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Community statistics on the information society

2008/0201(COD)

The Committee on Industry, Research and Energy adopted the report drawn up by Angelika NIEBLER (EPP-ED, DE) amending, under the first reading of the codecision procedure, the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on amending Regulation (EC) No 808/2004 concerning Community statistics on the information society.

The main amendments are as follows:

- The amendment of Regulation (EC) No 808/2004 should take into account horizontal Regulation (EC) No .../2009 on European Statistics, which will be the framework for all sectoral legislation. Several amendments support this approach:

  • MEPs introduced a reference to the horizontal regulation to ensure the protection of individuals and enterprises in terms of the transmission of confidential data. Confidential data (its treatment, transmission and dissemination), with special regard to protection of individuals and enterprises, is also addressed by the horizontal regulation on European statistics;
  • other amendments propose to adapt the quality regime of the current sectoral regulation to the one of the horizontal regulation. As the current sectoral regulation does not cover the issues of specific quality requirements, those are to be adopted via comitology (regulatory procedure with scrutiny).

- Every year, Member States shall provide the Commission (Eurostat) with a report on the quality of the data transmitted as well as on any methodological changes that have been made. The report shall be provided one month after the transmission of the data.

- MEPs clarify that statistics will be provided annually for up to 15 reference years following the date of entry into force of the Regulation.

- Lastly, the report stresses that the Regulation should not increase the burden on respondents and national statistical authorities, measured by the number of mandatory variables or interview duration, in respect of the collection and transmission of harmonised statistics as compared to the existing situation before its entry into force.