ARCHIVESHISTORIQUES
DELACOMMISSION
COLLECTION RELIEEDES
DOCUMENTS "COM"
COM(78)642
Vol.1978/0248

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COMMISSION OFTHEEUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
Draft
COUNCILREGULATION (EEC)
ontheorganization ofaLabourforcesamplesurveyinthe
springof1979
(submittedbytheCommissiontotheCouncil)COM(78)642 final
Brussels.27November1978
/
AX-:''sivA'•/«.? <4YCA
r^
C0M(78)642final

EXPLANATORY MEMORMOTM
.TakingintoaccountthewishoftheMemberStatestosetupatCommunitylevel
asystemofsurveysandstatisticalstudieswithaviewtoimprovingthe'inform­
ationavailableonthestructureandshort-termtrendsoflabourmarkets,the
CommissionforwardedtotheCouncilinOctober1975acommunication onthe
ProgrammeofEmploymentStatistics(1). .._
TheCounciltookformalnoteofthisProgrammeon19July1976,approvingits
mainoutlinesandreaffirmingtheimportanceofitseffectiveimplementation .
2,Thelabourforcesamplesurveyisacrucialpartofthisprogrammesit,is
designedtoenablethestructureandcurrenttrendsofemploymentandunemploy­
menttoberecordedatregularintervals.Sinceitiscarriedoutamonghousfe-
holdo,itisthemostsuitableinstrumentforprovidingalinkbetweenthe
generalpopulationcensuseswhichtakeplaceonlyevery10years®
InthecontextoftheinformationrequiredbytheCommunityforitsaction
programmes,thelabourforceBaraplesurveyisatpresentoneofthefew
statisticalsourcesprovidingdatawhicharecompiledapplyinguniform
methodsandbasedoncommondefinitions.Sincetheresultsitcontains
illustrate -differentaspectsoftheproblemsofemploymentand'unemployment ,
itprovidesthestatisticalinformation whichisneededforsocial,economic,
regional,industrialandagricultural poliqyandforthepolicyoneducation
andtheenvironment# ""
3.TheProgrammeofEmploymentStatisticsprovi4esfortheholdingofthese
labourforcesamplesurveyseveiytwoyears® - •
PursuanttoCouncilRegulations ,thelatestsurveyswerecarriedoutin1973,
1975and1977(2).Thusthenextsurveyisduetobeheldinspring1979*
4.Theresultsofthelabourforcesamplesurveysenableananalysistobemade
fortheCommunity,foreachMemberState,andatcertainregionallevels,
ofthefollowing:
(1)Doc.0014(75)485final
(2)1973:CouncilRegulation(EEC)2723/72of19December1972
1975:CouncilRegulation(EEC)2640/74of15October1974
1977*CouncilRegulation(EE0)2874/76of23November1976

-2-
a)thestructureofthepopulationintermsofthemaincriteriarelatingto
activity(personswithanoccupation,unemployedpersons,non-activepersons)}
b)thestructureofemploymentinternsofindividualcharacteristics (sex,age,
maritalBtatus,etc)andoccupationalcharacteristics (status,sector,branch,
etc);
c)thestructureofhoursworkedperweek;?
d)thestructureofunemployment andofotherpersonsseekingemploymentinterms
ofindividualcharacteristics ,taking 1accountofthetypeofworksought,the
reasonsforseekingemployment,thedurationandmethodofsearch.
Accountisalsotakenofcertainspecificaspectsoftheactivitywhicharenot
-broughtoutbyotherstatistics.Inparticular,thisinvolvesthedifferenttypes
ofactivity(fulltime/part-time,occasionalorsupplementaryactivities,second
activity),andregionaland/oroccupationalmobility.
Inconsultation withtheexpertsofthenineMemberStates,ithasbeendecided
thatthebasiosurveydexcribedabovewillberepeatedin1979withoutmajor
changecomparedwithprevioussurveys.
/
h.TneProgrammeofEmploymentStatisticsalsoenvisagesthepossibility
introducingintothelabourforcesamplesurveyssupplementary questionson
problemsdirectlyrelatedtoemployment.-
Thefirstspecialsurveyofthistype,ongeneraleducationandvocational
training,wascarriedoutin1973*Amongstotherthings,theresultsofthis
Burveyhaveenabledapreliminarystudytobemadeoftherelationship between
occupationandtraining. .
In1975supplementary questionswereaskedonworkingconditions.Thishas
allowedamorethoroughanalysistobecarriedoutatCommunitylevelofthe
problemsofnightwork,Sundayworkingandshiftwork.Someveryusefulinform­
ationonthedistancebetweenhomeandtheplaceofworkhasalsobeencollected.
Forthemostrecentsurvey,thatof1977»"thefollowingtwosubjectswerechosen:
determination oftheworkpotentialamongpersonsnoteconomically activeand
pensions.. >
7.Inviewoftheincreasingdifficultyofintegratingalargenumberofpersons,
•particularly youngpeople,intoworkinglife,thesupplementary surveyfor1979
willdealwithrelationship betweenemploymeniandtraining.Intheirsearchfor

