Hellenic Statistical Authority – EL.STAT.

Agriculture, Livestock, Fishery and Environment Statistics Division / Farm Structure Statistics Section

46, Pireos & Eponiton Str, GR-18510, Piraeus, Greece

See sub-categories below

According to Regulation 1185/2009 “Concerning statistics on pesticides” (http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2009:324:0001:0022:EN:PDF), as it is amended by Commission Regulation (EU) 2017/269 (http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32017R0269&from=EN) as regards the list of active substances, and Directive 2009/128 “Establishing a framework for Community action to achieve the sustainable use of pesticides” (http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32009L0128&from=EN) Greece compiled the data on pesticides sales for 2019, using administrative sources.

Law 4036/2012 on the placing of pesticides on the market, their rational use and related issues

http://www.minagric.gr/images/stories/docs/interesting/nomos4036_georgika_farmaka.pdf

Ministry of Rural Development and Food

2012

The "area treated" variable, required under the EU regulation, is not covered by national legislation

National definitions do not diverge from those of the EU regulation

The data are expressed in kilograms of active substances.

Pesticides are classified according to the Table of substances (Annex III, Commission Regulation (EU) 2017/269 of 16 February 2017 amending Regulation (EC) No 1185/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning statistics on pesticides, as regards the list of active substances, (http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32017R0269&from=EN).

Country geographical classification according to ISO 3166 is also applied.

The data refer to sales of pesticides within the Greek territory.

Regulation (EC) No 1185/2009, concerning statistics on pesticides, establishes a common framework for the systematic production of Community statistics on the placing on the market and use of those pesticides which are plant protection products as defined in Article 2 (a)(i).

The statistics apply to the annual amounts of pesticides placed on the market in accordance with Annex I and the quantity of each active substance contained in the pesticides according to the list in Annex III of Commission Regulation (EU) 2017/269.

Each individual pesticide sale within the Greek territory.

Sales of plant protection products on the Greek market.

See sub-categories below

The entire territory of the country.

Mount Athos.

Included even though not explicitly. Commercial activities in that region are very limited and the majority, if not all, of the pesticides used in that region are purchased from stores located in the nearby Greek regions.

2011 onwards

Not applicable.

See sub-categories below

Not applicable

Pesticides sales within the Greek territory for 2019 were obtained from the Directorate of Plant Produce Protection of the Ministry of Rural Development and Food, according to Law 4036/2012. The data are collected by an online sales recording system that records every individual pesticide sale into a central database held at the Ministry of Rural Development and Food.

The data for pesticide sales are collected continuously and processed on an annual basis.

From 2014 onwards, according to National Law 4036/2012, each pesticide purchase by a farmer is recorded in the database of the Ministry of Rural Development and Food. The data is recorded at the same time when the pesticide is sold; either directly through the seller’s automated accounting system, or by the seller through an online application connected to the Ministry of Rural Development and Food database. The records of the above-mentioned database were used to compile the dataset on pesticide sales for 2019.

Apart from the, normally expected, typing errors there was misreporting of the measuring units and the packaging sold, as well as inconsistencies between the number of packages, the packaging and the total quantity sold. Apparently this is due to the lack of restrictions (form completion rules), embedded in the online sales recording system, regarding the packaging selection options (allowable combinations of quantity and measurement unit) for each pesticide, as well as the lack of on-the-fly consistency checks for the number of packages, the packaging and the total quantity sold. To improve the quality of the collected data, the Ministry of Rural Development and Food performed routine checks on the data and added in the DataBase a field indicating the origin of the data, i.e. manual entry or entry from an automated accounting system, however  there was still significant misreporting even among the automated entries.

The records of the pesticide sales database, for 2019, were scrutinized and corrected based on common sense and the marketing characteristics of the pesticides, relevant to the Greek market. Sales from 2019 have been compared and found to be consistent with the respective sales from 2018 and 2017, at the six (6) major pesticides group level. Both primary and secondary data confidentiality was assessed according to the Guidelines (see Section 11.2).

