REPORT on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 on European statistics

21.12.2012 - (COM(2012)0167 – C7‑0101/2012 – 2012/0084(COD)) - ***I

Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs
Rapporteur: Edward Scicluna


Procedure : 2012/0084(COD)
Document stages in plenary
Document selected :  
A7-0436/2012

DRAFT EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION

on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 on European statistics

(COM(2012)0167 – C7‑0101/2012 – 2012/0084(COD))

(Ordinary legislative procedure: first reading)

The European Parliament,

–   having regard to the Commission proposal to Parliament and the Council (COM(2012)0167),

–   having regard to Article 294(2) and Article 338(1) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, pursuant to which the Commission submitted the proposal to Parliament (C7‑0101/2012),

–   having regard to Article 294(3) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

–   having regard to Rule 55 of its Rules of Procedure,

–   having regard to the report of the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (A7-0436/2012),

1.  Adopts its position at first reading hereinafter set out;

2.  Calls on the Commission to refer the matter to Parliament again if it intends to amend its proposal substantially or replace it with another text;

3.  Instructs its President to forward its position to the Council, the Commission and the national parliaments.

Amendment  1

Proposal for a regulation

Recital 1

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

(1) The European Statistical System (the ESS), as a partnership, has in general successfully consolidated its activities to ensure the development, production and dissemination of high-quality European statistics, including by improving the governance of the system.

(1) The European Statistical System (the ESS), as a partnership, has in general successfully consolidated its activities to ensure the development, production and dissemination of high-quality, regulated and reliable European statistics, including by improving the governance of the system.

Amendment  2

Proposal for a regulation

Recital 2

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

(2) Some weaknesses have, however, recently been identified, in particular with regard to the statistical quality-management framework.

(2) Major weaknesses have, however, recently been identified, in particular with regard to the statistical quality-management framework, which have resulted in inaccurate, and in some cases, false statistical data.

Amendment  3

Proposal for a regulation

Recital 2a (new)

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

 

(2a) Those structural flaws have served to emphasise the need to ensure the independence of statistical authorities from possible political pressure at national and Union level.

Amendment  4

Proposal for a regulation

Recital 3

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

(3) The Commission suggested action to address these weaknesses in its Communication of 15 April 2011 to the European Parliament and the Council ‘Towards robust quality management for European Statistics’. In particular, it suggested a targeted amendment of Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 of the European Parliament and the Council of 11 March 2009 on European statistics.

(3) The Commission suggested action to address these weaknesses and to strengthen the governance of the ESS in its Communication of 15 April 2011 to the European Parliament and the Council ‘Towards robust quality management for European Statistics’. In particular, it suggested a targeted amendment of Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 of the European Parliament and the Council of 11 March 2009 on European statistics.

Amendment  5

Proposal for a regulation

Recital 6

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

(6) Those aspects should not remain limited to the statistics produced for the purposes of the fiscal-surveillance system and the excessive-deficit procedure but should apply to all European statistics developed, produced and disseminated by the ESS.

(6) Those aspects should not remain limited to the statistics produced for the purposes of the fiscal-surveillance system and the excessive-deficit procedure but should apply to all European statistics developed, produced and disseminated by the ESS, including those relating to growth and employment, taking account and assessing the added value of statistics gathered for attainment of the targets of the Europe 2020 Strategy.

Amendment  6

Proposal for a regulation

Recital 7

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

(7) Moreover, the adequacy of resources attributed on an annual or a multiannual basis and available to meet statistical needs is a necessary condition for the professional independence of statistical authorities.

(7) Moreover, the adequacy of resources attributed on an annual or a multiannual basis and available to meet statistical needs is a necessary condition for ensuring professional independence of statistical authorities and the high quality of statistical data.

Amendment  7

Proposal for a regulation

Recital 8

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

(8) To that effect, the professional independence of statistical authorities should be strengthened and minimum standards should be enforced, in particular as regards the heads of national statistical institutes (NSIs), to whom specific guarantees should be provided in terms of the performance of statistical tasks, organisational management and resource allocation.

