# Regulation (EU) No 99/2013 of the European Parliament and of the CouncilShow full title

Regulation (EU) No 99/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 January 2013 on the European statistical programme            2013-17 (Text with relevance for the EEA and for Switzerland)         

        - Previous
        - Next

U.K.

# Regulation (EU) No 99/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council

# of 15 January 2013

# on the European statistical programme 2013-17

# (Text with relevance for the EEA and for Switzerland)

THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 338(1) thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission,

After transmission of the draft legislative act to the national parliaments,

Acting in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure(1),                        

Whereas:

(1)Solid empirical data and statistics are absolutely essential in order to measure the progress and evaluate the efficiency                              of the Union’s policies and programmes, especially in the context of the Europe 2020 Strategy set out in the Commission Communication                              of 3 March 2010 entitled ‘Europe 2020: A strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth’ (Europe 2020).

(2)Pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 March 2009 on European statistics(2), a multiannual European statistical programme (the ‘multiannual programme’) should be established, providing a framework                              for funding Union actions.

(3)In accordance with Regulation (EC) No 223/2009, the multiannual programme should provide the framework for the development,                              production and dissemination of European statistics, the main fields and the objectives of the actions envisaged for a period                              not exceeding five years. It should lay down priorities concerning the needs for information for the purpose of carrying out                              the activities of the Union. Those needs should be weighed against the resources needed at Union and national level to provide                              the required statistics, and also against the response burden and the respondents’ associated costs, paying particular attention                              to cost-effectiveness.

(4)The development, production and dissemination of European statistics within the legislative framework of the multiannual programme                              should be achieved through close and coordinated cooperation within the European Statistical System (ESS) between the Union                              statistical authority, which is the Commission (Eurostat), and the national statistical institutes and other national authorities                              as designated by the Member States(3) (collectively, ‘national statistical authorities’). Professional independence of the national statistical institutes and                              the Commission (Eurostat) is essential for providing credible and high-quality statistical data.

(5)Closer cooperation between the Commission (Eurostat) and the national statistical institutes is absolutely essential, in order                              to enhance the quality of European statistics. Such closer cooperation should focus mainly on the provision of further methodological                              training on statistics and related matters, on the development and dissemination of existing good practices within the ESS,                              and on the exchange of staff between the Member States and the Commission (Eurostat) in both directions.

(6)The implementation of the multiannual programme is an opportunity to produce harmonised European statistics in order to contribute                              to the development, production and dissemination of common, comparable and reliable statistical information at Union level.

(7)High-quality statistics developed, produced and disseminated under the multiannual programme are essential for evidence-based                              decision-making, should be available in a timely manner and should contribute to the implementation of Union policies as reflected                              in the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) and Europe 2020 and other policies addressed in the Commission’s                              strategic priorities for 2010-14, namely strengthened and integrated economic governance, climate change, reformed agricultural                              policy, growth and social cohesion, gender equality, a people’s Europe and globalisation. They should be fostered through                              actions which are financed under the multiannual programme where the Union can bring a clear added value, and which aim at                              ensuring that economic, social and environmental indicators are all treated on an equal footing.

(8)When defining statistical areas to be developed, the objectives of Regulation (EU) No 691/2011 of the European Parliament                              and of the Council of 6 July 2011 on European environmental economic accounts(4), which relate to the development of new environmental economic account modules, should be taken into account.

(9)In addition, particular attention should be paid in statistical studies to the impact of fiscal consolidation programmes on                              workers and other citizens. Statistical data should be collected in such a way as to ensure the visibility of developments                              in individual Member States, such as developments regarding unemployment, the amount of and changes to social transfer payments,                              the number and quality of jobs, labour mobility within the Member States, within the Union and between the Union and third                              countries, and the related socio-geographical changes in pay structure and training measures.

(10)In recent years, the ESS has been faced with a number of challenges. First, a lack of high-quality national statistics can                              have detrimental effects on Member States and on the Union in general. Consistently accurate and high-quality statistics,                              produced by the professionally independent national statistical institutes, are therefore absolutely essential for the purposes                              of policy-making at national and at Union level, and, in particular, in the context of the euro area’s supervisory mechanisms.

(11)Second, the need for European statistics has been constantly increasing, and this trend is unlikely to change in the future.                              Economic globalisation represents a specific challenge, requiring the development of new metrics to measure global value chains                              in an internationally coordinated way, thereby providing a better picture of economic growth and job creation.

(12)Third, the nature of needs is constantly changing, requiring more synergy between statistical domains.

(13)Fourth, appropriate breakdowns of available data can make it easier to monitor the effects of the economic and financial crisis                              and the impact of implemented policies on citizens, including the most vulnerable.

(14)Fifth, the nature of statistics has changed. They are no longer merely one source of information for policy-making purposes,                              but are now at the very heart of the decision-making process. Evidence-based decision-making requires statistics that meet                              high-quality criteria linked to the specific purposes they are serving, and there is an increasing need for complex multidimensional                              statistics supporting composite policy areas. In order to respond correctly to policy-making requirements, gender disaggregated                              data is necessary, where appropriate.

(15)Sixth, due to the appearance of new actors on the information market, including those providing information in nearly real                              time, the priority for the ESS in future is high quality, including timeliness.

(16)Seventh, budget constraints at both national and Union level as well as the need to further reduce the burden on enterprises                              and citizens make the situation even more challenging.

(17)The Commission Communication of 10 August 2009 on the production method of EU statistics: a vision for the next decade, and                              the ESS strategy for its implementation, address all those seven challenges by aiming to reengineer the ways of working in                              the ESS in order to make it more efficient and flexible. The implementation of that Communication constitutes the core of                              the multiannual programme within the framework of the joint ESS strategy.

(18)To ensure the integrity and quality management of the development, production and dissemination of European statistics under                              this Regulation, the national statistical institutes and the Commission (Eurostat) should take all necessary measures to maintain                              public confidence in statistics and to allow for a more rigorous application of the European Statistics Code of Practice in                              force and of the Commission Communication of 15 April 2011 entitled ‘Towards robust quality management for European Statistics’,                              while complying with the principles set out therein.

(19)With the aim of better matching the limited resources available to national and European producers for producing European                              statistics with the increasing needs for statistics, the preparation phase of the Commission’s annual statistical work programmes,                              which spell out in detail the multiannual programme, should include a systematic and thorough review of statistical priorities                              that will reduce less important requirements and simplify existing processes, while at the same time improving the reliability                              and maintaining the high-quality standards of official statistics. Account should also be taken of the burden on respondents,                              be they businesses, central, regional or local government units, households or individuals. The process should be pursued                              in close cooperation with both the users and the producers of European statistics.

