REPORT on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Council Regulation (EC) No 577/98 on the organisation of a labour force sample survey in the Community

22.10.2013 - (COM(2013)0155 – C7‑0086/2013 – 2013/0084(COD)) - ***I

Committee on Employment and Social Affairs
Rapporteur: Tatjana Ždanoka

DRAFT EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION

on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Council Regulation (EC) No 577/98 on the organisation of a labour force sample survey in the Community

(COM(2013)0155 – C7‑0086/2013 – 2013/0084(COD))

(Ordinary legislative procedure: first reading)

The European Parliament,

–   having regard to the Commission proposal to Parliament and the Council (COM(2013)0155),

–   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 (C7‑0086/2013),

–   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 Employment and Social Affairs and to the opinion of the Committee on Budgets (A7-0344/2013),

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 (new)
Text proposed by the Commission	Amendment
	(-1) In order to effectively combat discrimination in accordance with Article 10 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), to assist in ensuring compliance with Article 21 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, and to pursue the aim of full employment and social progress, in accordance with Article 3 of the Treaty on European Union, as well as in order to monitor progress towards Union policy objectives, such as the Europe 2020 headline targets, it is necessary to have comparable, reliable and objective statistics on the situation of employed persons, unemployed persons and persons outside the labour market, while respecting statistical confidentiality, privacy and protection of personal data.
Amendment  2 Proposal for a regulation Recital 3
Text proposed by the Commission	Amendment
(3) The Commission should have the power to adopt delegated acts under Article 290 of the TFEU in order to supplement or amend certain non-essential elements of particular legislative acts, notably to take account of economic, social and technical developments. The Commission should ensure that these delegated acts do not impose a significant additional administrative burden on the Member States or on the respondent units.	(3) The Commission should have the power to adopt delegated acts under Article 290 of the TFEU in order to supplement or amend certain non-essential elements of particular legislative acts, notably to take account of economic, social and technical developments. These delegated acts should not impose a disproportionate additional burden on the Member States or on respondents.
Amendment  3 Proposal for a regulation Recital 8
Text proposed by the Commission	Amendment
(8) In view of the importance of the Labour Force Survey ad hoc modules in support of Union policies, a contribution by the Union to the financing of their implementation is proposed through grant procedures, without calls for proposals. The grants shall be awarded to the national statistical institutes and other national authorities referred to in Article 5(2) of Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 March 2009 on European statistics. Grants that are provided for purposes of carrying out labour force surveys may take the form of lump sums. In this context, the use of lump sums should be a principal means of simplifying grant management.	(8) In view of the importance of the Labour Force Survey ad hoc modules for Union policies, a contribution by the Union to the financing of their implementation should be awarded, in accordance with the principle of reasonable financial-burden-sharing between the budgets of the Union and the Member States. Grants should be provided, without calls for proposals, in accordance with the second subparagraph of Article 128(1) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2012 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union1. The grants should be awarded, subject to the actual implementation of the ad hoc modules, to the national statistical institutes and other national authorities referred to in Article 5(2) of Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 March 2009 on European statistics. Grants that are provided for the purpose of carrying out labour force surveys may take the form of lump sums. In this context, the use of lump sums should be one of the principal means of simplifying grant management.
	_____________
	1 OJ L 298, 26.10.2012, p. 1.
Amendment  4 Proposal for a regulation Recital 9
Text proposed by the Commission	Amendment
(9) By derogation from Article 126(3)(e) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2012 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union, in view of the increased administrative burden related to the additional information to be collected for the Labour Force Survey which will contribute to providing the indicators for three of the Europe 2020 headline targets, it is necessary to cofinance the salary costs of the personnel of national administrations even if the relevant public authority would have carried out the supported action without an EU grant.	(9) By derogation from Article 126(3)(e) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2012 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union, in view of the increased workload related to the additional information to be collected for the Labour Force Survey ad hoc modules, which will contribute to providing the indicators for Union policy targets, it is necessary to cofinance the salary costs of the personnel of national administrations even if the relevant public authority would have carried out the supported action without an EU grant.
Amendment  5 Proposal for a regulation Recital 12
