Information society, eEurope: Community statistics

PURPOSE : to establish a common framework for the systematic production of Community statistics on the information society. LEGISLATIVE ACT : Regulation 808/2004/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning Community statistics on the information society. CONTENT : The structural indicators which are used in the annual Spring Report to the European Council require indicators based on coherent statistical information from the information society domain. In addition, the process of benchmarking eEurope as part of the implementation of eEurope Action Plans requires indicators based on coherent statistical information from the information society domain. This Regulation provides that the statistics to be compiled will include information required for the eEurope benchmarking process, and useful to the structural indicators, and other information necessary to provide a uniform basis on which to analyse the information society. The statistics will be grouped as modules, as defined in Annexes I and II. The modules will cover the following domains: - enterprises and the information society, as defined in Annex I; - individuals, households and the information society, as defined in Annex II. Methodological manual. The Commission, in close cooperation with Member States, will draw up a methodological manual which contains recommended guidelines concerning the Community statistics produced pursuant to this Regulation. Member States will transmit the aggregate data and the metadata required by this Regulation and its implementing measures, including confidential aggregate data, to the Commission (Eurostat) in accordance with the existing Community provisions on transmission of data subject to statistical confidentiality. Those Community provisions shall apply to the treatment of the results, in so far as they include confidential data. Member States shall transmit the data and metadata in electronic form, in accordance with an interchange standard agreed between the Commission and the Member States. For at least the first year in which Community statistics are produced by Member States, the Commission will make a financial contribution to the Member States to help cover the costs incurred by them in producing, processing and transmitting those statistics. The amount of the financial contribution will not exceed 90 % of such costs. If budgetary conditions so permit, the Commission will continue to make a financial contribution to Member States in order to help offset the costs of providing these statistics in subsequent years. ENTRY INTO FORCE : 20/05/04.