(20)In this context, reasonable financial burden-sharing between the budgets of the Union and the Member States should be achieved.                              In addition to the financial allocation set by this Regulation, the national statistical authorities should therefore receive                              at national level the appropriate funding for carrying out the individual statistical actions decided for the implementation                              of the multiannual programme.

(21)In view of the compliance burden, particularly on smaller Member States, the Commission (Eurostat) should be able to provide                              technical assistance and expertise to Member States to help them tackle research constraints and major methodological obstacles,                              with a view to ensuring compliance and the provision of high-quality data.

(22)The financial envelope of the multiannual programme should also be allocated in such a way as to cover the expenses needed                              for improving the process for producing high-quality European statistics, and the capacity to do so, and for the training                              needs of national statisticians.

(23)Financial contributions by the Union should support actions for the development, production and dissemination of European                              statistics as set out in this Regulation. They should take the form of grants, public procurement contracts or any other interventions                              needed for the purposes of achieving the objectives of the multiannual programme. In this context, the use of lump sums should                              be a principal means of simplifying grant management.

(24)Pursuant to Article 15 of Regulation (EC) No 223/2009, an adequate financial structure should be developed to support collaborative                              networks.

(25)Provision should be made to open the multiannual programme to participation of the countries of the European Free Trade Association                              participating in the European Economic Area (‘the EEA/EFTA countries’) and to Switzerland. Provision should also be made to                              open the multiannual programme to participation by other countries, in particular the neighbouring countries of the Union,                              countries which have applied for membership of the Union and candidate and acceding countries.

(26)In the context of the implementation of the multiannual programme, where appropriate, cooperation with third countries not                              participating in the multiannual programme should be encouraged, taking into account any relevant agreements, or any envisaged                              agreements, between those countries and the Union.

(27)In order to be considered as financing decisions according to Article 84(3) 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(5) (‘the Financial Regulation’), the annual work programmes adopted by the Commission for the implementation of the multiannual                              programme have to set out the objectives pursued, the expected results, the method of implementation and their total amount.                              They must also contain a description of the actions to be financed, an indication of the amount allocated to each action and                              an indicative implementation timetable. It is desirable that they also set out the relevance of the objectives pursued to                              the users’ needs and a project plan. For grants, they should include the priorities, the essential evaluation criteria and                              the maximum rate of co-financing. Moreover, the annual work programmes should include appropriate indicators for monitoring                              outcomes.

(28)Since the objective of this Regulation, namely to establish the multiannual programme, cannot be sufficiently achieved by                              the Member States and can therefore be better achieved at Union level, the Union may adopt measures, in accordance with the                              principle of subsidiarity as set out in Article 5 of the Treaty on European Union. In accordance with the principle of proportionality,                              as set out in that Article, this Regulation does not go beyond what is necessary in order to achieve that objective.

(29)An *ex-ante* evaluation has been performed in accordance with the principle of sound financial management, in order to focus the multiannual                              programme on the need for effectiveness and efficiency in achieving its objectives and in order to incorporate budgetary constraints                              from the design phase of the multiannual programme onwards. The value and impact of the measures taken under the multiannual                              programme should be regularly monitored and evaluated, including by independent external evaluators. For the purpose of evaluating                              the multiannual programme, measurable objectives have been formulated and indicators developed.

(30)For 2013, this Regulation lays down a financial envelope for the multiannual programme, which, in the framework of the annual                              budgetary procedure, is to be the prime reference for the budgetary authority within the meaning of point 37 of the Interinstitutional                              Agreement of 17 May 2006 between the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission on budgetary discipline and sound                              financial management(6).

(31)In addition to the financial envelope set by this Regulation, the individual statistical actions aimed at implementing the                              multiannual programme, including actions taking the form of an agreement between the national statistical authorities and                              the Commission (Eurostat), should receive, to the extent possible, appropriate funding at national level.

(32)The impact assessment for this Regulation, indicating cost savings for the Union and the Member States, is the basis for the                              commitment of finances to the multiannual programme. Cost savings will result, in particular, from new methods of production                              of European statistics resulting from developments in the areas of information and communication technology.

(33)The financial interests of the Union should be protected through proportionate measures throughout the expenditure cycle,                              including the prevention, detection and investigation of irregularities, the recovery of funds lost, wrongly paid or incorrectly                              used and, where appropriate, penalties.

(34)In order to ensure the continuity of statistical operations under the ESS for the entire calendar year of 2013, and for the                              purpose of legal certainty, this Regulation should enter into force on the day of its publication and should apply from 1                              January 2013. The date of application of this Regulation should, in particular, serve to justify payments to contract staff                              as well as all activities under the programme.

(35)In accordance with Regulation (EC) No 223/2009, the draft multiannual programme has been submitted for prior examination to                              the European Statistical System Committee, to the European Statistical Advisory Committee established by Decision No 234/2008/EC                              of the European Parliament and of the Council(7) and to the Committee on Monetary, Financial and Balance of Payments Statistics established by Council Decision 2006/856/EC(8),

HAVE ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

## Article 1U.K.Establishment of the European statistical programme

The European statistical programme for the period from 2013 to 2017 (‘the programme’) is hereby established.

## Article 2U.K.Added value

The programme represents the added value of ensuring that European statistics are focused on the information needed to design,                     implement, monitor and evaluate Union policies. In addition, it contributes to the effective use of resources by fostering                     actions which provide an essential contribution to the development, production and dissemination of harmonised, comparable,                     reliable, user-friendly and accessible statistical information based on uniform standards and common principles set out in                     the European Statistics Code of Practice (‘Code of Practice’), as adopted by the European Statistical System Committee (ESSC),                     in particular the quality criteria of relevance, accuracy and reliability, timeliness and punctuality, accessibility and clarity,                     and coherence and comparability.                  

## Article 3U.K.Scope

1.This Regulation provides the programming framework for the development, production and dissemination of European statistics,                        the main fields and the objectives of the actions envisaged for the period from 2013 to 2017, in accordance with Articles                        13 and 14 of Regulation (EC) No 223/2009.                  

2.The programme does not cover measures provided for by the Programme for the Modernisation of European Enterprise and Trade                        Statistics (‘the MEETS Programme’), established by Decision No 1297/2008/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council(9), until the end of the MEETS Programme on 31 December 2013, but includes objectives in the area of enterprise and trade statistics                        planned to be implemented from 2014 to 2017.                  

## Article 4U.K.Objectives

1.The general objective of the programme is for the European Statistical System (ESS) to continue to be the leading provider                        of high-quality statistics on Europe.                  

