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Statistics relating to the trading of goods between Member States (Intrastat); Commission implementing powers

2008/0026(COD)

PURPOSE: to reduce the administrative burden on enterprises by simplifying provisions relating to statistics on the trading of goods between the Member States.

LEGISLATIVE ACT: Regulation (EC) No 222/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EC) No 638/2004 on Community statistics relating to the trading of goods between Member States.

CONTENT: the Council adopted a regulation amending regulation (EC) No 638/2004 on Community statistics relating to the trading of goods between Member States. The Regulation aims to provide the legal framework for exempting more companies from providing Intrastat information, while preserving the accuracy of data and satisfying user requirements for statistics on trade by business characteristics.

In particular, the Commission should be empowered to:

  • adopt different or specific rules applying to specific goods or movements;
  • adapt the reference period to take into account the linkage with value added tax and customs obligations;
  • determine the arrangements for the collection of the information to be collected by the national authorities, particularly the codes to be employed;
  • adapt the minimum Intrastat coverage to technical and economic developments;
  • define the conditions under which Member States may simplify the information to be provided for small individual transactions;
  • define the aggregated data to be transmitted and the criteria with which the results of the estimates are to comply;
  • adopt implementing provisions for compiling the statistics by linking data on business characteristics recorded under Regulation (EC) No 177/2008 with the statistics on dispatches and arrivals of goods;
  • take any other steps necessary to ensure the quality of the data.

Since those measures are of general scope and are designed to amend non-essential elements of Regulation (EC) No 638/2004, inter alia by supplementing it with new non-essential elements, they must be adopted in accordance with the regulatory procedure with scrutiny provided for in Decision 1999/468/EC.

ENTRY INTO FORCE: 20/04/2009.

APPLICATION: 01/01/2009.