PURPOSE: to ensure further financial support for Member States to collect data on the structure of agricultural holdings.

LEGISLATIVE ACT: Regulation (EU) No 378/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EC) No 1166/2008 as regards the financial framework for the period 2014-2018.

CONTENT: the Regulation (EC) No 1166/2008 provides that Member States are to carry out farm structure surveys in 2010, 2013, and 2016. The Regulation laid down the financial envelope for the implementation of the programme of surveys, including for the management, maintenance and development of the database systems used within the Commission to process the data supplied by the Member States, and fixed the amount for the period 2008-2013.

The amendment seeks to ensure funding for the implementation of the farm structure surveys in 2016 by laying down the financial envelope for the period 2014-2018 at EUR 20 650 000 . It also defines the maximum financial contribution from the EU to Croatia for the costs of the survey, namely EUR 500 000.

The Regulation otherwise provides that the Commission must take appropriate measures to guarantee the financial interests of the Union.

ENTRY INTO FORCE: 14/05/2014.

The European Parliament legislative adopted by 641 votes to 20, with 14 abstentions, a legislative resolution on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EC) No 1166/2008 on farm structure surveys and the survey on agricultural production methods, as regards the financial framework for the period 2014-2018.

Parliament adopted its position at first reading following the ordinary legislative procedure. The amendments adopted in plenary are the result of a compromise reached between the European Parliament and the Council.

To recall, the amendment of Regulation (EC) No 1166/2008 aims to ensure further financial support for Member States to collect data on the structure of agricultural holdings, by fixing the financial envelope for the period 2014-2018 for supporting the Farm Structure Survey of 2016.

The financial envelope for the implementation of the farm structure surveys in 2016, including the appropriations necessary for the management, maintenance and development of the database systems used within the Commission to process the data supplied by Member States under this Regulation, shall be EUR 20 650 000 for the period 2014-2018.

For the farm structure survey in 2016, the maximum amount for Croatia shall be EUR 500 000.

The amended text provided that the Commission should take appropriate measures to ensure that the financial interests of the Union are protected.

On the other hand, the provisions relating to comitology were deleted.

The Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development adopted the report by Paolo DE CASTRO (S&D, IT) on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EC) No 1166/2008 on farm structure surveys and the survey on agricultural production methods, as regards the financial framework for the period 2014-2018.

The parliamentary committee recommended that the European Parliament adopts its position at first reading, taking over the Commission proposal.

To recall, the proposal to amend Regulation (EC) No 1166/2008 aims to ensure further financial support for Member States to collect data on the structure of agricultural holdings, by fixing the financial envelope for the period 2014-2018 for supporting the Farm Structure Survey of 2016.

PURPOSE: to ensure further financial support for Member States to collect data on the structure of agricultural holdings.

PROPOSED ACT: Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council.

ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: the European Parliament decides in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure and on an equal footing with the Council.

BACKGROUND: Regulation (EC) No 1166/2008 on farm structure surveys and the survey on agricultural production methods requires Farm Structure Surveys (FSS) to be carried out in the form of an agricultural census in 2010 and as sample surveys in 2013 and 2016.

The Regulation provided the financial envelope for the implementation of the programme of surveys, including management, maintenance and developments of the database systems used within the Commission to process the data supplied by the Member States, and fixed the amount for the period 2008-2013.

The budgetary and legislative authority must fix the amount for the period 2014-2018 on a proposal from the Commission on the basis of the new financial framework for the period commencing in 2014. Furthermore, the accession of Croatia must be taken into account.

IMPACT ASSESSMENT: the proposal was discussed with the Standing Committee for Agricultural Statistics. An ex-ante evaluation of the initiative has been carried out.

LEGAL BASIS: Article 338 (1) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU).

CONTENT: the proposal aims to amend Regulation (EC) No 1166/2008 and ensure further financial support for Member States to collect data on the structure of agricultural holdings, by fixing the financial envelope for the period 2014-2018 for supporting the Farm Structure Survey of 2016.

The proposed programme intends to provide continuation of support for monitoring and implementation of the Common Agricultural Policy (including the new CAP 2020) by enabling the continuation of information collection to measure the structural changes in agriculture over time, which is needed for analysing trends in EU agriculture.

Specifically, the proposal: (i) establishes the financial framework for the period 2014-2018; (ii) sets out the EU’s maximum financial contribution to Croatia’s costs of carrying out the FSS; and (iii) changes the committee that assists the Commission.

BUDGETARY IMPLICATIONS: for the farm structure survey in 2016, the maximum amount for Croatia shall be EUR 500 000.

The Union financial envelope for the implementation of the farm structure surveys in 2016, including the appropriations necessary for the management, maintenance and development of the database systems used within the Commission to process the data supplied by Member States, is set at EUR 20 650 000 for the period 2014-2018.