2.Bearing in mind the available resources both at national and Union level as well as the response burden, the following specific                        objectives shall be pursued in statistical actions undertaken for the implementation of the programme:                  

:

provide statistical information, in a timely manner, to support the development, monitoring and evaluation of the policies                        of the Union properly reflecting priorities, while keeping a balance between economic, social and environmental fields and                        serving the needs of the wide range of users of European statistics, including other decision-makers, researchers, businesses                        and European citizens in general, in a cost-effective manner without unnecessary duplication of effort,                     

:

implement new methods of production of European statistics aiming at efficiency gains and quality improvements,

:

strengthen the partnership within the ESS and beyond in order to further enhance its productivity and its leading role in                        official statistics worldwide, and                     

:

ensure that delivery of such statistics is kept consistent throughout the whole duration of the programme, provided that this                        does not interfere with the priority-setting mechanisms of the ESS.                     

3.The general and specific objectives referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2 are elaborated further in the Annex, together with the                        indicators used for monitoring the implementation of the programme. In accordance with Articles 13 and 14 of Regulation (EC)                        No 223/2009, the programme shall be subject to detailed annual planning which will include a priority-setting mechanism as                        an integral part of the process. The objectives of the programme shall be achieved through close and coordinated cooperation                        in the ESS. The programme shall include the development of appropriate instruments resulting in enhanced quality, a greater                        flexibility of the ESS and the increased ability to satisfy users’ needs in a timely manner. It shall also pioneer the development                        of reliable indicators able to meet the challenges of the 21st century, namely measuring environmental sustainability, quality                        of life and social cohesion, and record economic activity in the tertiary sector and the social economy.                  

## Article 5U.K.Statistical governance, independence, transparency and quality

1.European statistics shall be produced in a professionally independent and transparent manner.                  

2.The programme shall be implemented in accordance with the principles of the Code of Practice with a view to producing and                        disseminating high-quality, harmonised and comparable European statistics in accordance with Article 12 of Regulation (EC)                        No 223/2009, and ensuring the proper functioning of the ESS as a whole. The national statistical institutes and the Union                        statistical authority (Commission (Eurostat)) shall ensure, through their professional independence, that European statistics                        comply with the Code of Practice.                  

3.The national statistical institutes and other national authorities as designated by the Member States (collectively, ‘national                        statistical authorities’), and the Commission (Eurostat), which are responsible for the development, production and dissemination                        of European statistics, shall:                  
          -  aim to reinforce an institutional and organisational environment which promotes the coordination, effectiveness and credibility                           of national statistical authorities and the Commission (Eurostat) producing and disseminating European statistics,                         
          -  place emphasis on the statistical principles set out in Article 2(1) of Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 and the needs of users, 
          -  serve the needs of Union institutional users in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 223/2009, and seek to develop statistics                           which serve a wide range of users of European statistics, including other decision-makers, researchers, businesses and European                           citizens in general, and                         
          -  cooperate with statistical bodies at international level in order to promote the use of international concepts, classifications,                           methods and other standards, in particular, with a view to ensuring more coherence and better comparability at global level.                         

4.Each Member State shall endeavour to ensure that its statistical production processes are set up in a standardised manner                        and are enhanced, to the extent possible, by audit mechanisms.                  

5.In the interest of transparency, the Commission (Eurostat) shall, where appropriate, disclose publicly its assessment of the                        quality of national contributions to European statistics as part of the quality reporting and compliance monitoring exercise.                  

6.The Commission (Eurostat) shall consider how to make its publications, particularly those which are accessible via its website,                        more user-friendly to non-professionals, and shall allow easy access to complete data series and include intuitive comparative                        graphs in order to give more added value to citizens. The periodic updates of the Commission (Eurostat) shall provide, where                        possible, information on each Member State and shall offer annual, monthly and long-term data series, where appropriate, and                        where the benefits are greater than the costs of collection.                  

## Article 6U.K.Statistical priority-setting

1.The programme shall ensure statistical initiatives underpinning the development, implementation and monitoring of current                        Union policies and shall provide statistical support for important requirements resulting from new Union policy initiatives.                  

2.The Commission shall, in the preparation of the annual work programmes referred to in Article 9, ensure effective priority-setting                        and an annual review of, and report on, statistical priorities. The annual work programmes will thereby aim to ensure that                        European statistics can be produced within the available resources at the national and the Union level. Prioritisation shall                        contribute to the reduction of costs and burdens for new statistical requirements by reducing statistical requirements in                        existing domains of European statistics and shall be pursued in close cooperation with the Member States.                  

3.The Commission shall ensure the development and implementation of instruments to annually review the priorities of statistical                        activities in order to contribute to the reduction of costs and burdens on data providers and producers of statistics.                  

4.When putting forward new actions or introducing major revisions of existing statistics, the Commission shall duly justify                        such actions or revisions and shall provide information with input from Member States on response burden and production costs                        in accordance with Article 14(3) of Regulation (EC) No 223/2009.                  

## Article 7U.K.Financing

1.The Union financial envelope for the implementation of the programme for 2013 is set at EUR 57,3 million, covered by the programming                        period 2007 to 2013.                  

2.Not later than three months after the adoption of the multiannual financial framework for the years 2014-20 (‘MFF 2014 to                        2020’), the Commission is invited to submit to the European Parliament and to the Council a legislative proposal introducing                        the financial allocation for the period 2014 to 2017.                  

3.The Commission shall implement the Union financial support in accordance with the Financial Regulation.                  

4.The Commission shall adopt its decision on annual appropriations in compliance with the prerogatives of the budgetary authority.                  

## Article 8U.K.Administrative and technical assistance

The financial allocation for the programme may cover expenses pertaining to preparatory, monitoring, control, audit and evaluation                     activities which are required for the management of the programme and the achievement of its objectives; in particular, studies,                     meetings of experts, expenses linked to the reimbursement of statistical experts, information and communication actions, expenses                     linked to IT networks focusing on information processing and exchange, together with all other technical and administrative                     assistance expenses incurred by the Commission for the management of the programme. The allocation may also cover technical                     assistance and expertise provided to Member States which are unable to produce certain European statistics or statistics of                     the required quality due to specific circumstances.                  

## Article 9U.K.Annual work programmes

In order to implement the programme, the Commission shall adopt annual work programmes which shall satisfy the requirements                     laid down in Article 17 of Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 and which shall set out the objectives pursued by them and their expected                     results, in accordance with the general and specific objectives referred to in Article 4(1) and (2) of this Regulation. Each                     annual work programme shall be communicated to the European Parliament for information purposes.                  

## Article 10U.K.Types of intervention

Financial contributions by the Union may take the form of grants, public procurement contracts or any other interventions                     needed for the purposes of achieving the general and specific objectives referred to in Article 4(1) and (2).                  