(8) To that effect, the professional independence of statistical authorities should be strengthened and minimum standards, harmonised at European level, should be enforced, in particular as regards the heads of national statistical institutes (NSIs), to whom specific guarantees should be provided in terms of the performance of statistical tasks, organisational management and resource allocation. To that end, national parliaments have a particularly important role to play regarding the legitimacy of the process and in terms of parliamentary control.

Amendment  8

Proposal for a regulation

Recital 8a (new)

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

 

(8a) While credible European statistics require strong professional independence on the part of statisticians, the domains in which statistics are to be produced fall under the responsibility of governments and parliaments at national and Union level.

Amendment  9

Proposal for a regulation

Recital 8 b (new)

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

 

(8b) In addition to guaranteeing the independence of NSIs, it is necessary for the independence of Eurostat to be consolidated and guaranteed by means of effective parliamentary scrutiny and control.

Amendment  10

Proposal for a regulation

Recital 9

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

(9) Furthermore, the coordinating role already attributed to the NSIs should be clarified as regards its scope, so as to achieve more efficient coordination of statistical activities at national level, including quality management.

(9) Furthermore, the coordinating role already attributed to the NSIs for European statistics produced through the ESS should be clarified as regards its scope, so as to achieve more efficient coordination of statistical activities within the ESS at national level, including quality management. It is necessary to step up coordination and cooperation between NSIs and Eurostat and remedy any shortcomings in this respect.

Amendment  11

Proposal for a regulation

Recital 9 a (new)

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

 

(9a) In accordance with Article 9 of Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 and Article 2a of Council Regulation (EC) No 2533/98 of 23 November 1998 concerning the collection of statistical information by the European Central Bank1, the ESS and the European System of Central Banks (ESCB) cooperate closely to ensure complete and coherent European statistics produced by the two statistical systems in their fields of competence in accordance with their respective work programmes. Particular areas of cooperation include national accounts and balance of payment statistics, as well as the provision of advice to the Commission on statistics related to the excessive deficit procedure.

 

______________

 

1 OJ L 318, 27.11.1998, p. 8.

Amendment  12

Proposal for a regulation

Recital 10

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

(10) In order to reduce the burden on statistical authorities and respondents, the NSIs and other national authorities should be able to access and use administrative records, including those filled electronically, promptly and free-of-charge, as well as to integrate these records with statistics.

(10) In order to reduce the burden on statistical authorities and respondents, the NSIs and other national authorities should be able to access and use administrative records of publicly available information, including those filled electronically, promptly and free-of-charge, as well as to integrate these records with statistics.

Amendment  13

Proposal for a regulation

Recital 10 a (new)

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

 

(10a) National and European statistics should be easy to compare and access and should be updated promptly and regularly so as to ensure that Union policies and funding initiatives take full account of developments in Europe, in particular the consequences of the economic crisis.

Amendment  14

Proposal for a regulation

Recital 11

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

(11) The NSIs should furthermore be consulted at an early stage on the design of new administrative records that could provide data for statistical purposes and on planned changes to, or cessation of, existing administrative sources. They should also receive relevant metadata from the owners of administrative data and coordinate standardisation activities concerning administrative records that are relevant for statistical data production.

(11) The NSIs should furthermore be consulted at an early stage on the design of new administrative records that could provide data for statistical purposes and on planned changes to, or cessation of, existing administrative sources. They should also receive relevant metadata from the owners of administrative data and coordinate standardisation activities concerning administrative records that are relevant for statistical data production. Activities of the NSIs and other relevant national authorities in relation to access, use, standardisation, initial design, subsequent development and cessation of ESCB administrative records should not interfere with the performance of ESCB tasks specified in Article 127 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) or with safeguards relating to central bank independence laid down in Article 130 and Article 282(3) TFEU and Articles 7 and 37of Protocol No 4 on the Statute of the European System of Central Banks and of the European Central Bank.

Amendment  15

Proposal for a regulation

Recital 12

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

(12) The confidentiality of data obtained from administrative records should be protected under the common principles and guidelines applicable to all confidential data used for the production of European statistics. Quality-assessment frameworks applicable to these data should also be established.

