products in agriculture.
Amendment 191 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 8 – paragraph 4 b (new)
Article 8 – paragraph 4 b (new)
4b. The statistics on veterinary medicinal products as referred to in Article 5(1), point (d)(iiib) shall be provided using, as the minimum the records kept in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2019/6, including its Article 57 and 108.
Amendment 196 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 8 – paragraph 6
Article 8 – paragraph 6
6. National authorities responsible for complying with the requirements of this Regulation, as well as other national authorities that require this data to perform their public mission relating to environmental and public health monitoring and protection from hazardous chemicals, including the European Environment Agency, shall have the right to access and use, promptly and free of charge, data, including individual data on enterprises and agricultural holdings in administrative files compiled on their national territory pursuant to Article 17a of Regulation (EC) No 223/2009.. The national authorities and the owners of the administrative records shall establish the necessary cooperation mechanisms for such access. That access shall also be granted in cases where the competent authority has delegated tasks to be carried out on its behalf to private or semi-public bodies.
Amendment 202 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 10 – paragraph 9 a (new)
Article 10 – paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. The Commission (Eurostat) shall publish online, free of charge, the quality report provided by Member States, other reports or information provided by Member States in application of this article, as well as any request of the Commission (Eurostat) for clarification.
Amendment 205 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 10 a (new)
Article 10 a (new)
Article 10a Dissemination of statistics 1. The data collected on external inputs as defined in Article 5(1)(d), including all the variables described in Annex II, shall be actively disseminated by the Commission (Eurostat) online, free of charge, at the following level of aggregation: (a) Per active substance (b) Per plant protection, biocidal, veterinary medicinal and fertiliser product (c) Per crop and animal specie Data shall be aggregated at regional level NUTS3 and on a per year basis. 2. The data collected on topics other than synthetic inputs under this regulation shall be actively disseminated by the Commission (Eurostat) excluding confidential data in accordance with Regulation (EC) 223/2009 read in conjunction with Regulation(EC) No 1367/2006. 3. The public shall be granted access to the data collected under this regulation that have not been proactively published in application of paragraphs 1 and 2, in accordance with Regulation (EC) 1049/2001, Regulation (EC) No 1367/2006 and Directive 2003/4.
Amendment 213 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 13 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
Article 13 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
1. Where the application of this Regulation or of the implementing measures and delegated acts adopted pursuant to them necessitates major technical adaptations in a national statistical system of a Member State, the Commission may adopt implementing acts granting derogations to Member States for a maximum duration of two years, non- renewable. The notion of necessary major technical adaptations in a national statistical system of a Member State must be interpreted strictly. Such derogation cannot apply to the data collected on synthetic inputs and nutrient balance as defined at Article 5(1)(d).
Amendment 233 #
Proposal for a regulation
Annex – point c a (new)
Annex – point c a (new)
(ca) Environmental outputs of agriculture Topic Detailed topics Transmission Reference periods frequencies Biodiversity Agricultural diversity Annually Calendar year related outputs1a Natural vegetation, trees Annually Calendar year and pollinators presence Farmland birds presence Annually Calendar year Soil related Soil structure Calendar year outputs1b Degree of compaction Annually Calendar year Status of residues Annually Calendar year Soil Organic Carbon Annually Calendar year Content Water retention Annually Calendar year Soil cover Annually Calendar year Soil erosion Annually Calendar year Presence of invertebrates Calendar year Microbiological activity Annually Calendar year Water related Volume of water abstracted Annually Calendar year outputs for use in agriculture Water agricultural pollution Annually Calendar year Climate related Gross greenhouse gas Annually Calendar year outputs emissions Net greenhouse gas Annually Calendar year emissions ––––––––––––––––––––––– 1a Based on TAPE (FAO, 2019). 1bBased on the SOCLA methodology described in Nicholls et al (2004) taken up by TAPE (FAO, 2019).
Amendment 236 #
Proposal for a regulation
Annex – point d
Annex – point d
Amendment 241 #
Proposal for a regulation
Annex – point d a (new)
Annex – point d a (new)
(da) Statistics on the transition uptake of practices allowing a minimal use of synthetic chemical inputs Topic Detailed topics Transmission Reference periods frequencies Integrated pest Crop rotation Annually Calendar years management Use of adequate Annually Calendar years practices and other cultivation techniques practices Use of Annually Calendar years resistant/tolerant cultivars and standard/certified seed and planting material Use of balanced Annually Calendar years fertilisation, liming and irrigation/drainage practices Preventing the Annually Calendar years spreading of harmful organisms by hygiene measures Protection and Annually Calendar years enhancement of important beneficial organisms Pest monitoring Annually Calendar years results, methods and decision criteria for establishing treatment need
Amendment 244 #
Proposal for a regulation
Annex 1 a (new)
Annex 1 a (new)