Decision 96/411/EC is hereby amended as follows:
1. Article 2(a) shall be replaced by the following:
"(a) define the priority statistical fields, amongst those set out in Annex II, which may be the subject of actions at Member State level for the following year;"
2. Article 3 shall be replaced by the following:
"Article 3
Application time-frame and procedure
The process of adapting Community agricultural statistics provided for in Article 1 shall be continued during the period 2000 to 2002. It shall be coordinated by the Commission through technical action plans as provided for in Article 4. After this period, the European Parliament and the Council may decide to extend the process in accordance with the Commission proposals provided for in Article 11."
3. Article 4(2) shall be deleted.
4. Article 5 shall be replaced by the following:
"Article 5
Member State reports
The Member States shall submit to the Commission:
(a) by 31 May at the latest of each year, a communication setting out their intention, if any, to participate in priority actions for the following year, accompanied by a summary of the plans for implementation and an estimate of costs;
(b) following adoption by the Commission of the technical action plan, a working plan for each action which concerns them;
(c) after completion of each action, a brief report on implementation of the action in which they have participated.
The documents to be submitted pursuant to points (a), (b) and (c) should cover the planned amendments to the methodology of implementation, work to be carried out, difficulties identified and proposals for overcoming them, the national and Community resources to be mobilised and proposals for improvements at Community level. Actions for which Community financial support is required shall be identified as such.
Following the procedure laid down in Article 10, the Commission shall draw up simplified standard forms to facilitate the presentation of the above information."
5. Article 6 is hereby amended as follows:
(a) paragraph 3 shall be replaced by the following:
"3. The contribution shall be paid to the Member States in two instalments, the first of which, equivalent to 30 % of the Community share of the cost of the action, shall be paid as an advance, after notification to and acceptance by the Commission of the working plan for the action in question. The balance shall be paid once the report on implementation of the action by the Member States has been submitted to and approved by the Commission. The Commission shall carry out any on-the-spot checks it deems necessary in cooperation with the competent authorities of the Member States."
(b) The following paragraph shall be added:
"4. The financial framework for the implementation of this programme for the period 2000 to 2002 is hereby set at EUR 3 million.
The annual appropriations shall be authorised by the budgetary authority within the limits of the financial perspective."
6. Article 10 shall be replaced by the following:
"Article 10
1. The Commission shall be assisted by the Standing Committee on Agricultural Statistics, hereinafter referred to as 'the Committee'.
2. Where reference is made to this Article, Articles 4 and 7 of Decision 1999/468/EC shall apply, having regard to the provisions of Article 8 thereof.
The period laid down in Article 4(3) of Decision 1999/468/EC shall be set at three months.
3. The Committee shall adopt its rules of procedure."
7. In Article 11, "1999" shall be replaced by "2002".
8. The following Article shall be inserted in the Decision:
"Article 11a
Database of payments by the EAGGF (Guarantee Section)
The Commission shall continue current feasibility studies to determine the technical possibility of setting up a database relating to the payments made by the EAGGF (Guarantee Section) to include in particular, at the level of each beneficiary, data on the level of aid received, the areas and the number of animals concerned, and the most appropriate computer system for processing such data.
At the latest on 31 December 2001, the Commission shall submit a report to the European Parliament and to the Council on the results of these feasibility studies, and on the resources (technical, financial and human) which would be required to implement the database and to process the data statistically."