EN Official Journal of the European Union L 267/32

COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 1450/2004

of 13 August 2004

implementing Decision No 1608/2003/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning the production and development of Community statistics on innovation

(Text with EEA relevance)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,

Having regard to Decision No 1608/2003/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 July 2003 concerning the production and development of Community statistics on science and technology (1), and in particular Article 3 thereof,

Whereas:

(1) Decision No 1608/2003/EC determined the individual statistical actions necessary in order to establish the Community statistics on science, technology and innovation.

(2) It is necessary to adopt measures for the implementation of individual statistical actions as determined in Article 2 of Decision No 1608/2003/EC.

(3) The individual statistical actions should take into account Decision No 2367/2002/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2002 on the Community statistical programme 2003 to 2007 (2) which specifically determined the work programme for the production and improvement of statistics on innovation for the period 2003 to 2007.

(4) It is necessary to ensure the consistency of the Community statistics on innovation with other international standards, which entails taking into account the work carried out by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and other international organisations.

(5) In implementing Decision No 1608/2003/EC, regard should be had to the framework provided by Council Regulation (EC) No 322/97 of 17 February 1997 on Community Statistics (3) when laying down provisions to cover access to administrative sources and statistical confidentiality.

(6) The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Statistical Programme Committee,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

This Regulation sets up the necessary measures for implementing Decision No 1608/2003/EC with regard to Community innovation statistics.

Article 2

1. This Regulation shall cover Community innovation statistics. For these statistics, the list of statistical variables, the activities and sectors covered, the breakdowns of the results, the frequency, the deadlines for data transmission and the transitional period shall be as specified in the Annex.

2. On the basis of the conclusions in the reports presented to the European Parliament and Council pursuant to Article 5 of Decision No 1608/2003/EC, the list of statistical variables, the activities and sectors covered, the breakdowns of the results, the frequency, the deadline for data transmission and other characteristics laid down in the Annex to this Regulation may be revised at regular intervals.

Article 3

Member States shall acquire the necessary data using a combination of different sources such as sample surveys, administrative data sources or other data sources. The other data sources shall be at least equivalent in terms of quality or statistical estimation procedures to sample surveys or administrative data sources.

Article 4

The Community innovation statistics listed in the Annex shall be based on harmonised concepts and definitions, contained in the most recent version of the Oslo Manual. Member States shall apply these harmonised concepts and definitions to the statistics to be compiled.

The reports presented to the European Parliament and Council pursuant to Article 5 of Decision No 1608/2003/EC shall make reference to concepts and definitions and their applications.

Article 5

Member States shall transmit the aggregated statistics as listed in the Annex on a compulsory basis and the individual data records on a voluntary basis, to the Commission (Eurostat), using a standard transmission format to be determined by the Commission (Eurostat) in cooperation with them.

Article 6

Quality evaluation shall be carried out by Member States and the Commission (Eurostat).

Member States shall transmit to the Commission (Eurostat), at its request, the information necessary for the evaluation of the quality of the statistics laid down in the Annex to this Regulation which are needed for the fulfilment of the reporting requirements laid down in Article 5 of Decision No 1608/2003/EC.

Article 7

This Regulation shall enter into force on the 20th day following that of 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, 13 August 2004. For the Commission Joaquín ALMUNIA Member of the Commission

(1) OJ L 230, 16.9.2003, p. 1.

(2) OJ L 358, 31.12.2002, p. 1.

(3) 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).