Resolution of the ECSC Consultative Committee concerning trade statistics between the Member States after 1992 (adopted unanimously at the 280th Session held on 21 September 1989) (89/C 257/03)

THE CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE - Having taken note of the general objectives of the White Paper, published jointly with the Single European Act, and of the changes which its implementation will entail regarding formalities at intra-Community frontiers,

- Recalling that it will be important to measure the progress achieved towards greater economic, monetary and social cohesion in the framework of the single European market and that to achieve this, a statistical follow-up of deliveries of goods within the Community, which should not cause any hindrance to intra-Community trade, will remain indispensable,

- Having studied the draft Council Regulation (EEC) on the statistics relating to the trading of goods between Member States which was submitted by the European Commission on 11 January 1989 (COM(88) 810 final - SYN 181) and published in Official Journal of the European Communities No C 41 of 18 February 1989,

- Having taken note of the opinion given by the Economic and Social Committee of the European Communities during its meeting on 26 April 1989 on the draft Regulation concerned,

- Having heard the explanations of the representatives of the European Commission, 1. TAKES NOTE that the aforementioned Regulation is based on an hypothesis whose implementation according to the timetable and procedures indicated by the Commission remains uncertain : the collection of value added tax and excise duties in the country of dispatch leading to the disappearance of all the administrative procedures which could provide a basis for the collection of statistical data;

2. INSISTS that the European Commission maintain a reliable, regular, quick and sufficiently complete statistical system, whatever the taxation framework in which this system will operate;

3. ASKS the European Commission and, if necessary, the Member States to confirm the strict legal obligation on those who are currently obliged to supply statistical information, i.e. on the one hand, national administrations in the case of statistics on trade between Member States and, on the other hand, undertakings in the case of production and delivery statistics in each of the countries of the Community;

4. AFFIRMS its preference for a system of control, with sanctions in case of default, to ensure equality both in the treatment of undertakings and in the reliability of statistics;

5. IS OF THE OPINION that the increased resort to modern techniques for the collection and transmission of statistical data will make it possible to reconcile the demand for the maintenance of an adequate statistical tool with the continued rationalization efforts of the administrations concerned;

6. OBSERVES that, in comparison with the present system for the collection of statistical data, the system proposed by the Commission places greater reliance on the cooperation and the willingness of commercial operators as well as of national authorities. Asks for this reason that the appropriate implementing procedures be drawn up in such a way as to clarify the uncertainties which remain in the draft Regulation, i.e.: - the definition of who is obliged to supply information,

- numerous options regarding the determination of the Member State(s) concerned by a statistical declaration;

- setting up and keeping up-to-date exhaustive lists of operators obliged to supply information,

- control of the completeness of data;

7. UNDERLINES that, in order to carry out the specific analysis of goods movements inside the Community as well as of trade between Member States and countries outside the Community, it is necessary to have information available on the country of origin.

Insists, therefore, that, in addition to indications concerning the Member State of last despatch, the European Commission should also require mention of the country of origin of goods involved in intra-Community trade in the list of data whose declaration is obligatory;

8. EXPRESSES its satisfaction that the Commission has admitted the need to ensure compatibility of the nomenclature to be adopted for future intra-Community statistics with that of the harmonized commodity description and coding system.

It notes, however, that for its own statistical needs the ECSC iron and steel industry cannot be satisfied with the data details given in the nomenclature of the harmonized system.

It asks, therefore, that the intra-Community nomenclature be established with the same level of detail as that in use for the trade between the Community and third countries, i.e. that of the combined nomenclature with at least eight digits;

9. Whilst welcoming the fact that the Commission has tried to present in a very short period of time a technical answer to the statistical problems that will arise from the abolition of frontiers and taxation barriers, it OBSERVES that the draft Regulation provides an insufficient solution when it comes to data to be gathered pursuant to Article 3, 46 and 47 of the ECSC Treaty. It insists that the European Commission fill the gaps mentioned above, either in the framework of general implementing provisions or by exemption provisions providing for a separate statistical system for industries such as iron and steel and coal, which have special statistical needs and obligations;

10. WELCOMES the setting up of a "Committee on the Statistics relating to the Trading of Goods between Member States" but is of the opinion that this Committee should not be restricted to a purely consultative role. It asks the European Commission to give this Committee the status of a management body in which the Member States are associated in the decision-making process together with the European Commission.