(12) The confidentiality of data obtained from administrative records should be protected under the common principles and guidelines applicable to all confidential data used for the production of European statistics. Harmonised quality and transparency assessment frameworks applicable to these data should also be established.

Amendment  16

Proposal for a regulation

Recital 12a (new)

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

 

(12a) All users should have access to the same data at the same time and embargoes should be strictly complied with. NSIs should establish binding dates for the publication of periodical data.

Amendment  17

Proposal for a regulation

Recital 13

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

(13) The quality of European statistics could be strengthened and the confidence of users reinforced, by involving national governments in the responsibility of applying the European Statistics Code of Practice. To this end, a ‘Commitment on Confidence in Statistics’ should be established in each Member State and include specific undertakings by its government to implement the Code and national quality-assurance frameworks, including self-assessments and improvement actions.

(13) The quality of European statistics could be strengthened and the confidence of users reinforced, by involving national governments in the responsibility of rigorously applying the European Statistics Code of Practice. To this end, a ‘Commitment on Confidence in Statistics’ should be established in each Member State and include specific undertakings by its government to implement the Code and national high-quality-assurance frameworks, including self-assessments and improvement actions with the participation and supervision of national parliaments.

Amendment  18

Proposal for a regulation

Recital 13a (new)

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

 

(13a) Since the quality-management system will require close coordination and collaboration between the Commission (Eurostat) and national bodies responsible for verifying upstream public finance data, reforms are needed to strengthen the independence and mandate of national courts of auditors.

Amendment  19

Proposal for a regulation

Recital 13 b (new)

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

 

(13b) The Commission (Eurostat) website should allow easy access to complete, user-friendly data series and should include easily comprehensible, comparative, coloured graphs. This should apply to all data sets, and equal representation of those sets should be guaranteed. Where possible, periodic updates should provide year-on-year and month-on-month information on each Member State.

Justification

Building on the rapporteur's amendment. It is important that for example data and graphs on private debt is as accessible as for public debt

Amendment  20

Proposal for a regulation

Recital 18

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

(18) There is a need for uniform conditions for implementing access to confidential data for scientific purposes. Implementing powers should be conferred on the Commission with a view to establishing the arrangements, rules and conditions governing such access at Union level, in accordance with the examination procedure laid down in Article 5 of Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 of the European Parliament and the Council laying down the rules and general principles concerning mechanisms for control by the Member States of the Commission’s exercise of implementing powers..

(18) There is a need for uniform conditions for implementing access to confidential data for scientific purposes without compromising transparency. Implementing powers should be conferred on the Commission with a view to establishing the arrangements, rules and conditions governing such access at Union level, in accordance with the examination procedure laid down in Article 5 of Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 of the European Parliament and the Council laying down the rules and general principles concerning mechanisms for control by the Member States of the Commission’s exercise of implementing powers.

Amendment  21

Proposal for a regulation

Article 1 – point 2

Regulation No 223/2009

Article 5 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1

 

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

1. The national statistical authority designated by each Member State as the body having the responsibility for coordinating all activities at national level for the development, production and dissemination of European statistics (the NSI) shall act in this regard as the sole contact point for the Commission (Eurostat) on statistical matters.

1. The national statistical authority designated by each Member State as the body having the responsibility for coordinating all activities for the development, production and dissemination of European statistics at national level under this Regulation (the NSI) shall act in this regard as the sole contact point for the Commission (Eurostat) on statistical matters.

Amendment  22

Proposal for a regulation

Article 1 – point 2

Regulation (EC) No 223/2009

Article 5 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2

 

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

The coordinating responsibility of the NSI shall cover all other national authorities responsible for the development, production and dissemination of European statistics. The NSI shall, in particular, be responsible at national level for coordinating statistical programming and reporting, quality monitoring, methodology, data transmission and communication on ESS statistical actions.

The coordinating responsibility of the NSI shall cover all other national authorities responsible for the development, production and dissemination of European statistics produced under this Regulation. The NSI shall, in particular, be responsible at national level for coordinating statistical programming and reporting, quality monitoring, clear methodology, data transmission and communication on ESS statistical actions and shall cooperate with the respective national central bank (NCB) to ensure production of complete and coherent European statistics through the ESS and the ESCB in their respective fields of competence.

