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COMMISSION OFTHEEUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
COM(81)391 final
Brussels-15July1981
L-.-''•\ .
<■£IUv//
Proposalfora
COUNCILDIRECTIVE (EEC)
derogating infavouroftheKingdomoftheNetherlands
fromDirective 73/403/EEConthesynchronization of
generalpopulation censuses
(submittedtotheCouncilbytheCommission )
C0M(81)391final

REASONSFORTHEPROPOSAL
1..Article1ofCouncilDirectiveof22November1973on"thesynchronisation
ofgeneralpopulationcensusesstipulatesthatMemberStatesshallconduct
ageneralpopulationcensusonadatebetween1.Marchand31May1981.
Article2oftheDirectivestipulatesthattheCommission,incollator-:
/-ationwiththecompetentauthoritiesoftheMemberStates,shalldrawup
aprogrammeofstatisticaltablesto"bepreparedonthebasisofsuch
censuses,coveringcertaindemographic ,professional andsooialcharacter­
isticsofindividuals ,householdsandfamilies.
2.Inaletterdated15September1980thePermanentRepresentation forthe
Netherlands conveyedarequestfromtheNetherlands Governmentfora
derogationfromthisDirectiveinthefollowingterms:
"Re:1981populationcensus
OnbehalfoftheNetherlands Government ,Ishouldliketoapplytothe
CommissionfortheNetherlands to"bereleasedfromitsobligationto
carryoutageneralpopulationcensusbetween1Marchand31May1981
inclusive,aslaiddowninCouncilDirectiveN°73/404/EECof22November
1973(OfficialJournalN°L34?)onthesynchronisation ofgeneralcen­
suses.Thereasonsforthisrequestareasfollows:
(i)Theexperiencegainedinthecourseofthesamplesurveyscarried
outin1979inpreparationforthegeneralcensusoriginallyplanned
for1981hasgivenrisetoseriousdoubtsastowhetherthepopu­
lationissufficientlywilling,inthecurrentsituation,totake
partinanewcensus.Thetotalnon-responserateinthesample
surveyswas26$,withwidevariationsfrom215binruralareasto
37$inthebigcities.
(ii)Pearsasregardstheanticipatedrelativeunwillingness onthe
partofthepopulationtotakepartinanewcensusarereinforced
"bythefindingsofaqualitativesurveyofpeople'sviewsonpopu­
lationcensusesingeneral.Ithasteenfoundthattheconcept
"populationcensus"intheNetherlandshasstrongemotional

connotations inthatthewordisassociatedwiththeideaof
personalregistration .Thegeneralpoliticalandsocialdebate
ontheimportanceofprotectingtheindividual'sprivacyhasa
bearingonthepopulationcensus.
Thisassociationclearlygivesrisetofeelingsoffearandre­
luctancetotakepartinthecensus.Althoughtherearenoreal
groundsforsuchfears,thefactisthattheresultantsocialand
psychological climatedoesnotaugurwellforasuccessfulpopula­
tioncensusinthenearfuture.Theclimatecanonlybeimproved
byalengthypublicrelationsexercicearidtheinstitution of
adequatelegalprovisionstoprotecttheindividual'sprivacy.
(iii)Inviewoftheneedtotakeallduecareinthismatter,the
importantpoliticaldiscussions onthedraftlawonpersonal
registration willnotmakesufficientprogressforthepopulation
censustobepreparedbythedeadline(endofFebruary1981).
(iv)'Inviewoftheaboveconsiderations andgiventhefactthatthe
Association ofDutchMunicipalAuthorities hasgivennoticeof
seriousreservations asregardsthescheduledcensusdate(clashing
withtheSecondChamberelectionsin1931),theGovernment ,having
heardtheopinionoftheCentralCommitteeonStatistics ,feels
thatthecensusplannedfor1981shouldbepostponedtoalater
datesometimeinthe1980s.Thiswillrequirethecreationof
appropriatelegalprovisions ,andadraftisnowbeingprepared
andwillshortlybesubmittedattheScccnaChamber.Theaimof
thislegislationwillbetorevokethecurrentobligation(based
onthecurrentPopulationCensusesAct)tocarryoutacensusin
1980or1981,andtomakepossibleforageneralpopulationcensus
tobeheldatsomelatertimeinthe1960e<bygeneralgovernment
decree."
AssixMemberCountrieswereprocedingwitharrangements forthecarrying
outofpopulationcensuseswithintheperiodofthe1973Directive,while
threeotherswereseekingderogationstopermitpostponements oftheir
censusesbyuptooneyear,theCommissiondidnotfeelJustified,on
thebasisonthisrequest,inrecommending aderogationremovingcompletely

