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IPS 208 Johan S. et al.
10% of current total costs (almost € 320 million reported in the last agricultural
census, conducted in 2010). The following had already been taken into
account: external factors (such as the decreasing number of farms in the EU
and the technological and other progress expected), adaptation costs (such as
redesigning data collection systems and improving coherence and
harmonisation), and increased data collection costs (owing to some new
variables and earlier deadlines). The expected sizeable drop in the number of
farms from which data is to be collected (from 12 million in 2010 to 8.4 million
in 2020), owing to the new thresholds and the frame extension, was identified
as the main source of these savings. However, the impact assessment could
not take account of factors such as the smaller number of variable breakdowns
and the effects of greater source agnosticism, beyond general estimates, as
they had not yet been finalised at the time (European Commission 2016). This
means that while the 2020-2026 round of census and sample data collections
can be expected to cost less and impose fewer burdens than the 2010-2016
round, no exact numbers will be available until later on in this decade.

4. Discussion and Conclusion
Organising the collections of data under the IFS regulation is a challenge
for all ESS participants. After the 2020 agricultural census, which – given the
innovations and efforts outlined in this paper – is expected to account for most
adaptation costs, the costs and burden are almost certain to shrink further.
Moreover, the system will probably be able to adapt more easily and thus at
a lower cost to changing and emerging needs.
Agricultural, rural and related policies account for significant expenditure
under the EU budget, coming to around € 60 billion per year, which is about
40% of the total EU budget. They create jobs and promote sustainable growth
in the EU, and their impact on the environment, food security and rural
communities is very considerable. Developing, implementing and monitoring
these policies requires an evidence basis of high-quality, up-to-date official
statistics. The cost of the 2010 agricultural census totalled about € 320 million
across the EU and its member states. Official statistics are thus a comparatively
cheap public service and an investment that generally pays for itself, but high
costs and heavy burdens can nevertheless jeopardise their production and
acceptance at a time of tightening public finances. This paper has presented
the ESS's way of tackling this challenge, which we trust will be instructive.

3 INSPIRE Data Specification on Statistical Units, Directive 2007/2/EC, Annex

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