## Article 11U.K.Eligible actions

1.A financial contribution by the Union shall support actions for the development, production and dissemination of European                        statistics needed for the purposes of achieving the general and specific objectives referred to in Article 4(1) and (2). Priority                        shall be given to actions with high added value for the Union in accordance with Article 2.                  

2.A financial contribution to support collaborative networks as referred to in Article 15 of Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 may                        take the form of grants for an action and may cover up to 95 % of the eligible costs.                  

3.Where appropriate, operating grants, not exceeding 50 % of the eligible costs, may be awarded for the functioning of organisations                        referred to in Article 12(3).                  

4.As a contribution to expenses incurred by the Member States in carrying out actions based on data collection, a lump sum per                        set of data, the complete results of which are to be forwarded to the Commission, may be paid up to a maximum threshold defined                        per data collection. The amount of the lump sum shall be defined by the Commission taking due account of the complexity of                        the data collection.                  

## Article 12U.K.Beneficiaries eligible for grants

1.In accordance with the second subparagraph of Article 128(1) of the Financial Regulation, grants to the national statistical                        authorities identified in Article 5(2) of Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 may be awarded without a call for proposals.                  

2.Collaborative networks may involve beneficiaries referred to in paragraph 1 and other bodies without a call for proposals                        in accordance with Article 128(1) of the Financial Regulation.                  

3.The operating grants referred to in Article 11(3) may be awarded to organisations which comply with both of the following                        criteria:                  

(a)they are non-profit making, are independent of industry, commercial and business or other conflicting interests, and have                        as their primary objectives and activities the promotion and support of the implementation of the Code of Practice and the                        implementation of new methods of production of European statistics aiming at efficiency gains and quality improvements at                        Union level; and                  

(b)they have provided the Commission with satisfactory accounts of their membership, internal rules and sources of funding.                  

## Article 13U.K.Protection of the financial interests of the Union

1.The Commission shall take appropriate measures to ensure that, when actions financed under this Regulation are implemented,                        the financial interests of the Union are protected by the application of preventive measures against fraud, corruption and                        any other illegal activities, by consistent and effective checks and, if irregularities are detected, by the recovery of the                        amounts wrongly paid and, where appropriate, by effective, proportionate and deterrent penalties.                  

2.The Commission or its representatives and the Court of Auditors shall have the competence to audit, on the basis of documents                        and on-the-spot checks, all grant beneficiaries, contractors and subcontractors who have received funding within the framework                        of this Regulation.                  

The European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) shall, where appropriate, carry out on-the-spot checks and inspections of economic operators                     concerned directly or indirectly by such funding in accordance with the procedures laid down in Council Regulation (Euratom,                     EC) No 2185/96 of 11 November 1996 concerning on-the-spot checks and inspections carried out by the Commission in order to                     protect the European Communities’ financial interests against fraud and other irregularities(10), with a view to establishing whether there has been fraud, corruption or any other illegal activity affecting the financial                     interests of the Union in connection with a grant agreement, grant decision or contract funded pursuant to this Regulation.                  

Without prejudice to the first and second subparagraphs, cooperation agreements with third countries and international organisations,                     and grant agreements, grant decisions and contracts resulting from the implementation of this Regulation shall expressly empower                     the Commission, the Court of Auditors and OLAF to conduct such audits, on-the-spot checks and inspections.                  

## Article 14U.K.Participation in the programme by third countries

Participation in the programme shall be open to:

the EEA/EFTA countries, in accordance with the conditions established in the Agreement on the European Economic Area;

Switzerland, in accordance with the conditions established in the Agreement of 26 October 2004 between the European Community                              and the Swiss Confederation on cooperation in the field of statistics(11); and                           

countries to which the European Neighbourhood Policy applies, countries which have applied for membership of the Union, candidate                              and acceding countries, and the western Balkan countries included in the stabilisation and association process, in accordance                              with the conditions laid down in the respective bilateral or multilateral agreements with those countries establishing the                              general principles for their participation in Union programmes.                           

## Article 15U.K.Evaluation and review of the programme

1.The Commission shall, after consulting the ESSC, submit an intermediate progress report on the implementation of the programme                        to the European Parliament and to the Council by 30 June 2015.                  

2.No later than 31 December 2016, the Commission may, on the basis of the intermediate progress report referred to in paragraph                        1, and after consulting the ESSC, submit to the European Parliament and to the Council a proposal for the extension of the                        programme for the period from 2018 to 2020, while complying with the MFF 2014 to 2020.                  

3.By 31 December 2018, the Commission shall, after consulting the ESSC and the European Statistical Advisory Committee, submit                        a final evaluation report on the implementation of the programme to the European Parliament and to the Council.                  

## Article 16U.K.Entry into force

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

It shall apply from 1 January 2013.

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

Done at Strasbourg, 15 January 2013.

*For the European Parliament*                            

*The President*                            

M. Schulz                            

*For the Council*                            

*The President*                            

L. Creighton                            

## ANNEXU.K.**Statistical infrastructure and objectives of the European statistical programme 2013 to 2017**

### **Introduction**U.K.

The implementation of Union policies requires high-quality, comparable and reliable statistical information about the economic,                     social and environmental situation in the Union and its components at national and regional level. European statistics are                     also indispensable for Europe, allowing the general public and European citizens to understand as well as to take part in                     the democratic process and debate about the present and future of the Union.                  

The European statistical programme provides the legislative framework for the development, production and dissemination of                     European statistics over the period 2013 to 2017.                  

European statistics are developed, produced and disseminated under that legislative framework through close and coordinated                     cooperation within the European Statistical System (ESS).                  

Statistics developed, produced and disseminated under the European statistical programme 2013 to 2017 (‘the programme’) contribute                     to the implementation of the Union’s policies as reflected in the TFEU and Europe 2020 and its respective flagship initiatives                     and other policies set out in the Commission’s strategic priorities.                  

Given the fact that the programme is a multiannual programme covering a period of five years, and that the ESS aims to maintain                     its role as a key player in the statistical field, the programme is ambitious in terms of scope and objectives, but the implementation                     of the programme will follow a step-wise approach. The development of an effective priority-setting and simplification mechanism                     will be an objective of the programme.                  

### **Statistical infrastructure**U.K.

The programme will strive to establish a statistical information infrastructure. This infrastructure has to be prepared for                     the wide and intensive use of various applications.                  

Policy-making drives the decisions to produce European statistics. However, those statistics should also be available and                     easily accessible to other decision-makers, researchers, businesses and European citizens in general as they constitute a                     public good and are paid for by European citizens and businesses, who should benefit equally from the services provided. For                     the infrastructure to fulfil this role it has to be designed according to a sound conceptual framework which, on the one hand,                     ensures fitness for a range of purposes and, on the other hand, allows flexible adaptation to evolving users’ needs in the                     years ahead.                  