Data expressed in measurement units other than kilograms were converted to kilograms. When volume measurement units ( e.g. litres) were reported, a conversion factor of 1 kilogram per litre was assumed. Entries reporting "pieces" as measurement unit (about 0.6%) were ignored as non-convertable.

Data from individual sales were summed up by product, at the country level, and then transformed into active substances, as listed on Annex III of Commission Regulation (EU) 2017/269, using the composition factors provided in the online database of the Greek Ministry of Rural Development and Food (http://wwww.minagric.gr/greek/data/dbSYSPEST.zip)

Not applicable.

EL.STAT aims at ensuring and continuously improving the quality of the produced statistics and maintaining user’s confidence in these statistics. These goals are achieved, as described in the Quality Policy of EL.STAT (http://www.statistics.gr/documents/20181/2571f853-1e37-46da-9387-595bbe2a162b), through the following principles:

• Safeguard and substantiate the operational independence of EL.STAT
• Produce timely and relevant statistics using scientifically sound methods
• Establish and maintain users’ confidence in the reliability of the statistics
• Safeguard the confidence of the statistical units who provide their confidential information for the production of the statistics

These quality objectives are achieved by incorporating the principles listed above in all the stages of collection, production and dissemination of the statistics.

The quality assurance procedures implemented during the production of the statistics and especially the procedures of systematic data validation are described above, in Section 3. Statistical processing.

Quality management and assessment is effected in terms of the quality criteria as laid down in Article 12 (1) of Regulation (EC) 223/2009 on European statistics, as stipulated by Regulation (EC) No 1185/2009.

These quality criteria are examined in detail in sections: 5. Relevance, 6. Accuracy and reliability, 7. Timeliness and punctuality, 8. Coherence and comparability and 9. Accessibility and clarity

National users of the data are the Ministry of Rural Development and Food, other government agencies, the press and the media, as well as academic researchers. The main purpose of the collection of these data is to decrease the risk, imposed from pesticides use, on the environment and more specifically on human health, in accordance to Directive 2009/128 and the respective National Action Plan.

There are no characteristics that are surveyed only for national purposes.

The Ministry of Rural Development and Food, as the main user of statistics, is partly satisfied. 

Furthermore, EL.STAT carries out a generic User Survey. The data from this survey are posted on the portal of EL.STAT (http://www.statistics.gr/en/user-satisfaction-survey).

The completeness for the pesticide sales data can be considered high, since the data collected cover the entire range of the substances that are licensed to be on the market, and the collection system is designed to record all pesticide sales and the respective quantities as well.

The rate for data completeness is estimated to be around 95%, since despite the system’s specifications and the respective legal requirements, there is no way of controlling and ensuring complete conformance on behalf of the vendors, e.g. for small value sales to non-professional users

It is not possible to assess the accuracy and reliability of the statistics as there is no other source of relevant statistical information available to use for comparisons that could allow us to gain knowledge on possible biases and other non sampling errors.

The accuracy of sales statistics is considered to be acceptable mainly due to the compulsory nature of the sales recording system. Furthermore, the measurement errors, remaining after the corrections described in Section 3 above, are considered to be non-critical with respect to the usability of the data.

Administrative data are used and the recording of each individual pesticide sale is mandatory, therefore sampling error is not applicable.

Not applicable.

Administrative data on pesticide sales are collected through an online recording system. Deficiencies of the system allowed for misreporting of quantities and measurement units.

The use of the sales recording system is mandatory and all licensed distribution points are included in that system, so the frame on which the survey was designed is fully updated. As a result, coverage errors do not exist and the frame population coincides with the target population.

Possible non-conformance of pesticides distribution points to their legal obligations regarding the online sales recording system could result in bias. The importance of this bias is not possible to be measured through the sample data, or through comparisons with relevant data from independent sources, since such data do not exist.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

Even though the data entered in the sales recording system originate from the respective invoices, this is not done automatically for all entries. A significant proportion of the data is entered manually at a later stage, allowing for mistyping errors. The data were checked and, whenever possible, the errors identified were corrected.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

We performed logical checks to detect and correct processing errors. These checks were based on the internal coherence among variables with strong correlation. All inconsistencies were examined for possible processing or measurement errors.