Amendment  23

Proposal for a regulation

Article 1 – point 3

Regulation (EC) No 223/2009

Article 5a – paragraph 1

 

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

1. Within their national statistical system, the heads of NSIs shall have the sole responsibility for deciding on processes, statistical methods, standards and procedures, and on the content and timing of statistical releases and publications for all European statistics. They shall be empowered to decide on all matters regarding the internal management of the NSI. They shall coordinate the statistical activities of all national authorities that contribute to the development, production and dissemination of European statistics. When carrying out these tasks, the heads of NSIs shall act in an independent manner; they shall neither seek nor take instructions from any government or other institution, body, office or entity; they shall refrain from any action incompatible with the performance of these tasks.

1. Within their national statistical system, the heads of NSIs shall have the sole responsibility for coordinating processes, statistical methods, standards and procedures, and on the content and timing of statistical releases and publications for all European statistics. They shall be empowered to decide on all matters regarding the internal management of the NSI. They shall coordinate the statistical activities of all national authorities that contribute to the development, production and dissemination of European statistics produced through the ESS. Furthermore, they shall cooperate with the respective NCBs on issues related to the production of European statistics that are common to the ESS and to the ESCB. NSIs shall be responsible for their internal organisation for the purposes of compliance with this Regulation. When carrying out these tasks, the heads of NSIs shall act in an independent manner; they shall neither seek nor take instructions from any government or other institution, body, office or entity; they shall refrain from any action incompatible with the performance of these tasks.

Amendment  24

Proposal for a regulation

Article 1 – point 3

Regulation (EC) No 223/2009

Article 5a – paragraph 2

 

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

2. The procedures for recruitment, transfer and dismissal of heads of NSIs shall be transparent and based on professional criteria only.

2. The procedures for recruitment, transfer and dismissal of heads of NSIs shall be transparent, based on professional criteria and published on their websites. Heads of NSIs shall be appointed by national governments after consulting the national parliament. They shall ensure that there are equal opportunities, notably as regards gender, and that all positions have both male and female candidates. Candidates shall be invited to appear before the relevant national parliamentary committees prior to their appointment.

Amendment  25

Proposal for a regulation

Article 1 – point 3

Regulation (EC) No 223/2009

Article 5a – paragraph 2a (new)

 

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

 

2a. Detailed reasons shall be given for the dismissal of a head of a NSI. Such a dismissal shall not be made on political grounds.

Amendment  26

Proposal for a regulation

Article 1 – point 3

Regulation (EC) No 223/2009

Article 5a – paragraph 3

 

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

3. The heads of NSIs shall be accountable for the statistical activities and budget execution of the NSI; they shall publish an annual report and may express comments on budget allocation issues related to the statistical activities of the NSI.

3. The heads of NSIs shall be accountable for the statistical activities and budget execution of the NSI; they shall publish an annual report and may appear before the relevant committee of the national parliament when invited to discuss matter pertaining to statistical governance and express comments on budget allocation issues related to the statistical activities of the national producers of statistics.

Amendment  27

Proposal for a regulation

Article 1 – point 4

Regulation (EC) No 223/2009

Article 6 – paragraph 2

 

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

2. At Union level, the Commission (Eurostat) shall act independently in ensuring the production of European statistics according to established rules and statistical principles. In this respect, it shall have the sole responsibility for deciding on processes, statistical methods, standards and procedures, and on the content and timing of statistical releases.

2. At Union level, the Commission (Eurostat) shall act independently in ensuring the production of European statistics according to established rules and statistical principles, through cooperation and coordination with NSIs. In this respect, it shall have the responsibility for deciding on processes, statistical methods, standards and procedures, and on the content and timing of statistical releases, without prejudice to legislative guidance in accordance with Article 12(2).

Amendment  28

Proposal for a regulation

Article 1 – point 4 a (new)

Regulation (EC) No 223/2009

Article 6 a (new)

 

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

 

(4a) the following article is inserted:

 

"Article 6a

 

Director-General of the Commission (Eurostat)

 

1. The statistical office of the Commission (Eurostat) shall be headed by a Director-General. The Director-General shall be appointed by the Commission, for a non-renewable term of office of seven years, in accordance with the procedure specified in paragraph 2.