The infrastructure of statistical information is presented below:

#### STATISTICAL INFORMATION INFRASTRUCTUREU.K.

Within this overarching scheme, the programme will further distinguish three pillars of statistical information: Business;                     People’s Europe; and Geospatial, Environmental, Agricultural and Other Sectoral Statistics.                  

Union and relevant global policies are the instruments that specify the statistical requirements to which the programme will                     respond through the re-engineered structure and corresponding production processes. Therefore, each individual Union and global                     policy is reflected in the different components of the statistical infrastructure and is covered by specific activities in                     the programme. New policies identified in the years ahead will be covered by establishing new derivation paths of indicators/accounts                     based on the statistical data produced within the three pillars.                  

#### STATISTICAL INFORMATION — STRUCTURE AND DYNAMICSU.K.

### **Objectives**U.K.

The general objective of the programme is for the ESS to continue to be the leading provider of high-quality statistics on                     Europe.                  

Bearing in mind the available resources both at national and Union level as well as the response burden, the following specific                     objectives shall be pursued in statistical actions undertaken for the implementation of the programme:                  
          -  Objective 1: provide statistical information in a timely manner, to support the development, monitoring and evaluation of                           the policies of the Union properly reflecting priorities, while keeping a balance between economic, social and environmental                           fields and serving the needs of the wide range of users of European statistics, including other decision-makers, researchers,                           businesses and European citizens in general, in a cost-effective manner without unnecessary duplication of effort;                         
          -  Objective 2: implement new methods of production of European statistics aiming at efficiency gains and quality improvements; 
          -  Objective 3: strengthen the partnership within the ESS and beyond in order to further enhance its productivity and its leading                           role in official statistics worldwide; and                         
          -  Objective 4: ensure that delivery of such statistics is kept consistent throughout the whole duration of the programme, provided                           that this does not interfere with the priority-setting mechanisms of the ESS.                         

Those specific objectives are split into different priority areas described below. Objectives 1 and 4 are covered by ‘I. Statistical                     outputs’, Objective 2 by ‘II. Production methods of European statistics’ and Objective 3 by ‘III. Partnership’.                  

#### I.**STATISTICAL OUTPUTS**U.K.

##### 1.**Indicators**U.K.

###### 1.1.*Europe 2020*U.K.

The endorsement of Europe 2020 by the European Council of June 2010 has shaped to a large extent the strategic agenda for                     the Union and national policies in the years ahead. That agenda establishes a number of headline targets and flagship initiatives                     for which statistical indicators have to be delivered by the ESS in a number of areas (i.e. improving the conditions for innovation,                     research and development, promoting employment, meeting Union climate change and energy objectives, resource efficiency, improving                     education levels, including learning mobility, active and healthy ageing, and promoting social inclusion through the reduction                     of poverty).                  

###### *Objective 1.1.1*U.K.

Provide high-quality statistical information, which should be available in a timely manner, to monitor the implementation                     of Europe 2020. New indicators shall, to the extent possible, be based on available statistical data.                  

The objective will be implemented by the making available of:
          -  updated headline target indicators for Europe 2020 (in the areas of employment, research and development, innovation, energy/climate                           change, education, environment, social protection, social inclusion and poverty) on the Commission (Eurostat) website;                         
          -  statistics to support the monitoring of the implementation of Europe 2020 flagship initiatives; 
          -  additional indicators as an input for the *ex-ante* and *ex-post* evaluations of the economic, social and environmental policies of the Union; and                         
          -  employment indicators distinguishing between part-time and full-time employment, as well as indicators on unemployment that                           take into account people in activation policies such as training.                         

###### 1.2.*Economic governance*U.K.

The crisis and the tensions in the financial markets have highlighted the need to strengthen the economic governance of the                     Union. Decisive steps in economic governance and coordination have already been taken by the Union, some of which will have                     major statistical implications, in addition to ongoing statistical activities.                  

###### *Objective 1.2.1*U.K.

Develop new and enhance existing statistical information relevant for Union decision-makers and the public at large in relation                     to the strengthened and integrated economic governance of the Union and the surveillance cycle integrating the Stability and                     Growth Pact and the economic policy.                  

The objective will be implemented by:
          -  providing statistical input for the macroeconomic imbalances scoreboard and the underlying analysis; 
          -  providing statistical input for an enhanced Stability and Growth Pact specifically aimed at the production and provision of                           high-quality statistics on public debt;                         
          -  developing and producing a set of indicators to measure competitiveness; and 
          -  implementing a robust quality management in the production chain, also covering upstream public finance data and the underlying                           workflows in Member States.                         

###### *Objective 1.2.2*U.K.

Provide Union decision-makers with reliable statistics and indicators for administrative and regulatory purposes and for monitoring                     specific Union policy commitments.                  

The objective will be implemented by:
          -  the definition of the scope of statistics for administrative and regulatory purposes and the agreement with users on such                           scope; and                         
          -  the definition, as appropriate, implementation and explanation of a robust quality management framework for those indicators. 

###### 1.3.*Economic globalisation*U.K.

The social, economic and other effects of the financial crisis, the increase in cross-border flows and the fragmentation of                     production processes have highlighted the need for a more coherent framework and enhanced measurement of globalised production.                  

###### *Objective 1.3.1*U.K.

Enhance the indicators and statistical information available on economic globalisation and global value chains for Union decision-makers                     and the public at large.                  

The objective will be implemented by:
          -  the updating of existing indicators on economic globalisation available on the Commission (Eurostat) website; 
          -  the development of new indicators on global value chains, including flows of and dependency on natural resources; 
          -  the analysis of the global value chains, possibly through appropriate input/output tables, and foreign trade and business                           statistics, including micro-data linking; and                         
          -  the examination of the need to reform the calculation and allocation of financial intermediation services. 

##### 2.**Accounting frameworks**U.K.

The Commission Communication of 20 August 2009 entitled ‘GDP and beyond: Measuring progress in a changing world’, and the                     publication of the Stiglitz-Sen-Fitoussi Report on the Measurement of Economic Performance and Social Progress have given                     new impetus to the key challenge for the ESS, namely how to achieve better statistics on cross-cutting issues and more integrated                     statistics to describe complex social, environmental and economic phenomena beyond the traditional measures of economic output.                     The European System of National and Regional Accounts (ESA) offers an integrated and consistent framework for all economic                     statistics that should be complemented by other indicators in order to provide more comprehensive information for policy-                     and decision-making.                  

###### 2.1.*Economic and social performance*U.K.

The economic crisis has reinforced the need to have a set of high-quality macroeconomic indicators to better understand and                     analyse economic fluctuations and their effects on society, and thereby facilitate the decision-making process. Increasingly                     globalised production makes it necessary to develop a consistent framework that facilitates the interpretation and integration                     of statistics from different domains.                  