-3-
solutions tothese problems ,both theMember States andtheCommission require
more precise information about thecurrent situation® However thestatistics which
arecollected atpresent provide very limited answers tothese questions ,since
theadministrative statistics relating toemployment andtoeducation provide
little basis forstudying therelationship between training andtheopportunities
forentering working life .
Thefact that these statistics need tobeimproved wasemphasized bytheMinisters
ofEducation attheir meeting of13December 1976andconfirmed ,inter alia ,by
theTripartite Conference inLuxembourg on27 .June 1977 » ,
Theexperts ofthenine Member States have agreed that this subject should be
choBen , 1 . » ;
8.'i'rei"ollowing matters will beinvestigated with theaidofaspecial questionnaire
a)education andtraining inprogress atthetime ofthesurvey |
o)initial school anduniversity studies completed ! .
.c)thetransition from initial school oruniversity studies toworking life ;-
d)themost recent post-school training completed *
Thedata oneducation andtraining 'inprogress at.thetime ofthesurvey will
jf'late toal'lpersons aged 14to44years ,while thequestions oneducation and
training completed andonthetransition toworking life will beConfined to 1
persons aged 14to44years whoareemployed orareseeking employment#
Education andtraining will bedescribed interms both ofitstechnical aspects
andofitsrelationship toindividual circumstances .
Acomparison ofindividual data from thebasic survey with data from thespeoial
«
r.urvey will produce alarge amount ofstatistical ,information with which to
analyze thetransition toworking life *Simultaneous processing of'data from the
twosurveys isalso themost suitable andmost economical ^method bywhich to
obtain this type ofinformations ■ .-
9»Aalaid down inarticle 9oftheDraft Regulation ,theMember States will receive
fortheconduct ofthis survey aflat-rate sumproportional tothe ^number of
households questionedc This amount will becovered bythebudget oftheEuropean
Communities (arta264)«Onthebasis ofthesums allocated forearlier surveys
andtaking account oftheimaiber ofhouseholds ,the msCiiimuffi cost ofthfefinancial
support tothenine Sembar States isestimated icbe20000002?JA ,which' corres­
pond atoaflat-rate .subsidy perhousehold of3^3 2XJA* 1

Draft
COUNCIL REGULATION (EEC )
ontheorganization ofalabour force sample survey
inthespring of1979
THE COUNCIL OPTHEEUROPEAN COMMUNITIES ,
Having regard totheTreaty establishing theEuropean Economic Community ,and
inparticular Article 213 thereof ,
Having regard tothedraft Regulation submitted bythe Confmission ,
Whereas ,inorder tocarry outthetasks which areassigned toitbytheTreaty ,
inparticular inArticles 2,117,,118 ,122and123thereof ,theCommission must
know thesituation andthedevelopments inemployment andunemployment }
Whereas thestatistical information available ineach oftheMember States does
notprovide asuitable basis forcomparison ,particularly because ofthe dif-P"~
ences between the laws ,rules andadministrative practices of States
onwhich these statistics arebased }
Whereaaf byreason oftheconsiderable changes which take place inthefield of
employment andunemployment ,itappears necessary tomake available atregular
intervale statistics permitting proper comparisons between Member States ;
Whereas thebest method ofknowing the level andthe structure ofemployment and
unemployment consists incarrying outharmonized andsynchronized Community sample
surveys oflabour forces ;whereas only therenewal in1979 ofthesurveys already
carried outin1968 ,1969 ,1970 ,1971 ,1971 t1973 *1975 and1977 enables this
information tobeobtained ;
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION s
Article 1
Inthespring of1979 "theCommission shall undertake alabour force survey
based onasample ofhouseholds ineach oftheMember States .