 

2. The Commission shall publish a call for applications in the Official Journal of the European Union no later than six months before the end of the term of office of the Director-General in office. The procedure for the recruitment of the Director-General shall be transparent and based only on professional criteria. The Commission shall draw up a list of suitably qualified candidates, containing at least one candidate of each gender. The Commission shall appoint the Director-General after consulting the European Parliament.

 

3. The Director-General shall have the sole responsibility for deciding on processes, statistical methods, standards and procedures, and on the content and timing of statistical releases and publications for all statistics produced by the Commission (Eurostat). The Director-General shall be empowered to decide on all matters regarding the internal management of the Commission (Eurostat). When carrying out these tasks, the Director-General shall act in an independent manner and shall neither seek nor take instructions from any government or any institution, body, office or agency. If the Director-General considers that a measure taken by the Commission calls his or her independence into question, he or she shall immediately inform the European Parliament.

 

4. The Director-General shall be accountable for the statistical activities and budget execution of the Commission (Eurostat). He or she shall appear annually in the framework of Statistical Dialogue before the relevant committee of the European Parliament to discuss matters pertaining to statistical governance, methodology, statistical innovation, and express comments on budget allocation issues related to the statistical activities of the Commission (Eurostat).

 

5. Before imposing any disciplinary penalty on the Director-General, the Commission shall consult the European Parliament. The imposition of any disciplinary penalty on the Director-General shall be the subject of a reasoned decision, which shall be submitted, for information, to the European Parliament, the Council and the European Statistical Governance Advisory Board."

 

 

Amendment  29

Proposal for a regulation

Article 1 – point 4 b (new)

Regulation (EC) No 223/2009

Article 7 a (new)

 

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

 

(4b) the following article is inserted:

 

"Article 7a

 

Cooperation with courts of auditors

 

1. In order to ensure that data on the public sector are accurate and fairly reflect the situation of public accounts, the ESS shall cooperate and collaborate closely with courts of auditors, without prejudice to their independence.

 

2. NSIs shall disclose to the Commission (Eurostat) any doubts they have regarding the accuracy of the raw data passed to them for the purpose of compiling statistics. In cases where data is revised by a significant amount to be determined by the Commission (Eurostat), a footnote qualifying the data shall be included."

Amendment  30

Proposal for a regulation

Article 1 – point 4 c (new)

Regulation (EC) No 223/2009

Article 7 b (new)

 

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

 

(4c) the following Article is inserted:

 

"Article 7b

 

Fines for manipulation of statistics

 

1. Unless Council objects by qualified majority, the Commission may impose a fine on a Member State that intentionally or, by gross negligence, seriously misrepresents statistical data.

 

2. In order to establish the existence of a misrepresentation as referred to in paragraph 1, the Commission may conduct all necessary investigations. The Commission may decide to initiate an investigation where there are clear indications of serious misrepresentations of data. The Commission shall conduct its investigation taking into account any comments submitted by the Member State subject to investigation. In order to carry out its tasks, the Commission may request that the Member States subject to investigation provide information. The Commission may also conduct on-site inspections and have access to all data produced by an NSI at national, regional and local level. If required by the law of the Member State subject to investigation, authorisation by a judicial authority shall be obtained before an on-site inspection.

 

Upon completion of its investigation, the Commission shall give to the Member State subject to investigation the opportunity of being heard on the matters being investigated. The Commission shall base its decision only on facts on which the Member State has had the opportunity to comment.

 

The rights of the defence of the Member State subject to investigation shall be fully respected during the investigation.

 

3. The Commission shall be empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 26a concerning:

 

(a) detailed criteria establishing the amount of the fine; and

 

(b) detailed rules on the procedure for the investigations referred to in paragraph 2, associated measures and reporting, including detailed rules of procedure aimed at guaranteeing the rights of the defence and relating to access to the file, legal representation, confidentiality, time limits, and the collection of fines.

 

4. The Court of Justice of the European Union shall have unlimited jurisdiction to review decisions whereby the Commission has fixed a fine in accordance with paragraph 1. It may annul, reduce or increase the fine imposed."