###### *Objective 2.1.1*U.K.

Supplement measurement of economic performance by different dimensions of globalisation, the quality of life, access to goods                     and services, environmental sustainability, health, well-being, social cohesion and social inclusion. Develop a framework                     for the analysis of globalised production.                  

The objective will be implemented by:
          -  the implementation and compilation of annual and quarterly national accounts as well as annual regional accounts in accordance                           with ESA;                         
          -  the production of indicators on income and consumption distribution across households (by reconciling national accounts aggregates                           with household survey data or administrative data);                         
          -  the compilation of timely and high-quality price statistics, notably the harmonised indices of consumer prices; 
          -  the development of satellite accounts for new areas; 
          -  the creation of a database for growth and productivity measurement, taking account of changes in productivity in the public                           sector as well as the private sector;                         
          -  the development of a conceptual framework for the analysis of globalised production; 
          -  the development of a conceptual framework for the measurement of quality of life and well-being; and 
          -  the alignment of the corresponding accounting and statistical concepts to the extent possible. 

###### *Objective 2.1.2*U.K.

Provide key macroeconomic and social indicators and Principal European Economic Indicators (PEEIs) as a coherent set of indicators                     addressing the Union and global statistical data requirements and adjust PEEIs to meet evolving users’ needs.                  

The objective will be implemented by:
          -  the coordinated development of the dashboards of key macroeconomic, social and sustainable development indicators; 
          -  the availability of a harmonised methodology for key macroeconomic and social indicators and PEEIs; 
          -  the enhancement of international comparability of indicators; 
          -  the provision of improved tools to facilitate the interpretation and communication of indicators; and 
          -  the availability of harmonised housing and related statistics for all Member States. 

###### 2.2.*Environmental sustainability*U.K.

Protecting, preserving and improving the environment for present and future generations, as well as combating the effects                     of climate change, are very high on the European agenda and are objectives of the Treaties. Efficient policies in those domains                     require statistical information across various areas.                  

###### *Objective 2.2.1*U.K.

Provide environmental accounts and climate change-related statistics, taking into account international developments in this                     area.                  

The objective will be implemented by:
          -  the development of a coherent system of environmental accounts as ‘satellite accounts’ to the main national accounts, providing                           information on atmospheric emissions, energy consumption, flows and reserves of material natural resources and water, trade                           in basic and in critical raw materials, environmental taxation and spending on environmental protection, possibly including                           green growth/procurement;                         
          -  the upgrading, development, production and dissemination of indicators that show secondary pressures, impacts of climate change,                           including on health, vulnerabilities and adaptation progress; and                         
          -  the development of a headline indicator measuring global environmental pressure. 

##### 3.**Data**U.K.

###### 3.1.*Business*U.K.

European enterprises are the focus of a large number of Union policies. In addition, they are responsible for the provision                     of basic data. Accordingly, business statistics in the broad sense are in heavy demand to support the decision-making process                     but also to help European citizens and businesses understand the impact of those policies, differentiating between large enterprises,                     mid-caps and small and medium-sized enterprises for which there is an increased need for detailed and harmonised statistics.                     There is simultaneously a need to reduce the administrative and reporting burden.                  

###### *Objective 3.1.1*U.K.

Increase the efficiency and effectiveness of statistical production processes. Provide high-quality statistics on key areas                     where enterprises are the centre of interest, such as business statistics, short-term indicators, their investment in human                     capital and skills, international transactions, globalisation, internal market monitoring, R & D and innovation, and tourism.                     Special attention should be paid to the availability of data in high value-added industrial or services sectors, in particular                     in the green, digital or social economy (such as health and education).                  

The objective will be implemented by:
          -  the reuse of data available in the statistical system or in society, and the production of a common infrastructure and of                           common tools;                         
          -  the provision of statistical information and indicators on business on an annual and infra-annual basis; 
          -  the provision of statistical information describing the position of Europe in the world and the Union’s relationships with                           the rest of the world;                         
          -  the provision of statistical information for the analysis of global value chains and the development of the euro Group Register                           as a backbone for collecting cross-domain information on globalisation;                         
          -  the rebalancing of statistical collections for trade in goods and trade in services with improved availability of data on                           services and actions to rebalance statistical information on services and goods;                         
          -  the development of internal market monitoring tools, such as the food price monitoring tool and related indicators; 
          -  the provision of statistics on key areas of innovation and R & D performance through extended use of patent registers and                           extended research and statistical use of individual micro-data;                         
          -  the provision of statistics on tourism supply and demand through optimised data collection and better integrated data from                           tourism with other domains; and                         
          -  the provision of statistics on resource use and resource efficiency based to the extent possible on existing data collection. 

###### 3.2.*People’s Europe*U.K.

European citizens are at the heart of Union policies. Consequently, social statistics in the broad sense are in heavy demand                     to support the decision-making process and to monitor the outcome of social policies, but also to help European citizens assess                     the impact of those policies on their lives and well-being.                  

###### *Objective 3.2.1*U.K.

Provide statistics on key areas of social policy where the citizen is the centre of interest, such as well-being, sustainability,                     social cohesion, poverty, inequalities, demographic challenges (in particular population ageing and migration), the labour                     market, education and training, including childhood education, adult learning, vocational training and learning mobility of                     young people, culture, physical activity, quality of life, safety, health, disability, consumption, free movement and the                     internal market, mobility of young people, technological innovation and new lifestyle choices. Those statistics shall be disaggregated                     by gender where appropriate, for groups that are of special interest to social policy makers. Priorities shall be set in accordance                     with Article 6.                  

The objective will be implemented by:
          -  the putting in place of a consolidated basic infrastructure for European Social Statistics, including survey and administrative-based                           data collections and a common set of core variables;                         
          -  the development of core social surveys providing data (including micro-data) on persons and households streamlined and complemented                           by additional and less frequent micro-data collections;                         
          -  the development of statistics provided on education and training, including a rationalisation and modernisation of the Adult                           Education Survey;                         
          -  the provision of statistics on inequalities of income, providing a comparable national headline indicator, as well as data                           on inequalities of access to basic goods and services;                         
          -  methodological work on physical activity and cultural statistics; 
          -  the provision of statistics on safety from crime; health, as agreed under the framework Regulation (EC) No 1338/2008 of the                           European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2008 on Community statistics on public health and health and safety                           at work(12); and disability;                         
          -  the implementation of actions of the work programme on mainstreaming of migration statistics; 
          -  the provision of quality-of-life indicators to measure progress of societies; and 
          -  the commencement of preparations of the next census round (scheduled for 2021). 

