Agricultural census - FSS 2016- Legal background

Legal background

Act XLVI of 1993 on Statistics provides the general regulatory framework of surveys implemented in Hungary. All statistical surveys are included in the National Programme on the Statistical Data Collections (NPSDC) approved annually by a Government Decree.

The Farm Structure Survey 2016 (FSS 2016) was implemented in line with the Regulation 1166/2008/EC, 1165/2008/EC, 138/2004/EC and 543/2009/EC.

The survey was covering all units involved in agricultural production over a certain threshold.

The Hungarian Central Statistical Office (HCSO) was responsible for the implementation. In order to increase coverage HCSO is authorized for using administrative data sources listed in the act and has legal possibility to access them.

In 2016, regarding agricultural enterprises and private holdings the annual surveys of land use and sown area and livestock (NPSDC 1082, 1087, 2218, 2375) were corporated into FSS 2016, consequently they were not part of NPSDC.

The respondents are liable to provide adequate data; in case of refusal legal action are to be entailed. Under the Criminal Law enumerators are considered and are entitled to be protected as official person. The HCSO had issued registered identification badges valid only for the duration of the FSS together with the ID card. This identification tool was provided to each person involved in the implementation of FSS 2016.

Survey data were validated and checked exclusively by the staff of HCSO and each enumerator was responsible for preventing unauthorized access to the questionnaires filled-in.