Amendment  31

Proposal for a regulation

Article 1 – point 4 d (new)

Regulation (EC) No 223/2009

Article 7 c (new)

 

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

 

(4d) the following Article is inserted:

 

"Article 7c

 

Transmission and quality of data

 

Where the Commission is not satisfied with the data flow from NSIs to the Commission (Eurostat) or the quality of the data, it shall send a public warning to the Member State concerned, publish it on the website of the Commission (Eurostat), and include a reference to it in the corresponding data set. If, within six months of such publicaton, the problems have not been remedied, the Commission may impose fines in accordance with Article 7b."

Amendment  32

Proposal for a regulation

Article 1 – point 5

Regulation (EC) No 223/2009

Article 11 – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 1

 

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

3. Member States shall take all necessary measures to implement the Code of Practice in order to maintain confidence in their statistics. To this effect, each Member State, represented by its government, shall sign and implement a “Commitment on Confidence in Statistics” whereby specific policy commitments are made to implement the Code and to establish a national quality assurance framework, including self-assessments and improvement actions. The Commitment shall be counter-signed by the Commission.

3. Member States shall take all necessary measures to implement the Code of Practice in order to maintain confidence in their contribution to the European statistics produced by the ESS. To this effect, each Member State, represented by its government, shall sign and implement a “Commitment on Confidence in Statistics” whereby specific policy commitments are made to implement the Code and to establish a national high-quality assurance framework, including self-assessments and improvement actions subject to close monitoring by national parliaments. The Commitment shall be counter-signed by the Commission and shall be published together with a citizen's summary on the websites of the NSI and Eurostat. NSIs shall publish on their websites whether there is a "commitment on confidence in statistics" established in their Member State.

Amendment  33

Proposal for a regulation

Article 1 – point 5

Regulation (EC) No 223/2009

Article 11 – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 2 a (new)

 

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

 

The Commission shall establish a template for, and encourage, peer review and exchanges of best practices among NSIs.

Amendment  34

Proposal for a regulation

Article 1 – point 6

Regulation (EC) No 223/2009

Article 12 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2

 

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

Specific quality requirements, such as target values and minimum standards for the production of statistics, may be laid down in sectoral legislation. Where sectoral legislation does not so provide, the Commission may adopt, by means of delegated acts in accordance with Article 26a, such specific quality requirements.

Specific quality requirements, such as target values and minimum standards for the statistical production, may be laid down in sectoral legislation.

Justification

Quality requirements can include, for example, accuracy requirements, which have a major impact in terms of statistical inflation, rising costs, and the heavier burden imposed on respondents. They should be covered by an implementing act and not by delegated acts.

Amendment  35

Proposal for a regulation

Article 1 – point 6 a (new)

Regulation (EC) No 223/2009

Article 12 – paragraph 3 a (new)

 

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

 

(6a) In Article 12, the following paragraph is added:

 

"3a. The Commission (Eurostat) shall publicly and promptly voice any serious concern it has regarding the quality of the data transmitted.

 

The Commission (Eurostat) shall publicly disclose serious breaches of the Code of Practice."

Amendment  36

Proposal for a regulation

Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 7 a (new)

Regulation (EC) No 223/2009

Article 16 – paragraph 1a

 

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

 

(7a) In Article 16(1), point (a) is replaced by the following:

 

"(a) maximising the availability of statistical aggregates at European level thus enlarging its coverage to economic activities of family businesses and of the third sector, including social economy and improving the timeliness of European statistics, especially in relation to the indicators underpinning the objectives of the Europe 2020 Strategy,"

Amendment  37

Proposal for a regulation

Article 1 – point 8

Regulation (EC) No 223/2009

Article 17a – paragraph 1

 

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

(1) In order to reduce the burden on respondents, the NSIs, other national authorities as referred to in Article 4 and the Commission (Eurostat) shall have the right to access and use, promptly and free of charge, all administrative records and to integrate these administrative records with statistics, to the extent necessary for the development, production and dissemination of European statistics.