###### 3.3.*Geospatial, environmental, agricultural and other sectoral statistics*U.K.

The combination of statistics with spatially referenced data and geospatial analysis will offer new opportunities that the                     ESS will explore further. Specific issues, such as confidentiality and statistical validity of small area estimations, will                     need to be given particular attention.                  

Energy and transport statistics to support Europe 2020 and climate change policy will be of high importance in the future.

The significance of agriculture among the Union policies will remain during 2013-17. The statistical work will be strongly                     influenced by the outcome of the reflection on the Common Agricultural Policy after 2013. Focus will be on environmental,                     biodiversity/ecosystem-related, economic, human health and safety and social dimensions.                  

###### *Objective 3.3.1*U.K.

Support evidence-based policy-making by a more flexible and increased use of spatial information combined with social, economic                     and environmental statistical information.                  

The objective will be implemented by:
          -  the further development, maintenance and operation of the Infrastructure for Spatial Information in the European Community                           (INSPIRE), established by Directive 2007/2/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council(13), and in particular by the Union’s geo-portal;                         
          -  the making available of a range of geographic information through cooperation with Union programmes for land use surveys and                           remote sensing; and                         
          -  the integration of statistical data when relevant, thus creating a multisource flexible infrastructure for the provision of                           targeted spatio-temporal analysis.                         

###### *Objective 3.3.2*U.K.

Provide environmental statistics to support the policy-making process of the Union.

The objective will be implemented by:
          -  A set of key environmental statistics on resources, such as on waste and recycling, water, raw materials deposits, ecosystems                           services and biodiversity at national and where possible regional level, and a set of key climate change-related statistics                           to support mitigation and adaptation actions and policies at all relevant levels from local to Union level.                         

###### *Objective 3.3.3*U.K.

Provide energy and transport statistics to support the policies of the Union.

The objective will be implemented by the production and dissemination of statistics on:
          -  renewable energy; 
          -  energy savings/energy efficiency; and 
          -  transport safety, passenger mobility, road traffic measurement and intermodal freight transport. 

###### *Objective 3.3.4*U.K.

Provide agriculture, fisheries and forestry statistics for the development and monitoring of the Common Agricultural and Fisheries                     Policies, reflecting key European strategic objectives related to sustainability as well as rural development by carrying                     out regular activities related to the development, production and dissemination of statistics.                  

The objective will be implemented by:
          -  the review and simplification of the agricultural data collection in line with the Common Agricultural Policy review post-2013; 
          -  the redesign of agricultural data collection processes, in particular with the objective of improving quality and timeliness                           of the data provided;                         
          -  the thorough review of the land use/cover data management system and the elaboration and implementation of a new system on                           that basis;                         
          -  the implementation of the data collection system for coherent agri-environmental indicators, based on existing data where                           possible;                         
          -  the provision of appropriate breakdowns by region; and 
          -  the implementation and dissemination of a set of key forestry data from Integrated Environmental and Economic Accounting for                           Forestry, such as forest area, volume and value of standing timber and economic accounts for forestry and logging.                         

#### II.**PRODUCTION METHODS OF EUROPEAN STATISTICS**U.K.

The ESS is currently facing a number of challenges: increasing demand for high-quality statistics, a growing need for complex                     multidimensional statistics, the appearance of new actors on the information market, constraints on resources, the need to                     further reduce the statistical burden on respondents as well as the diversification of communication tools. This implies adapting                     the production and dissemination methods of European official statistics in a progressive way.                  

##### 1.**ESS quality management**U.K.

###### *Objective 1.1*U.K.

Implement a quality management system in the ESS based on the Code of Practice.

Strengthen the sharing of good practices in the implementation of the Code of Practice and ensure that quality reporting is                     targeting different user needs.                  

The objective will be implemented by:
          -  the introduction of new monitoring mechanisms and a second round of peer reviews to assess compliance with the Code of Practice; 
          -  the alignment of the quality assurance frameworks of the ESS and the European System of Central Banks (ESCB); 
          -  the meeting of the needs of users for quality reporting; and 
          -  the standardisation of quality reports in various statistical domains at Union level. 

##### 2.**Priority-setting and simplification**U.K.

The ESS is facing a major challenge: how to provide high-quality European statistics to satisfy increasing needs for statistics                     in a context of substantially reduced budgets of Member States and a zero-growth human resource policy at the Commission and                     in Member States which, for some bodies, will result in a real reduction in human resources. Given those resource constraints                     at European and national level, it is important to strengthen priority-setting and simplification measures, which require                     the commitment of all ESS partners. A priority-setting mechanism has been introduced as an integrated part of the preparation                     of annual work programmes and will be implemented throughout the duration of the programme. This involves, among other things,                     an annual review of existing statistical requirements, taking as its point of departure initiatives proposed by the Commission                     for reducing statistical requirements considering the interests of users, producers and respondents. The process should be                     pursued in close cooperation with users and producers of European statistics.                  

###### *Objective 2.1*U.K.

Implement a priority-setting mechanism for the ESS in order to simplify reporting requirements and to adjust to new needs                     for statistics while taking into account the constraints on the producers, the response burden and the needs of users.                  

The objective will be implemented by:
          -  the definition of priorities and the allocation of resources in accordance with those priorities; 
          -  the definition of priorities for the ESS as part of the annual work programme referred to in Article 9; 
          -  the taking into account of the results of user and producer consultations in the annual work programme; and 
          -  the communication to users of the statistical areas to be simplified and of the data collection to be reduced/discontinued. 

##### 3.**Multi-purpose statistics and efficiency gains in production**U.K.

###### *Objective 3.1*U.K.

Put in place gradually, taking into account costs generated in the ESS by implementation, an ESS business architecture allowing                     more integrated production of European statistics; harmonise and standardise statistical production methods and metadata;                     enhance the horizontal (across statistical domains) and vertical (across ESS partners) integration of statistical production                     processes in the ESS in respect of the principle of subsidiarity; use and integrate multiple data sources; produce multi-purpose                     statistics. Particular attention will be given to confidentiality issues that will arise with increased use, reuse and exchange                     of micro-data and administrative records.                  

