Milk and milk products: statistical surveys

1995/0234(CNS)
OBJECTIVE: to adopt a new directive on statistical surveys relating to milk and milk products, aimed at easing certain obligations and increasing flexibility, without exceeding the capacities or disregarding the individual circumstances of the different Member States. SUBSTANCE: - the weekly surveys are abolished in return for greater respect of the deadlines for providing information and more reliable monthly and annual statistics; - monthly and annual data from surveys carried out over national borders are broken down by individual Member State; - as regards the scope of the surveys, the definitions of dairy and producer are clarified to correspond more closely to the current policy on milk quotas; - greater flexibility is introduced for the surveys to be carried out on farms since at times there are very many of them; - the data must also cover the protein content of the milk contained in milk products; - at the end of a three-year trial period, a report on the experience acquired will be submitted to the Council and, if the necessary conditions can be seen to have been met, this new statistical area will be included in the national questionnaires; - the gathering of data and organisation of surveys at national level are the responsibility of the Member States; - the Commission compiles, coordinates and harmonises statistics at European level. �