1. In order to reduce the burden on respondents, the NSIs, other national authorities as referred to in Article 4 and the Commission (Eurostat) shall have the right to access and use, promptly and free of charge, all administrative records and to integrate these administrative records with statistics, but only to the extent necessary for the development, production and dissemination of European statistics produced under this Regulation.

Amendment  38

Proposal for a regulation

Article 1 – point 8

Regulation (EC) No 223/2009

Article 17a – paragraph 3

 

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

3. Access by and involvement of the NSIs, other national authorities and the Commission (Eurostat) pursuant to paragraphs 1 and 2 shall be limited to administrative records within their own respective public administrative system.

3. The practical arrangements and the conditions for achieving effective access shall be determined, as appropriate, by each Member State and by the Commission (Eurostat) within their respective spheres of competence. As regards administrative records produced and maintained by the ESCB, performance by NSIs, other national authorities and the Commission (Eurostat) of competences under paragraphs 1 and 2 shall not interfere with the performance of ESCB tasks specified in Article 127 TFEU or with the safeguards relating to the independence of central banks and professional secrecy laid down in Article 130 and Article 282(3) TFEU and in Articles 7 and 37 of Protocol No 4 on the statute of the European System of Central Banks and of the European Central Bank.

Amendment  39

Proposal for a regulation

Article 1 – point 8

Regulation (EC) No 223/2009

Article 17a – paragraph 4

 

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

4. The NSIs shall receive relevant metadata from the owners of administrative records used for statistical purposes.

4. Access by and use of records by the NSIs, other national authorities and the Commission (Eurostat) pursuant to paragraphs 1, 2 and 3 shall be limited to administrative records within their own respective public administrative system.

Amendment  40

Proposal for a regulation

Article 1 – point 8

Regulation (EC) No 223/2009

Article 17a – paragraph 4a (new)

 

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

 

4a. The owners of the administrative records shall provide the NSIs with relevant metadata used for statistical purposes.

Amendment  41

Proposal for a regulation

Article 1 – point 11

Regulation (EC) No 223/2009

Article 26a – paragraph 5

 

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

5. A delegated act adopted pursuant to Article 12(2) shall enter into force only if no objection has been expressed either by the European Parliament or the Council within a period of 2 months of notification of that act to the European Parliament and the Council or if, before the expiry of that period, the European Parliament and the Council have both informed the Commission that they will not object. That period shall be extended by two months at the initiative of the European Parliament or the Council.’

5. A delegated act adopted pursuant to Article 12(2) shall enter into force only if no objection has been expressed either by the European Parliament or the Council within a period of three months of notification of that act to the European Parliament and the Council or if, before the expiry of that period, the European Parliament and the Council have both informed the Commission that they will not object. That period shall be extended by three months at the initiative of the European Parliament or the Council.

Amendment  42

Proposal for a regulation

Article 2 – paragraph 2

Text proposed by the Commission

Amendment

This Regulation shall enter into force on the twentieth day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

This Regulation shall enter into force on the twentieth day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union. It shall be made available in consolidated form within three months of its entry into force.

EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

Reliable and accurate European statistics have two vital purposes as a public good: they are the building-blocks upon which policy-makers make decisions; and they act as a barometer to read the state of our economy and society providing assurance to other governments and the financial markets.

Yet events in recent years have shaken the confidence of the public and of markets. A Eurobarometer poll in 2008 found that 45% of citizens stated that they did not trust economic statistics, virtually identical to the 46% who said they did.

Since then, we have seen how misleading and fraudulent statistics can add to political and economic turmoil. Indeed, the sovereign debt crisis has certainly been exacerbated by public and market scepticism towards the accuracy of statistics on government debt and deficit levels. We can only imagine that were the 2008 poll to be repeated, confidence levels will have got worse. This should serve as a warning sign to us since public trust in the veracity of statistics is vital if we are to have a culture of evidence-based policy making and accountability.

In this context, this regulation comes at an opportune time. We need to re-build public confidence in statistical data. There is an adage that as soon as statistics become politicised they are swiftly devalued. This is why it is essential to take politics out of statistical production. For example, this report proposes that Member States should be forbidden from delaying the release of periodical data.

