“DIRECT AND INDIRECT DATA NEEDS LINKED TO THE FARMS FOR AGRI-ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS

This tender is submitted in response to the invitation by the European Commission, Directorate-General Eurostat to tender for the supply of statistical services concerning “Direct and indirect data needs linked to the farms for agri-environmental indicators”. The general objective of this tender is “to create a framework for setting up a sustainable system for collecting a set of data from farmers and other sources that will serve primarily European and national statisticians for creating the agreed 28 agrienvironmental indicators and thus serve Policy makers, but as well agricultural and environmental researchers, observers of climate change and other environmental issues linked to agriculture”. The invitation to tender describes nine tasks as follows: Task 1: Analyse the AEI for data requirements, availability and gaps, as well as additional information requirements (such as coefficients used). For the indicators not yet fully developed, estimated data requirements will be sufficient; Task 2: Analyse other reporting needs related to the AEI that require collection of similar data, both by examining legislation, instructions etc., and by contacting working groups, task forces, and similar structures established to support these reporting activities Task 3: Analyse the methodologies for calculating greenhouse gas and ammonia emission and nutrient balances (nitrogen and phosphorus), with particular emphasis on the coefficients used in the calculations and the underlying data needs. Identify best practices for these coefficient calculations, based on available scientific research; Task 4: Summarise the data needs identified in tasks 1-3, determine the simplest common data collection approaches which can be applied across multiple AEI requirements, identify potential harmonisation synergies and give recommendations for priority data collection; Task 5: Analyse needs for and feasibility of data complementarity and combination for the calculation of the indicators: at parcel, farm, regional or national level and the subsequent demands on the collection and data processing systems; Task 6: Characterise Member State data collection and reporting systems, involving also non-governmental actors like advisory services, research communities, and farmers' associations, and give best practise recommendations for a common data collection procedure?; Task 7: Organise up to 5 task force/ expert meetings, with an approximate number of 6 participants each, covering specific issues, to be defined on the basis of the previous tasks. Task 8: Submit a technical document summarising the results of tasks 1 to 7, intended for the workshop in task 9. Task 9: The results of the tasks 1 to 8 will be presented and discussed at a workshop with the Member States and other potential stakeholders (DG EUROSTAT, DG AGRI, DG ENV, EEA, etc).