Data processing was performed in two stages, both at the individual pesticide sale level:

a)   Data validation, and

b)   Quality Control

During the Validation phase all values were checked for acceptability and consistency including all types of errors from simple misspelling of a code or omission to fill-in a data field, to erroneous values being entered, as described in Section 3.4.

During the Quality Control phase, abnormally high or low values were identified and corrections were attempted. Such corrections were quite extensive mainly due to the lack of “form completion rules” embedded in the online sales recording system that left it susceptible to massive misreporting of pesticides packaging, respective measurement units and, inevitably, total amounts sold.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

The revision policy of EL.STAT (http://www.statistics.gr/documents/20181/a49dca9a-dacf-4b52-b5df-b156216cb354) defines standard rules and principles for data revisions, in accordance with the European Statistics Code of Practice and the principles for a common revision policy for European Statistics contained in the Annex of the European Statistical System (ESS) guidelines on revision policy.

Not applicable as no revisions are foreseen.

Not applicable as no revisions are foreseen.

Data on pesticides sales for 2019 were submitted in December 2020.

12 months after the end of the reference period.

12 months after the end of the reference period.

Data on pesticides sales for 2019 were submitted in December 2020.

Pesticide sales for 2019 were delivered on time.

Not applicable

Statistics are fully comparable between geographical areas due to the use of common definitions across member states.

Not applicable.

Comparability over time is limited because of the low response rate in the previous years and the change in the data collection methodology applied since 2014.

6 years.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

Internal coherence exists among the interdependent survey characteristics.

No news release.

No publications.

No online database.

Not applicable.

No micro-data access is available.

No other documents.

The principles of the documentation on the methodology and the dissemination mode of the results are laid down taking into consideration international practices, guidelines and rules set out by Eurostat:

• Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council, of 11 March 2009, on European statistics and repealing Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1101/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the transmission of data subject to statistical confidentiality to the Statistical Office of the European Communities (https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32009R0223&from=EN)
• European Statistics Code of Practice (https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/documents/4031688/8971242/KS-02-18-142-EN-N.pdf/e7f85f07-91db-4312-8118-f729c75878c7)
• Quality Assurance Framework of the European Statistical System (https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/documents/64157/4392716/ESS-QAF-V1-2final.pdf/bbf5970c-1adf-46c8-afc3-58ce177a0646)
• ESS Quality Glossary (https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/documents/3859598/6651706/KS-GQ-15-003-EN-N.pdf)
• ESS Handbook for Quality Reports (https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/documents/3859598/10501168/KS-GQ-19-006-EN-N.pdf/bf98fd32-f17c-31e2-8c7f-ad41eca91783?t=1583397712000)
• Principles Governing International Statistical Activities (http://unstats.un.org/unsd/methods/statorg/Principles_stat_activities/principles_stat_activities.pdf)

Furthermore, regulatory documentation on the use of pesticides in Greece can be found at the website of the Ministry of Rural Development and Food (http://www.minagric.gr/index.php/el/for-farmer-2/crop-production/fytoprostasiamenu/georgikafarmakamenu/753-nomothesiafytoprostasias). Specific information on the sales recording system can also be retrieved from the Ministry of Rural Development and Food.

There is an online database, maintained by the Ministry of Rural Development and Food, containing all relevant information on pesticide categorisation, active substances per pesticide, pesticide/active substances used per crop and per pathogen/pest, licensing of active substances etc. (http://wwww.minagric.gr/greek/data/dbSYSPEST.zip)

According to the provisions of paragraph 9.6 Documentation on methodology, the National Methodological Report on Pesticide Sales 2019, Greece, will be made available.

The National Methodological Report of the survey will also be available upon request. Users can send their request to: Statistical Information and Publications Division, 46, Pireos & Eponiton Str, GR-18510, Piraeus ((+30) 213135 2022, 2340, Fax: (+30) 213135 2312, e-mail: data.dissem@statistics.gr.

Metadata completeness rate is 100%

Not applicable as this report is not available yet.