Text proposed by the Commission	Amendment
(12) In order to ensure legal certainty, it is necessary that procedures for the adoption of measures which have been initiated but not completed before the entry into force of this Regulation are not affected by this Regulation.	(12) In order to ensure legal certainty, it is necessary to ensure that procedures for the adoption of measures which have been initiated but not completed before the entry into force of this Regulation are not affected by this Regulation.
Amendment  6 Proposal for a regulation Article 1 – paragraph 2 Regulation (EC) No 577/98 Article 7 a – paragraph 1 (new)
Text proposed by the Commission Amendment 1. The Commission shall be empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 7c concerning an additional set of variables (hereinafter referred to as ‘ad hoc module’) in order to supplement the information described in Article 4(1), including the subject, the reference period, the sample size (equal to or less than the sample size determined according to Article 3) and the deadline for transmission of the results (which may be different from the deadline according to Article 6). 1. A further set of variables to supplement the information described in Article 4(1) ("the ‘ad hoc module") may be addedThe Commission shall be empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 7c establishing a multiannual programme of ad hoc modules, specifying the subject, the reference period, the sample size (equal to or less than the sample size determined according to Article 3), the list of variables and the deadline for transmission of the results (which may be different from the deadline according to Article 6).
Justification
In the interests of clear drafting and transparency, the amendment reflects the wording of Article 4(2) of the current Regulation 577/98.
Amendment  7 Proposal for a regulation Article 1 – point 2 Regulation (EC) No 577/98 Article 7 b (new)
Text proposed by the Commission Amendment The Union may award financial support to the national statistical institutes and other national authorities referred to as designated beneficiaries in Article 5(2) of Regulation (EC) No 223/2009, for the implementation of the ad hoc modules as referred to in Article 7a in accordance with Article X of Regulation (EU) No XX/XX of the European Parliament and of the Council on a European Union Programme for Social Change and Innovation, [COM (2011) 609 final]. In accordance with the second subparagraph of Article 128(1) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012, the Union may award grants, without a call for proposals, to the national statistical institutes and other national authorities referred to as designated beneficiaries in Article 5(2) of Regulation (EC) No 223/2009, for the implementation of the ad hoc modules as referred to in Article 7a, under the provisions of Article X of Regulation (EU) No XX/XX of the European Parliament and of the Council on a European Union Programme for Social Change and Innovation, [COM (2011) 609 final]. The grants may take the form of lump-sum payments and shall be made on condition that Member States actually participate in the implementation of ad hoc modules.
Amendment  8 Proposal for a regulation Article 1 – point 2 Regulation (EC) No 577/98 Article 7 c – paragraph 2 (new)
Text proposed by the Commission Amendment 2. When exercising the powers delegated in accordance with Article 4(2) and Article 7a, the Commission shall ensure that the delegated acts do not impose a significant additional administrative burden on the Member States and on the respondents. 2. When exercising the powers delegated in accordance with Article 4(2) and Article 7a, the Commission shall ensure that the delegated acts do not impose a disproportionate additional burden on the Member States and on respondents. In addition, the Commission shall duly justify the actions in those intended delegated acts and shall provide information with input from Member States on the burden and the production costs as referred to in Article 14(3) of Regulation (EC) No 223/2009.
Amendment  9 Proposal for a regulation Article 1 – point 2 Regulation (EC) No 577/98 Article 7 c – paragraph 3 (new)
Text proposed by the Commission Amendment 3. The power to adopt delegated acts referred to in Article 4(2) and Article 7a shall be conferred on the Commission for an indeterminate period of time from (Publications office: please insert the exact date of the entry into force of the amending Regulation). 3. The power to adopt delegated acts referred to in Article 4(2) and Article 7a shall be conferred on the Commission for a period of five years from …*. The Commission shall draw up a report in respect of the delegation of power not later than nine months before the end of the five-year period. The delegation of power shall be tacitly extended for periods of an identical duration, unless the European Parliament or the Council opposes such extension not later than three months before the end of each period.   ______________   * OJ: please insert the date of entry into force of this Regulation.
Amendment  10 Proposal for a regulation Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 2 Regulation (EC) No 577/98 Article 7 c – paragraph 6 (new)
Text proposed by the Commission Amendment 6. A delegated act adopted pursuant to Article 4(2) and Article 7a shall enter into force only if no objection has been expressed either by the European Parliament or by 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.’ 6. A delegated act adopted pursuant to Article 4(2) and Article 7a shall enter into force only if no objection has been expressed either by the European Parliament or by 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.’

