Common agricultural policy CAP: measures to be undertaken making use of the remote-sensing applications, 2008-2013

PURPOSE: to proceed with the application of operational measures for monitoring agricultural markets.

LEGISLATIVE ACT: Council Regulation (EC) No 78/2008 on the measures to be undertaken by the Commission in 2008-2013 making use of the remote sensing applications developed within the framework of the common agricultural policy.

CONTENT: Remote sensing has thus demonstrated that it provides a response tailored to the management needs of the CAP, and that the needs identified cannot be met by the traditional agricultural statistics and forecasting systems. It has also enhanced the accuracy, objectivity, speed and frequency with which observations are made, and has helped perfect agricultural forecasting models, in particular by establishing regionally based models. Finally, remote sensing has facilitated the development of specific and ancillary applications for the establishment and collection of agricultural statistics, and has enabled savings to be made in the costs of monitoring and control of agricultural expenditure.

This Regulation therefore provides for the continuation of these remote sensing applications, using financing from the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund (EAGF) in the period 2008-2013.

The measures undertaken by the Commission making use of remote-sensing applications within the framework of the common agricultural policy (CAP) may be financed by the EAGF, where their aim is to give the Commission the means to:

• manage agricultural markets;
• ensure agro-economic monitoring of agricultural land and of the condition of crops, to enable estimates to be made, in particular as regards yields and agricultural production;
• promote access to the estimates referred to in the previous point;
• ensure technological follow-up of the agro-meteorological system.

The measures referred to shall be in particular:

·        collection or purchase of data needed to implement and monitor the CAP, in particular satellite data and meteorological data;

·        creation of a spatial data infrastructure and a website;

·        carrying out specific studies on climatic conditions;

·        updating agro-meteorological and econometric models.

Not later than 31 July 2010 and 31 July 2013 respectively, the Commission shall submit an interim and a final report to the European Parliament and to the Council on the implementation of the remote-sensing measures and on the use of the financial resources made available to it under this Regulation. Where appropriate, the final report shall be accompanied by a proposal to continue these measures within the framework of the CAP.

ENTRY INTO FORCE: 30/01/2008

APPLICATION: from 01/01/2008 to 31/12/2013