21.6.93 Official Journal of the Eurdpean Communities No L 149/5 COUNCIL DIRECTIVE 93/24/EEC of 1 June 1993 on the statistical surveys to be carried out on bovine animal production THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,  Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, and in particular Article 43 thereof, - : Having regard to the proposal from the Commission (1), N Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament (2), ‘ ' Whereas Council Directive 73/132/EEC of 15 May 1973 on the statistical surveys to be carried out by the Member States on bovine livestock, on forecasts of the-availability of bovine animals for slaughter and on statistics on slaughtered bovine animals (3) and Council Directive 78/53/EEC of 19 December 1977 laying down additional provisions relating to the statistical surveys to be carried out by the Member States on bovine livestock (4) have been amended several times; whereas, furhter amendments being necessary, the provisions thereof should, for reasons of clarity, be recast; Whereas provision should be made for those Member States whose bovine population makes up only a small percentage of the overall population of the Community to reduce the number of annual surveys where appropriate; Whereas, in order to ensure that the common agricultural policy is properly administered, particularly where the beef and veal market is concerned, the Commission requires regular data on trends in livestock and in beef and veal production; Whereas the collection and processing of the data as well as the organization of the survey at national level should continue to lie within the competence of the statistical services of the Member States, and the Commission should be responsible for the coordination and harmonization of statistical information at European level and arrange f’og the harmonized methodologies necessary to implement Community policies; : (1) O] No C 18, 23. 1. 1993, p. 19. (2) OJ No C 115, 26. 4. 1993. (3) O] No L 153, 9. 6. 1973, p. 25. Directive last amended by Regulation (EEC) No 1057/91 (O] No L 107, 27. 4. 1991, p. 11). ‘ (%) O] No L 16, 20. 1. 1978, p. 20. Directive last amended by Directive 86/80/EEC (O] L 77, 22. 3. 1986, p. 27). Whereas, in order to facilitate implementation of this ‘Directive, close cooperation is necessary between the Member States and the Commission and this should be effected via the Standing Committee on Agricultural Statistics set up by Decision 72/279/EEC (5), HAS ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE: SECTION 1 SURVEYS OF THE POPULATION A. At national level Frequency — Field of survey Article 1 1. The Member States shall carry out statistical surveys of the bovine population on their territory each year with reference to one day in the month of May or June and with reference to one day in the month of December. '  2. The Member States may, at their request, be authorized to carry out the May or June surveys in selected regions, on the understanding that these surveys cover at least 70 % of the bovine population. Those Member States whose bovine population is less than 1,5 million per head may be authorized to dispense altogether with one of the two surveys laid down in paragraph 1 or to carry it out in selected regions only. The Member States may, at their request, be authorized to use administrative sources instead of- statistical surveys under paragraph 1. 3. In considering the requests referred to in paragraph 2, the Commission shall decide in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 17, the obligations arising from Article 6 being taken into account. (5) OJL 179, 7.8.1972,p. 1.