OPINION of the Committee on Budgets (22.7.2013)

for the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs

on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Council Regulation (EC) No 577/98 on the organisation of a labour force sample survey in the Community
(COM(2013)0155 – C7‑0086/2013 – 2013/0084(COD))

Rapporteur: Jean Louis Cottigny

SHORT JUSTIFICATION

The Labour Force Survey (LFS) is the framework of reference for the collection of statistical information about the EU labour market.

The core LFS is supplemented by a so-called ad hoc module that focuses on a different topic each year – in 2013, for example, it was accidents at work and other work-related health problems. According to the Commission (Eurostat), while the core part of the survey is of equal interest at national and European levels, the ad hoc modules serve chiefly to provide the requisite information for specifically European policy initiatives such as the European employment and Europe 2020 strategies.

Because the ad hoc modules are largely of European value and because the quest for additional information, varying from year to year, imposes administrative burdens, Eurostat has found it hard in the past to get the Member States and their national statistical institutes to cooperate fully in implementing the modules. For Eurostat to be able to make optimal use of the data collected by the national authorities, however, the survey needs to be conducted in a consistent manner in all Member States.

Apart from bringing the relevant provisions into line with the system of delegated and implementing acts, the main aim of this proposal is to introduce a legal basis for future grants to the national statistical institutes, in the form of lump sums and without calls for proposals.

Your rapporteur advocates that Parliament back the principle, as proposed by the Commission, of supporting national public authorities financially in carrying out statistical work that offers real European added value. He points out that the 2013-2017 EU statistical programme is already based on a similar principle of reasonable financial burden-sharing between the budgets of the European Union and the Member States. It is the case that the LFS ad hoc modules are largely of European value and that they create work for the national statistical institutes on top of their regular activities.

The rapporteur also proposes that consideration be given to amendments designed to ensure that, in return for the cofinancing, the national authorities undertake actual implementing activities for the LFS ad hoc modules, in line with the Financial Regulation and similar statistics-related regulations, e.g. on the European statistical programme 2013-2017.

AMENDMENTS

The Committee on Budgets calls on the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs, as the committee responsible, to incorporate the following amendments in its report:

Amendment  1 Proposal for a regulation Recital 8
Text proposed by the Commission	Amendment
(8) In view of the importance of the Labour Force Survey ad hoc modules in support of Union policies, a contribution by the Union to the financing of their implementation is proposed through grant procedures, without calls for proposals. The grants shall be awarded to the national statistical institutes and other national authorities referred to in Article 5(2) of Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 March 2009 on European statistics. Grants that are provided for purposes of carrying out labour force surveys may take the form of lump sums. In this context, the use of lump sums should be a principal means of simplifying grant management.	(8) In view of the importance of the Labour Force Survey ad hoc modules in support of Union policies, a contribution by the Union to the financing of their implementation is proposed, in accordance with the principle of reasonable financial burden-sharing between the budgets of the European Union and the Member States. The financing shall be provided through grant procedures, without calls for proposals, in accordance with the second subparagraph of Article 128(1) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2012 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union. The grants shall be awarded, subject to the actual implementation of the ad hoc modules, to the national statistical institutes and other national authorities referred to in Article 5(2) of Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 March 2009 on European statistics. Grants that are provided for purposes of carrying out labour force surveys may take the form of lump sums. In this context, the use of lump sums should be a principal means of simplifying grant management.
Amendment  2 Proposal for a regulation Article 1 – paragraph 2 Regulation 577/98 Article 7a, paragraph 1
Text proposed by the Commission Amendment 1. The Commission shall be empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 7c concerning an additional set of variables (hereinafter referred to as ‘ad hoc module’) in order to supplement the information described in Article 4(1), including the subject, the reference period, the sample size (equal to or less than the sample size determined according to Article 3) and the deadline for transmission of the results (which may be different from the deadline according to Article 6). 1. A further set of variables, hereinafter referred to as an ‘ad hoc module’, may be added to supplement the information described in Article 4(1). The Commission shall be empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 7c to establish a multiannual programme of ad hoc modules, specifying the subject, the reference period, the sample size (equal to or less than the sample size determined according to Article 3) and the deadline for transmission of the results (which may be different from the deadline according to Article 6).
Justification
In the interests of clear drafting and transparency, the amendment reflects the wording of Article 4(2) of the current Regulation 577/98.
Amendment  3 Proposal for a regulation Article 1 – paragraph 2 Regulation 577/98 Article 7b
Text proposed by the Commission Amendment The Union may award financial support to the national statistical institutes and other national authorities referred to as designated beneficiaries in Article 5(2) of Regulation (EC) No 223/2009, for the implementation of the ad hoc modules as referred to in Article 7a in accordance with Article X of Regulation (EU) No XX/XX of the European Parliament and of the Council on a European Union Programme for Social Change and Innovation, [COM (2011) 609 final]. In accordance with the second subparagraph of Article 128(1) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012, the Union may award grants, without a call for proposals, to the national statistical institutes and other national authorities referred to in Article 5(2) of Regulation (EC) No 223/2009, for the implementation of the ad hoc modules as referred to in Article 7a, under the provisions of Article X of Regulation ( EU) No XX/XX of the European Parliament and of the Council on a European Union Programme for Social Change and Innovation, [COM (2011) 609 final]. The grants may take the form of lump-sum payments and shall be made subject to the Member States’ participating fully in the implementation of the ad hoc modules.
Justification
Includes in the legislative text an explicit reference to the use of lump-sum payments, as proposed by the Commission, and a reference to Article 128(1) of the Financial Regulation, providing for an exception to the rule on calls for proposals in the case of beneficiaries identified in a basic instrument.

