21. 8.90 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 208/9 
Proposal for a Council Decision establishing the European Advisory Committee on statistical 
information in the economic and social spheres (CEIES) 
COM(90) 324 final 
(Submitted by the Commission on 23 July 1990) 
(90/C 208/12) 
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, 
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European 
Economic Community, 
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, 
Having regard to the opinion to the European 
Parliament, 
Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and 
Social Committee, 
Whereas the implementation, monitoring and assessment 
of Community policies depend to a great extent on the 
availability of reliable statistics in the economic and 
social fields; 
Whereas in April 1989 the Commission presented to the 
Council a communication on the adoption of a 
Community statistical policy; 
Whereas, on the basis of this communication and acting 
on a proposal from the Commission, the Council 
adopted a resolution on the implementation of a plan of 
priority actions in the field of statistical information for 
the period 1989 to 1992 0; 
Whereas by its Decision 89/382/EEC (2) the Council 
established the Statistical Programme Committee, which 
comprises the presidents and the directors-general of the 
national statistical institutes and which is responsible for 
coordinating the work, resources, schedules and methods 
involved in Community and national statistical 
programmes; 
Whereas in order to achieve the objectives set for the 
European Communities, in particular the establishment 
0) OJ No C 161, 28. 6. 1989, p. 1. 
(2) OJ No L 181, 28. 6. 1989, p. 47. of the single market provided for in the Single European 
Act, leading representatives from the scientific, economic 
and social fields must be consulted regularly with a view 
to determining the objectives and nature of the infor­
mation required to support Community policies; 
Whereas, in almost all Member States, there are consul­
tative bodies of uses and producers of statistical infor­
mation concerned mainly with the problems of the 
countries in question; 
Whereas it is therefore necessary to estabish an Advisory 
Committee on economic and social statistical infor­
mation, made up of representatives of the producers and 
users of this information, whose task it will be to help 
the Council and the Commission to coordinate the 
objectives of the Community's statistical information 
policy; 
Whereas, in carrying out this task, the Committee will 
provide particular assistance to the Council in coordi­
nating the Member States' economic policies, as 
provided for by Article 145 of the EEC Treaty and, 
more especially, to the Economic Policy Committee 
established by the Council for the purposes of this co­
ordination; 
Whereas this Committee will also have the task of 
assisting the Council and the Commission in the process 
of multilateral surveillance put in place during the first 
stage of the monetary and economic union, 
HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS: 
Article 1 
A European Advisory Committee on statistical infor­
mation in the economic and social spheres, hereinafter 
called the CEIES, shall be established. Its task shall be to 
assist the Council and the Commission in the coordi­
nation of the objectives of the Community's statistical 
No C 208/10 Official Journal of the European Communities 21. 8. 90 
information policy, taking into account user 
requirements and the costs borne by the information 
producers. 
Article 2 
The CEIES shall consider and make suggestions on 
projects to be implemented and the resources needed to 
achieve the objectives of the statistical information policy 
decided upon by the Community. 
The CEIES shall deliver an opinion on the Community's 
statistical programme and on the way in which it is 
designed and monitored. In particular, it shall comment 
on: 
— the relevance of statistical programmes to the 
requirements of European integration, as expressed 
by the Community institutions, national and regional 
authorities and the various socio-professional 
categories, 
— the coherence of the various components of the 
Community statistical infrastructure as regards 
organization and programmes, 
— the costs of the sectoral statistical programmes, 
including both the costs directly incurred by 
Community, national and regional authorities and 
the cost to society of providing the basic information, 
— the resources needed to implement the sectoral stat­
istical programmes, their origin and conformity with 
the objectives. 
Article 3 
The CEIES may be consulted by the Council and the 
Commission on any matter relating to statistical infor­
mation policy. It shall deliver opinions or present reports 
to the Council and the Commission whenever it 
considers this necessary for the fulfilment of its task. It 
shall work in close cooperation with the Statistical 
Programme Committee, to which it shall send its 
opinions and reports, principally in so far as requests 
which imply new statistical works are concerned. The CEIES shall draw up an annual report on the 
progress of European economic and social statistical 
information, which shall be sent to the Council, the 
European Parliament, the Commission and the 
Economic and Social Committee. 
Article 4 
The CEIES shall consist of: 
— four members representing the Commission, one of 
whom shall be the Member of the Commission 
responsible for statistical information policy, 
— the twelve Presidents or Directors-General of the 
national statistical institutes of the Member States, 
— twenty-four members (two per Member State) whom 
the Council shall appoint after consulting the 
Commission and the Economic and Social 
Committee, from among leading representatives of 
the various economic and social categories and the 
scientific field. With a view to the appointment of 
these members, each Member State shall provide the 
Council with a list containing four candidates. The 
Council shall take account of the need for the 
various categories to be adequately represented. 
Article 5 
The members appointed by the Council shall hold office 
for a four-year term, which shall be renewable. They 
shall hold office in a personal and honorary capacity. 
The list of members shall be published in the Official 
Journal of the European Communities, 'C series. 
Article 6 
The CEIES shall be chaired by the Member of the 
Commission responsible for statistical information policy. 
It shall elect three vice-chairmen from among its 
members for a two-year term of office which shall be 
renewable once. 
Secretarial services shall be provided by the Statistical 
Office of the European Communities. 
Article 7 
The Chairman shall convene the CEIES whenever 
necessary and at least once a year, either on his own 
initiative or at the request of a minimum of one-third of 
its members. 
21. 8. 90 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 208/11 
Article 8 Article 10 
The Chairman may invite the Commission 
Directors-General involved in the subjects under 
discussion to attend the meetings as observers, or any 
other person able to contribute to the discussions. 
Article 9 
The CEIES shall take decisions which shall be 
considered valid if at least half of the members are 
present. A member may delegate his vote to another 
Committee member. The CEIES shall draw up its own rules of procedure, in 
agreement with the Commission. 
Article 11 
The CEIES may set up its own working parties, whose 
operating procedures shall be laid down in the rules of 
procedure.