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COMMON POSITION (EC) No 21/2005

adopted by the Council on 8 March 2005

with a view to adopting Regulation (EC) No .../2005 of the European Parliament and of the Council of ... on the compilation of quarterly non-financial accounts by institutional sector

(2005/C 144 E/03)

THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 285(1) thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,

Having regard to the opinion of the European Central Bank (1),

Acting in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 251 of the Treaty (2),

Whereas:

HAVE ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

Purpose

This Regulation provides a common framework for the contributions of the Member States to the compilation of quarterly European non-financial accounts by institutional sector.

Article 2

Transmission of quarterly non-financial accounts by institutional sector

1.   Member States shall transmit to the Commission quarterly non-financial accounts by institutional sector, as specified in the Annex, except, in the first instance, items P.1, P.2, D.42, D.43, D.44, D.45 and B.4G.

2.   A timetable for the transmission of items P.1, P.2, D.42, D.43, D.44, D.45 and B.4G, respectively, and any decision to require a breakdown of the transactions listed in the Annex by counterpart sector shall be adopted in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 8(2). Any such decision shall not be adopted before the Commission has reported to the European Parliament and the Council on the implementation of this Regulation pursuant to Article 9.

3.   The quarterly data referred to in paragraph 1 shall be delivered to the Commission at the latest 90 calendar days after the end of the quarter to which the data relate. During a transitional period of three years from the entry into force of this Regulation the quarterly data referred to in paragraph 1 shall be delivered to the Commission at the latest 95 calendar days after the end of the quarter to which the data relate. Any revision of the data for previous quarters shall be transmitted at the same time.

4.   The time of transmission specified in paragraph 3 may be adjusted, by a maximum of five days, in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 8(2).

5.   The first transmission of quarterly data shall relate to data for the third quarter of 2005. Member States shall deliver these data no later than 3 January 2006. This first transmission shall include back data for the periods from the first quarter of 1999.

Article 3

Reporting obligations

1.   All Member States shall transmit the data described in the Annex, with respect to the rest of the world sector (S.2) and the general government sector (S.13). A Member State for which gross domestic product at current prices normally represents more than 1 % of the corresponding Community total shall transmit the data described in the Annex for all institutional sectors.

2.   The Commission shall determine the percentage of Community total gross domestic product at current prices that a Member State's gross domestic product normally represents, as specified in paragraph 1, on the basis of the arithmetic mean of the latest three years' annual data transmitted by Member States.

3.   The proportion (1 %) of the Community total referred to in paragraph 1 may be adjusted in accordance with the procedures referred to in Article 8(2).

4.   Derogations from this Regulation may be accepted by the Commission if national statistical systems require major adaptation. Such derogations shall last not more than three years from the date of entry into force of this Regulation, or that of the implementing measures adopted in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 8(2).

Article 4

Definitions and standards

The standards, definitions, classifications, and accounting rules for data transmitted for the purposes of this Regulation shall be those laid down in Regulation (EC) No 2223/96 (hereinafter referred to as the ESA Regulation).

Article 5

Data sources and consistency requirements

1.   Member States shall compile the information requested in this Regulation using all sources they consider relevant, giving priority to direct information such as administrative sources or surveys of enterprises and households.

When such direct information cannot be collected, in particular for the back data required under Article 2(5), best estimates may be transmitted.

2.   Data transmitted by Member States for the purposes of this Regulation shall be consistent with the quarterly non-financial accounts of the general government and the quarterly main aggregates of the total economy, transmitted to the Commission under the data transmission programme of the ESA Regulation.

3.   The quarterly data transmitted by Member States for the purposes of this Regulation shall be aligned with the corresponding annual data transmitted under the data transmission programme of the ESA Regulation.

Article 6

Quality standards and reports

1.   Member States shall take all measures necessary to ensure that the quality of the data transmitted improves over time to meet the common quality standards to be defined in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 8(2).

2.   Member States shall supply the Commission with an up-to-date description of the sources, methods and statistical treatments used within a year of their first transmission of data.

3.   Member States shall inform the Commission of major methodological or other changes that would affect the data transmitted not later than three months after such change takes effect.

Article 7

Implementing measures

The implementing measures shall be laid down in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 8(2). Such measures shall include:

Article 8

Committee procedure

1.   The Commission shall be assisted by the Statistical Programme Committee.

2.   Where reference is made to this paragraph, Articles 5 and 7 of Decision 1999/468/EC shall apply, having regard to the provisions of Article 8 thereof.

The period referred to in Article 5(6) of Decision 1999/468/EC shall be set at three months.

3.   The Committee shall adopt its rules of procedure.

Article 9

Report on implementation

Within five years of the entry into force of this Regulation, the Commission shall submit a report to the European Parliament and the Council on its implementation.

In particular, this report shall:

Article 10

Entry into force

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

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.

Done at Brussels,

For the European Parliament

The President

...

For the Council

The President

...

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(1)OJ C 42, 18.2.2004, p. 23.

(2)  Opinion of the European Parliament of 30 March 2004(OJ C 103 E, 29.4.2004, p. 141), Council Common Position of 8 March 2005 and Position of the European Parliament of ... (not yet published in the Official Journal).

(3)OJ L 310, 30.11.1996, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 1267/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ L 180, 18.7.2003, p. 1).

(4)OJ L 52, 22.2.1997, p. 1. Regulation as amended by Regulation (EC) No 1882/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ L 284, 31.10.2003, p. 1).

(5)OJ L 184, 17.7.1999, p. 23.

(6)OJ L 181, 28.6.1989, p. 47.

(7)OJ L 59, 6.3.1991, p. 19.

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ANNEX

Data transmission

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STATEMENT OF THE COUNCIL'S REASONS

I.   INTRODUCTION

II.   AIM

III.   COMMON POSITION

Recitals

Articles

Article 1 (Purpose)

Article 2 (Transmission of quarterly non-financial accounts by institutional sector)

Articles 3 (Reporting obligations), 4 (Definitions and standards), 5 (Data sources and consistency requirements), 6 (Quality standards and reports), 7 (Implementing measures), 8 (Committee), 9 (Report on implementation) and 10 (Entry into force)

IV.   EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AMENDMENTS NOT TAKEN ON BOARD

V.   CONCLUSIONS

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(1)  COM(2003) 0789 final.

(2)OJ C 42, 18.2.2004, p. 23.

(3)OJ C 103 E, 29.4.2004, p. 141.

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