PROCEDURE

Title	Organisation of a labour force sample survey in the Community
References	COM(2013)0155 – C7-0086/2013 – 2013/0084(COD)
Committee responsible  Date announced in plenary	EMPL 16.4.2013
Opinion by  Date announced in plenary	BUDG 16.4.2013
Rapporteur  Date appointed	Jean Louis Cottigny 15.4.2013
Date adopted	11.7.2013
Result of final vote	+: –: 0:	24 3 0
Members present for the final vote	Marta Andreasen, Richard Ashworth, Zuzana Brzobohatá, Jean-Luc Dehaene, Göran Färm, José Manuel Fernandes, Eider Gardiazábal Rubial, Salvador Garriga Polledo, Jens Geier, Lucas Hartong, Jutta Haug, Jan Kozłowski, Alain Lamassoure, Claudio Morganti, Jan Mulder, Juan Andrés Naranjo Escobar, Andrej Plenković, Dominique Riquet, Alda Sousa, Oleg Valjalo, Angelika Werthmann, Jacek Włosowicz
Substitute(s) present for the final vote	Maria Da Graça Carvalho, Edit Herczog, Paul Rübig, Catherine Trautmann
Substitute(s) under Rule 187(2) present for the final vote	Zdravka Bušić

PROCEDURE

Title	Organisation of a labour force sample survey in the Community
References	COM(2013)0155 – C7-0086/2013 – 2013/0084(COD)
Date submitted to Parliament	22.3.2013
Committee responsible        Date announced in plenary	EMPL 16.4.2013
Committee(s) asked for opinion(s)        Date announced in plenary	BUDG 16.4.2013	JURI 16.4.2013
Not delivering opinions        Date of decision	JURI 15.4.2013
Rapporteur(s)        Date appointed	Tatjana Ždanoka 17.4.2013
Discussed in committee	18.9.2013
Date adopted	17.10.2013
Result of final vote	+: –: 0:	30 2 3
Members present for the final vote	Regina Bastos, Edit Bauer, Heinz K. Becker, Jean-Luc Bennahmias, Phil Bennion, Vilija Blinkevičiūtė, Philippe Boulland, Alejandro Cercas, Ole Christensen, Minodora Cliveti, Marije Cornelissen, Emer Costello, Frédéric Daerden, Richard Falbr, Thomas Händel, Stephen Hughes, Patrick Le Hyaric, Olle Ludvigsson, Thomas Mann, Csaba Őry, Sylvana Rapti, Licia Ronzulli, Elisabeth Schroedter, Nicole Sinclaire, Jutta Steinruck, Andrea Zanoni, Inês Cristina Zuber
Substitute(s) present for the final vote	Georges Bach, Sergio Gutiérrez Prieto, Anthea McIntyre, Tatjana Ždanoka
Substitute(s) under Rule 187(2) present for the final vote	Eric Andrieu, Pilar Ayuso, Eduard-Raul Hellvig, Roberta Metsola
Date tabled	22.10.2013