Fiscal statistics: governance and quality of statistical data in the context of the excessive deficit procedure (amend. Regulation (EC) No 3605/93)

PURPOSE: the improvement of the quality of national statistical data in the context of the excessive deficit procedure

PROPOSED ACT: Council Regulation

CONTENT: The Commission adopted on 22 December 2004 the Communication to the European Parliament and the Council “Towards a European governance strategy for fiscal statistics”, which included three lines of action for the improvement of fiscal statistics: completing the legal framework, developing the operational capacity, and the development of European minimum standards for the institutional set-up of statistical authorities.

The measures proposed in this draft Regulation relate to the first and second lines of action.

They are designed to set up surveillance mechanisms, define procedures to resolve methodological issues and increase accountability and transparency throughout the whole process.

The Commission is currently working to develop the third line of action included in the Communication. There is a need to establish European-wide minimum standards in the domain of statistics, which reinforce the independence, integrity and accountability of the National Statistical Institutes and of Eurostat, in order to respond to the invitation of the ECOFIN Council by June 2005.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:

- Human resources: 2.2 million EUR/year (EUROSTAT: EUR 1.7m/year;  ECFIN: 0.5 million EUR/year);

- Other administrative expenditures: 0.355 million EUR/year (EUROSTAT: 0.28 million EUR/year; ECFIN: 0.075 million EUR/year);

Total indicative cost: EUROSTAT: 1.98 million EUR/year; ECFIN: 0.575 million EUR/year.