Regulation (EC) No 1557/2006 is amended as follows:

1. (1)

   Article 5 is replaced by the following:

   Article 5

   1

   For each harvest, the producing Member States shall notify the Commission, by 15 April of the year following the hop harvest concerned, of the following information given as a total and, except for points (a) and (g), broken down by two groups of hops varieties (bitter and aromatic):

   a

   number of farmers growing hops;

   b

   area harvested and area newly sown in the harvest year (in hectares);

   c

   quantity in tonnes and average farm-gate price of hops sold under contracts concluded in advance;

   d

   quantity in tonnes and average farm-gate price of hops sold under other contracts or without contracts;

   e

   quantity of hops in tonnes remaining unsold;

   f

   alpha-acid production in tonnes and average alpha-acid content (in percent);

   g

   quantity of hops in tonnes covered by contracts concluded in advance for the next harvest.

   The prices referred to in points (c) and (d) shall be expressed in EUR per kg, using, if necessary, the most recent exchange rate set by the European Central Bank prior to 1 January of the year following the harvest year.

   2

   The notifications referred to in paragraph 1 shall be made in accordance with Commission Regulation (EC) No 792/200917.

   3

   Member States shall take the measures necessary to ensure that the economic operators concerned, including producer organisations, provide them with the information required within the relevant time limits.

2. (2)

   the Annex is deleted.