European statistics

The Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs adopted the report by Johan VAN OVERTVELDT (ECR, BE) on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 on European statistics.

The committee responsible recommended that the European Parliament's position adopted at first reading under the ordinary legislative procedure should amend the proposal as follows:

Selection procedure for heads of NSIs

The report suggested that Member States should ensure that the procedure for the selection and recruitment of the heads of national statistical institutes (NSIs) is in line with international best practices, and that appointments are based on clear professional criteria, in particular as regards statistical reputation and a high level of competence in the field of statistics. The heads of NSIs should be selected for a fixed, non-renewable term of up to 10 years.

The Director-General of the Commission (Eurostat) should be selected for a fixed, non-renewable term of seven years.

Statistical response to crisis and urgent policy needs

The Member States may decide, separately and on a voluntary basis, to participate in these temporary statistical actions. The Commission (Eurostat) should strive towards the relevance of temporary statistical actions and sufficient coverage of the crisis situation in the Union. When participating in temporary statistical actions, the Member States should comply with the agreed common timespan, frequency and quality requirements for the national data to be provided to the Commission (Eurostat).

Measures should remain in force for a period no longer than the duration of the crisis situation, and in any event not exceeding 12 months that may be extended by way of an implementing act for an additional 12-month period in duly justified cases.

Obligations of NSIs and the Commission (Eurostat) in reusing data made available for development and production of European statistics

The report stressed that the NSIs and the Commission (Eurostat) should put in place appropriate safeguards relating to the processing of personal data for statistical purposes, in particular in order to ensure compliance with the principle that data is to be rendered anonymous.

Data sharing in the ESS and between the ESS and the ESCB

Members proposed that data sharing should take place between the European Statistical System (ESS) and a member of the European System of Central Banks (ESCB) in areas of shared responsibility or common interest and where the data are used exclusively for statistical purposes and for improving the quality of European statistics developed and produced by that member of the ESCB.

Moreover, the NSIs participating in the data sharing within the ESS should provide all necessary safeguards with regard to the physical and logical protection of data confidentiality. The Commission (Eurostat) should set up a secure infrastructure to facilitate data sharing. The NSIs, and when relevant the ONAs or members of the ESCB, may use that secure data sharing infrastructure.

Researchers should have access to databases constituted by the Commission (Eurostat) that include data from private sources, in particular access to microdata. Private data owners should be informed about the use of their data by researchers and given the opportunity to deny access, if such access would unduly harm their interests.

Improved coordination

The report noted that the lack of coordination may lead to inefficiencies and inconsistencies and raise issues of quality of European statistics. Union bodies and agencies should systematically consult the Commission (Eurostat) on statistical methodologies and data quality when developing new statistics in their fields of competence.