The objective will be implemented by:
          -  the greater use of appropriate administrative data in all statistical areas; 
          -  the identification and use of new data sources for European statistics; 
          -  the increased involvement of the Commission (Eurostat), and national statistical authorities in the design of administrative                           records;                         
          -  the wider use of statistical matching and data linking techniques for increasing the offer of European statistics; 
          -  the use of the European approach to statistics for quick policy response in specific and duly justified cases; 
          -  greater integration of European statistics production processes through ESS coordinated actions; 
          -  further harmonisation of statistical concepts across statistical domains; 
          -  the development and implementation of flexible IT reference infrastructure and technical standards for improving interoperability,                           sharing of data and metadata, and common data modelling;                         
          -  the use of standard IT tools across statistical business processes; 
          -  the development of methodological standards in order to increase use and availability of harmonised methodologies (including                           mixed-mode approaches to data collection) and harmonised metadata;                         
          -  the strengthening of the role of statistical business registers as the place where the statistical units for all business-related                           statistics are maintained and used as a source for national accounts; and                         
          -  the improvement of the provision of metadata, namely background information on how data are collected, the quality of data                           and how to render data more readily understandable to users.                         

###### *Objective 3.2*U.K.

Ensure the good functioning and coherence of the ESS through effective collaboration and communication.

The objective will be implemented by:
          -  the effective and efficient support for partnership within the ESS; 
          -  the definition and implementation of processes for burden and work sharing within the ESS; and 
          -  the further development and making operational of collaborative networks. 

##### 4.**Dissemination and communication**U.K.

###### *Objective 4.1*U.K.

Make the ESS the first data source on European statistics for all users and, in particular, for public and private decision-makers,                     by providing a high-quality statistical information service based on the principles of free and easy access to European statistics.                  

Intensifying and extending the dialogue between users and producers of statistics to meet user needs for high-quality statistics.                     An early involvement of users in new developments is key to improving the effectiveness and efficiency of the ESS.                  

Extend and rationalise the range of dissemination products to meet the needs of users using new technologies.

Set up a cost-efficient, integrated and secure infrastructure within the ESS for access to confidential data for scientific                     purposes.                  

The objective will be implemented by:
          -  the recognition of the ESS as the first reference point for users of European statistics; 
          -  the putting in place of an integrated secure infrastructure for access to Union micro-data; 
          -  the putting in place of a system to address users’ requests for immediate access and advice in interpretation of statistical                           information;                         
          -  the adjustment of dissemination products to the users’ needs using new technologies; 
          -  an increased number of statistical outputs on cross-cutting issues; 
          -  the increased use of new communication and dissemination technologies (e.g. SDMX-based); 
          -  an increased offer of micro-data sets for statistical research purposes in accordance with Union and national law on data                           confidentiality;                         
          -  the preparation of data sets to facilitate the use of statistical data for educational and research purposes. 

##### 5.**Training, innovation and research**U.K.

###### *Objective 5.1*U.K.

Satisfy learning and development needs in the ESS based on a combination of training courses and learning and development                     opportunities.                  

Improve the collaboration between ESS members for the transfer of knowledge and sharing and implementation of best practices                     and common innovative approaches in the production of statistics.                  

Organise the activities, participation and contribution of the research communities in the improvement of the statistical                     production chains and of the quality of official statistical information.                  

The objective will be implemented by:
          -  the development of a postgraduate degree (e.g. Master in Official Statistics); 
          -  the provision of training programmes addressing the user’s and other citizen’s needs; 
          -  the wider application of results of research projects in statistical production and dissemination; 
          -  the recognition of the ESS as a reference point for the statistical research communities; 
          -  the extensive involvement of the research communities in research activities in official statistics; and 
          -  the putting in place of adequate instruments for the exchange of practices and implementation of common solutions in the ESS. 

#### III.**PARTNERSHIP**U.K.

##### 1.**Partnership within the ESS and beyond**U.K.

In the spirit of partnership, the national statistical authorities and the Commission (Eurostat) are responsible for the development,                     production and dissemination of European statistics.                  

###### *Objective 1.1*U.K.

Implement the enhanced ESS governance framework.

The objective will be implemented by the implementation of the revision of Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 and of Commission Decision                     2012/504/EU of 17 September 2012 on Eurostat(14);                  

###### *Objective 1.2*U.K.

Enhance the coordinating role of the Commission (Eurostat) as the European Union’s Statistical Office.

The objective will be implemented by:
          -  the association of the Commission (Eurostat) with all Commission initiatives with regard to statistical aspects at an early                           stage; and                         
          -  regular stakeholder dialogues at top management level. 

###### *Objective 1.3*U.K.

Strengthen the cooperation with the ESCB and the European and international organisations involved in the production of data                     for statistical or administrative purposes through common projects and coordinated developments. Ensure consistency between                     Union and international standards.                  

The objective will be implemented by:
          -  implementing a common quality framework for the ESS and the ESCB; 
          -  increasing involvement of the Commission (Eurostat) in international advisory groups; 
          -  defining and implementing new ways of cooperation to ensure that statistical developments are well coordinated between international                           organisations and that work is allocated efficiently; and                         
          -  implementing the new United Nations System of National Accounts, ESA, the United Nations System of Environmental and Economic                           Accounts, the European Environmental Economic Accounts and the Balance of Payments manuals.                         

###### *Objective 1.4*U.K.

Promote and implement statistical advisory and statistical assistance activities in countries outside the Union in line with                     the priorities of the foreign policy of the Union, with particular emphasis on enlargement and the European Neighbourhood                     Policy.                  

The objective will be implemented by:
          -  exercising ESS leadership in the international arena; 
          -  delivering data for Union foreign policy purposes; 
          -  supporting Commission services for the implementation of development and international cooperation policies, in their relations                           with international organisations and in matters of common statistical interest with third-country regions or third countries;                         
          -  disseminating relevant statistical data to support the enlargement process and negotiations; 
          -  minimising requests for derogations from new Member States leading to unavailability of data; 
          -  establishing agreements and Memoranda of Understanding with third countries; 
          -  designing and implementing technical cooperation programmes; 
          -  focusing technical assistance on data harmonisation and delivery; and 
          -  improving cooperation and coordination activities among the members of the ESS. 

1

Position of the European Parliament of 12 December 2012 (not yet published in the Official Journal) and decision of the Council                              of 20 December 2012.                           

2

OJ L 87, 31.3.2009, p. 164.                           

3

Without prejudice to Article 5 of Protocol No 4 on the Statute of the European System of Central Banks and of the European                              Central Bank.                           

4

OJ L 192, 22.7.2011, p. 1.                           

5

OJ L 298, 26.10.2012, p. 1.                           

6

OJ C 139, 14.6.2006, p. 1.                           

7

OJ L 73, 15.3.2008, p. 13.                           

8

OJ L 332, 30.11.2006, p. 21.                           

9

OJ L 340, 19.12.2008, p. 76.                           

10

OJ L 292, 15.11.1996, p. 2.                           

11

OJ L 90, 28.3.2006, p. 2.                           

12

OJ L 354, 31.12.2008, p. 70.                           

13

OJ L 108, 25.4.2007, p. 1.                           

14

OJ L 251, 18.9.2012, p. 49.