18.10.2000 Official Journal of the European Communities L 263/1 (Acts whose publication is obligatory) DECISION No 2298/2000/EC OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 28 September 2000 amending Council Decision 96/411/EC on improving Community agricultural statistics (Text with EEA relevance) THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 285 thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission ('), Acting in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 251 of the Treaty (%), Whereas: (1)  Council Decision 96/411/EC of 25 June 1996 on improving Community agricultural —statistics (), is designed to allow such statistics to respond more satis- factorily to the information needs arising from the reform of the common agricultural policy. (2)  The report by the Commission to the European Parlia- ment and the Council on progress in implementing Decision 96/411/EC makes a positive assessment of the application of that Decision. (3)  The process of adapting national statistical systems to the needs arising from the reform of the common agri- cultural policy has not yet been completed. (4)  Both the internal development of the common agricul- tural policy and the external context of enlargement to the East, and the opening of the new round of multilat- eral trade negotiations, call for improved identification of statistical needs and, where appropriate, for measures to complete the current regulatory framework laying down the scope of the statistical information on the common agricultural policy which Member States are obliged to make available to the Commission. (5)  Council Decision 1999/126/EC of 22 December 1998 on the Community statistical programme 1998 to 2002 () recommends continuation of the actions to () O] C 307 E, 26.10.1999, p. 29. (¥ Opinion of the European Parliament of 17 December 1999 (not yet published in the Official Journal), Council Common Position of 29 May 2000 (O] C 240, 23.8.2000, p. 1) and Decision of the Euro- pean Parliament of 5 September 2000. () OJ L 162, 1.7.1996, p. 14. Decision as last amended by Commis- sion Decision 98/514/EC (O] L 230, 18.8.1998, p. 28). () O] L 42, 16.2.1999, p. 1. improve existing agricultural statistics and to plan future developments with a view to responding more satisfac- torily to the needs of the common agricultural policy. (6)  The validity of Decision 96/411/EC needs to be extended. (7)  Certain provisions of Decision 96/411/EC need to be amended in the light of experience, so as, inter alia, to simplify their implementation. (8)  This Decision lays down, for the entire duration of the programme, a financial framework constituting the primary reference, within the meaning of point 33 of the Interinstitutional Agreement of 6 May 1999 between the European Parliament, the Council and Commis- sion (°), for the budgetary authority during the annual budgetary procedure. (99  The measures necessary for the implementation of Decision 96/411/EC should be adopted in accordance with Council Decision 1999/468/EC of 28 June 1999 laying down the procedures for the exercise of imple- menting powers conferred on the Commission (9). (10)  Current feasibility studies should be continued to deter- mine whether it is technically possible to establish a database on aid paid by the EAGGF (Guarantee Section) and what resources would be required to do so, HAVE ADOPTED THIS DECISION: Article 1 Decision 96/411/EC is hereby amended as follows: 1. Article 2(a) shall be replaced by the following: ‘() 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; () O] C 172, 18.6.1999, p. 1. () O] L 184, 17.7.1999, p. 23.