Eurostat, the ESS and wider institutional environment

1. Eurostat, the ESS and wider institutional environment Dakar, Senegal 18 October 2013

2. Eurostat Institutional Environment Eurostat

3. Eurostat's role in the ESS • Provide EU institutions with the data needed for key EU policies/to allocate resources across the EU • Dissemination of EU official statistics • Play a central role in working with the ESS to • Continue process to harmonise EU official statistics • drive up quality of data across the MS • improve the functioning of the ESS • International co-operation

4. The European Statistical System Partnership between Eurostat and National Statistical Institutes Defined in European Statistics Regulation 223/2009 • Member states collect and process the national data • Eurostat processes the received data and disseminates European official statistics Supported by the European Statistical Work Programme 4

5. Commission Council European Parliament How does everyone work together? ESSC PG ESGAB DGINS ESAC Sponsor- ships DIRECTORS’ GROUPS DIRECTORS’ GROUPS ESSnets WGs Working Groups Task Forces ESS

6. European Statistical System Committee (ESSC) Most important committee that guides the ESS to develop, produce and disseminate European statistics Agenda includes items for comitology, decision, discussion, information (reporting) Composed of (i) Eurostat as a Chair; (ii) Representatives of Member States = Heads of NSIs; (iii) Observers: EEA/EFTA countries, ECB, OECD, UNECE, ESAC, CMFB Meets 4 times a year 6

7. The Commission (Eurostat) shall consult the ESSC on:- • The measures which the Commission intends to take for the development, production and dissemination of European statistics, • proposed developments and priorities in the European Statistical Programme; • the annual work programme for the following year; • initiatives to bring into practice the reprioritisation and reduction of the response burden; • issues concerning statistical confidentiality; • the further development (revision or update) of the Code of Practice; • any other question, in particular issues of methodology, arising from the establishment or implementation of statistical programmes

8. The Partnership Group • What does it do? • Facilitates the work of the ESSC, prepare agenda and discussions at strategic level • What is its objective? • To foster cooperation between NSIs • To strengthen the strategic capacities of the ESS through internal discussions, stakeholder dialogues, etc. • Who are its Members? • An elected Chair from a Member State (currently Austria); Eurostat’s Director General (Vice-chair) and Deputy DG; the Heads of NSIs of the previous, current and next Council Presidencies; four elected Heads of NSIs

9. The DGINS Conference Directors General of the National Statistical Institutes

10. The DGINS Conference • It discusses/reflects: (i) internal ESS organisational issues; (ii) thematic statistical topics of general interest • Annual event – new "theme" chosen each year (e.g. 2013 on big data and official statistics) • Participants are heads of NSIs, including Candidate and Western Balkan countries • Results in a consensus document, a “memorandum”

11. Commission Council European Parliament ESS advisory bodies ESSC PG ESGAB DGINS ESAC Sponsor- ships DIRECTORS’ GROUPS DIRECTORS’ GROUPS ESSnets WGs Working Groups Task Forces ESS

12. 11 directly appointed from • European Parliament • Council • Eur. Economic and Social Committee • Committee of the Regions • European Central Bank • ESSC (2 members) • European "Social Partners" representing • workers and businesses (3) • Eur. Data Protection Supervisor • 12 appointed by Commission • from user community • respondents • other statistical stakeholders Director-General of ESTAT European Statistical Advisory Committee 24 members, appointed for a term of 5 years, renewable once:

13. European Statistical Advisory Committee • An advisory forum comprising key users of European statistics • Issues "own initiative" papers • Advises particularly on issues of relevance, prioritisation, resource impact, draws attention to new needs • Exists in current form since 2008 – updated to reflect enlarged EU membership • Set up by formal decision of the European Parliament and the Council (Decision No 234/2008/EC) • Meets at least once a year

14. European Statistical Governance Advisory Board (ESGAB) • Set up to provide independent overview of the European Code of Practice • Advises the COM (Eurostat) on appropriate measures to facilitate the Code of Practice • Have issued opinions on • Revision of the Code of Practice • Communication "Towards robust quality management" • HavewrittenpublicletterstoGreekand German authorities

15. ESGAB • Members • 7 members for 3-year-term, renewable once, non-remunerated • Nominated by Parliament and the Council • Eurostat represented as an observer • ESGAB II started work 2012-2015 • Annual report directly to the European Parliament and the Council Focus during first term 2008-2011 • Principle 1: Professional independence • Principle 3: Adequacy of resources • Principle 4: Quality commitment

16. Reflections • Current institutional environment for statistics at European level reflects • History • Incremental growth (6 to 28 countries) • External events (financial crisis) • Political and legal framework of the EU • Constantly evolving in light of the above

17. Thank you for your attention!For more information: http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/