mm2–
Article2
ThissurveyshallId©carrisdoutinof"til©HembsrS*t&"t€sinsBfljsplfiof
householdswhoseresidenceisintheterritoryoftheseStatesatthetimeof
thesurvey.Theinformationshallbecollectedforeachmemberofthehouseholds
includedinthesample, '
Article3
Thesampleshallcomprisebetween60000and10000QhouseholdseachIntheFederal
RepublicofGermany,Prance,ItalyandtheUnitedKingdom;between30000and
50000eachinBelgium,theNetherlands andIreland;between30000and40000in
.1
Denmark,andapproximately 10000householdsinLuxembourg.
Article4
ThebasicsurveyBhallcover: .•'
a)theindividualcharacteristics ofallmembers -ofthehouseholdsquestioned;
b)theoccupationsofthesepersons(status,branchofactivity,hoursofwork,
.etc.)atthetimeofthesurveyandoneyearpriortoit; /
c)thesearchforwork,takingintoaccountthetypeofemploymentBought,reasons
forseekingit,andthelengthoftimespentseekingit#
v Article5
Asupplementary Burveydealingwiththerelationship betweenemploymentand
trainingshallbeconductedaspartofthe1979labourforcesamplesurvey.
Questionsshallbeaskedon:
A.theeducationandtrainingcurrentlybeingreceivedbypersonsaged14to44
years;
b.theprocess ,ofintegrationintoworkinglifeforpersonsaged14to44years
whoareinemploymentorareseekingemployment,withdetailsof
a)theschoolanduniversitystudiestheyhavecompleted,.
b)thetransitionfrominitialschoolanduniversitystudiestoworking
life, '
c)themostrecentpost-schooltrainingcompleted.
rducationand/ortrainingshallbedescribedbothintermsofitstechnical
anpects(typefduration,etc.)andintermsofindividualcircumstances
(objectives,financialassistance,etce)o
i

Article6
TheinformationshallbegatheredbythestatisticalauthoritiesoftheMember
statesonthebasisofalistofquestionsdrawnupbytheCommissioninco­
operationwiththesaidauthorities©
TheCommissionshalldetermine,incollaboration withtheseauthorities ,the
technicaldetailsofthesurvey(basicsurveyandsupplementary survey),,It
shallalsoestablish,underthesameconditions,thestartingandclosingdates
ofthesurveyandthedeadlinesforanswerstothequestionnaires®
Article7
Thestatistical authorities oftheMemberStatesshallchecktheanswers
collectedoTheyshallforwardtotheCommissiontheresultsofthesurveyfor
eachrespondent,whoBhallremainanonymous.
Article8
Theindividualitemsofinformation providedinthecourseofthesurveymay
bousedonlyforstatistical purposeseTheymaynotbeusedforfiscalorother
purposesandmaynotbecommunicated tothirdpartiese
MemberStatesshalltakeappropriate measures;
a)toensurethattheinformationrequestedisfurnishedtruthfullyandinits
entiretywithinthetimesspecified;
b)topunishanyinfringementoftheobligationunderthefirstparagraphto•
preservetheconfidentiality oftheinformationaathered.
Article9
Fortheconductofthissurvey,MemberStatesshallreceiveaflat-ratesum
«
proportional tothenumberofhouseholdssurveyed.Thisajuountshallbeset
offagainstthecreditsprovidedforthispurposeinthebudgetoftheEuropean
Communities.
ThisRegulationshallbebindinginitsentiretyanddirectlyapplicableinall
MemberStates*
Doneat ,
FortheCouncil
ThePresident