theobligationsofthe1973DirectiveinrespectoftheNetherlands.The
Netherlands was,therefore,askedwhetheritcouldindicatewhenacensus
ofPopulationwouldhetakenand,ifthiscouldnot"beinsufficienttime
fortheresultstobeincludedintheCommunitytabulationprogramme,
whatalternatives existedforcompletingthosetablesinrespectofthe
Netherlands.Thereplyinaletterdated3April1981,wasasfollows:
"(i)Pilottestsorganisedin1979revealedseriousdifficulties ,putting
indoubtthesuccessofthecensus.
(ii)Effortsarebeingmadetointroducelegalmeasurestoresolve
thesedifficulties ,whichhavetheirorigininthepresentsocio-
psychological climatesurroundingthecensusofpopulation.Besides
creatingconditionsessentialforthesuccessofthecensus,legal
measureshavealreadybeenputinhandtopermittheorganisation
ofacensusofpopulationbeforetheendof1986.
(iii)Thestatisticaltablesinrespectofdemographiccharacteristics
containedinthe1981CommunitycensusofPopulationProgramme
willbecompletedusingdataobtainedfromcurrentdemographic
statistics.
(iv)Theothertablesofthe1981Communitycensusofpopulationpro­
grammewillbecompiledonthebasisofdatacollectedatthe
labourforcesamplesurvey,organisedinthespringof1981»for
whichsurveytheusualsamplingfractionfortheNetherlandsis
beingraisedtofivepercent."
HavingregardtothedifficultiesexperiencedbytheNetherlandsin
complyingfullywiththeprovisionsofthe1973Directive,theCommission
considersthatinthecircumstances theseproposalsoftheNetherlands
governmentrepresentasatisfactory compromise.AccordinglytheCommission
recommendsthataderogationbegrantedasrequestedintheletterof
thePermanentRepresentation oftheNetherlandsof15September1980.

Proposalfora
COUNCILDIRECTIVE (EEC)
derogatinginfavouroftheKingdomoftheNetherlandsfromDirective73/403/EEC
onthesynchronisation ofgeneralpopulationcensuses
THECOUNCILOFTHEEUROPEANCOMMUNITIES ,
HavingregardtotheTreatyestablishing theEuropeanEconomicCommunity,
andinparticularArticle213thereof,
HavingregardtotheproposalfromtheCommission ,
WhereasCouncilDirective73/403/EEC(1)stipulatesthatMemberStatesshall
conductageneralpopulationcensusonadatebetween1Marchand31May1981,
Whereasseriousadministrative difficulties ,whichcouldnothavebeenforeseen
atthetimewhentheDirectivewasadopted,havearisenwhichpreventthe
successfulexecutionofacensusofpopulationintheKingdomoftheNether­
landsbetweenthesaiddates,
WhereasitisnowproposedtoderivetheinformationrequiredbytheDirective
partlyfromcurrentdemographicstatisticsandpartlyonasamplebasis,
HASADOPTEDTHISDIRECTIVE
Article 1
BywayofderogationfromDirective73/403/EEC,theprovisionsofthe
DirectiveshallnotapplyinthecaseoftheKingdomoftheNetherlands.
Article 2
ThisDirectiveisaddressedtotheMemberStates.
DoneatBrussels, FortheCouncil
ThePresident
(1OJF347,17.12.1973 ,P.50