The data were collected online, by the sellers, during the actual purchase of the pesticide. So, no interviewers were hired and there was no extra cost for the survey. As far as the sellers are concerned, the burden was minimal since almost all the data collected are also required for issuing the relevant invoice.

The issues concerning the observance of statistical confidentiality by EL.STAT (http://www.statistics.gr/en/statistical-confidentiality?inheritRedirect=true) are arranged by articles 7, 8 and 9 of the Law 3832/2010 as in force, by Articles 8, 10 and 11(2) of the Regulation on Statistical Obligations of the agencies of the Hellenic Statistical System and by Articles 10 and 15 of the Regulation on the Operation and Administration of EL.STAT.

More precisely EL.STAT disseminates the statistics in compliance with the statistical principles of the European Statistics Code of Practice and in particular with the principle of statistical confidentiality.

EL.STAT protects and does not disseminate data it has obtained or it has access to, which enable the direct or indirect identification of the statistical units that have provided them by the disclosure of individual information directly received for statistical purposes or indirectly supplied from administrative or other sources. EL.STAT takes all appropriate preventive measures so as to render impossible the identification of individual statistical units by technical or other means that might reasonably be used by a third party. Statistical data that could potentially enable the identification of the statistical unit are disseminated by EL.STAT if and only if:

a) these data have been treated, as it is specifically set out in the Regulation on Statistical Obligations of the agencies of the Hellenic Statistical System (ELSS), in such a way that their dissemination does not prejudice statistical confidentiality or

b) the statistical unit has given its consent, without any reservations, for the disclosure of data.

The confidential data that are transmitted by ELSS agencies to EL.STAT are used exclusively for statistical purposes and the only persons who have the right to have access to these data are the personnel engaged in this task and appointed by an act of the President of EL.STAT.

EL.STAT may grant researchers conducting statistical analyses for scientific purposes access to data that enable the indirect identification of the statistical units concerned. The access is granted provided the following conditions are satisfied:

a)  an appropriate request together with a detailed research proposal in conformity with current scientific standards have been submitted;

b)  the research proposal indicates in sufficient detail the set of data to be accessed, the methods of analyzing them, and the time needed for the research;

c)  a contract specifying the conditions for access, the obligations of the researchers, the measures for respecting the confidentiality of statistical data and the sanctions in case of breach of these obligations has been signed by the individual researcher, by his/her institution, or by the organization commissioning the research, as the case may be, and by EL.STAT.

Issues referring to the observance of statistical confidentiality are examined by the Statistical Confidentiality Committee (SCC) operating in EL.STAT. The responsibilities of this Committee are to make recommendations to the President of EL.STAT on:

•  the level of detail at which statistical data can be disseminated, so as the identification, either directly or indirectly, of the surveyed statistical unit is not possible;

•  the anonymization criteria for the microdata provided to users;

•  the granting to researchers access to confidential data for scientific purposes.

The staff of EL.STAT, under any employment status, as well as the temporary survey workers who are employed for the collection of statistical data in statistical surveys conducted by EL.STAT, who acquire access by any means to confidential data, are bound by the principle of confidentiality and must use these data exclusively for the statistical purposes of EL.STAT. After the termination of their term of office, they are not allowed to use these data for any purpose.

Violation of data confidentiality and/or statistical confidentiality by any civil servant or employee of EL.STAT constitutes the disciplinary offence of violation of duty and may be punished with the penalty of final dismissal.

EL.STAT, by its decision, may impose a penalty amounting from ten thousand (10,000) up to two hundred thousand (200,000) euros to anyone who violates the confidentiality of data and/or statistical confidentiality. The penalty is always imposed after the hearing of the defence of the person liable for the breach, depending on the gravity and the repercussions of the violation. Any relapse constitutes an aggravating factor for the assessment of the administrative sanction.

For every active substance, the respective amount sold was flagged as primarily confidential, when there were up to 2 contributing products (small counts rule) or when a single contributing product accounted for more than 95% of the total sales (dominance rule).

Secondary confidentiality was further assessed using the τ-argus software (https://research.cbs.nl/casc/Software/TauManualV4.1.pdf).

None