It also follows on from the Statistical Framework Programme 2013-17 Regulation. If the Programme focuses on what data the ESS should be collecting and how it should be paid for, this Regulation focuses on the rules that govern the statistical offices themselves and how they should function.

A report published in September by the European Court of Auditors is instructive and in line with many of the proposals by this Rapporteur. It calls for a move towards a "system of European statistics which guarantees professional independence, sufficient resources and strong supervision including sanctions for cases where quality standards are not respected."

So the question that should be answered in this report is as follows: what are the best ways to ensure that the functioning of the ESS is consistent, reliable and transparent?

Some basic ground-rules for statistical production are clear: NSIs must be entirely free of all political interference at national or European level. The appointment of the heads of NSIs should be done transparently and fairly with parliamentary scrutiny.

We also need a system of checks and balances, with the NSIs, Eurostat, as well as auditors at national and European level, all scrutinising statistical production.

Meanwhile, there is also a need for a system of inspections, peer reviews and, in cases where a statistical body is guilty of serious misrepresentation of data, possible sanctions, so that standards of statistical production are maintained at a consistently high standard. All NSIs should be subject to a detailed inspection of their work on a bi-annual basis where possible.

The European Commission has pushed through some encouraging initiatives, but these need to be strengthened. The Statistical Code of Practice agreed by the Commission and the Member States needs to be implemented and rigorously enforced.

The role of the director-general of Eurostat should also involve closer interaction with Parliament to increase the level of democratic scrutiny and accountability. To ensure his/her independence the Director-General should be appointed for a non-renewable fixed-term mandate following consultation of ESGAB, the European Parliament and the Council. Furthermore, as Chief Statistician for the EU he/she should also appear before Parliament to discuss policies relating to statistical production and governance.

At the same time, we should apply these criteria to the heads of the NSIs to ensure not only that they are operationally independent and politically neutral, but accountable to their respective parliaments as well.

Eurostat is a small but vital wing of the Commission. Its nearly 800 official's co-ordinate around 50,000 statistical officials at national and European level in the European Statistical System (ESS). Meanwhile, an average of €90 million is allocated to Eurostat from the EU budget. The work of the ESS should form the backbone for policy-making in Europe.

The last two years have seen wholesale reforms to the EU's economic governance aimed at improving trust in the system. It is necessary to do the same for the European Statistical System.

PROCEDURE

Title

European statistics

References

COM(2012)0167 – C7-0101/2012 – 2012/0084(COD)

Date submitted to Parliament

10.4.2012

 

 

 

Committee responsible

       Date announced in plenary

ECON

20.4.2012

 

 

 

Committee(s) asked for opinion(s)

       Date announced in plenary

REGI

20.4.2012

 

 

 

Not delivering opinions

       Date of decision

REGI

21.6.2012

 

 

 

Rapporteur(s)

       Date appointed

Edward Scicluna

7.5.2012

 

 

 

Discussed in committee

10.7.2012

6.11.2012

6.12.2012

 

Date adopted

18.12.2012

 

 

 

Result of final vote

+:

–:

0:

38

0

1

Members present for the final vote

Burkhard Balz, Elena Băsescu, Jean-Paul Besset, Sharon Bowles, Udo Bullmann, George Sabin Cutaş, Leonardo Domenici, Derk Jan Eppink, Diogo Feio, Elisa Ferreira, Ildikó Gáll-Pelcz, Jean-Paul Gauzès, Sven Giegold, Sylvie Goulard, Liem Hoang Ngoc, Gunnar Hökmark, Wolf Klinz, Rodi Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou, Philippe Lamberts, Werner Langen, Astrid Lulling, Ivari Padar, Alfredo Pallone, Antolín Sánchez Presedo, Olle Schmidt, Edward Scicluna, Peter Simon, Theodor Dumitru Stolojan, Kay Swinburne, Sampo Terho, Marianne Thyssen, Pablo Zalba Bidegain

Substitute(s) present for the final vote

Herbert Dorfmann, Sari Essayah, Vicky Ford, Ashley Fox, Robert Goebbels, Sophia in ‘t Veld, Thomas Mann

Date tabled

21.12.2012