WRITTEN QUESTION E-1072/01

by Stavros Xarchakos (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(5 April 2001)

Subject: Irregularities in Greek population census of March 2001

On Sunday, 18 March 2001, a general population census was carried out in Greece. The census is conducted every ten years and was publicised by the government as the first census of the new millennium.

Despite all the technological facilities afforded by the new millennium, however, the National Statistical Service of Greece issued instructions to its census officers to use pencil to fill in the forms, while the information relating to immigrants living in Greece was inadequate. In particular, non-EU nationals were not asked whether they had a legal residence permit for Greece or how long they had been or intended to stay in the country, which raises legitimate questions about the reliability and accuracy of the data collected. Still fresh in the mind also are allegations by the main opposition party (representing 43 % of the Greek population) concerning illegal naturalisations, which evidently distorted the outcome of the elections held in April 2000.

Is pencil (which obviously makes it easier to alter the data collected) used for censuses in the other Member States?

Should the data collected not include information concerning third country nationals living legally or illegally in a Member State of the Union?

Are data concerning legal and illegal residents in Greece forwarded to Eurostat?

On what data does the EU's Statistical Service base its Eurobarometer statistics and other published statistical indicators?

Answer given by Mr Solbes Mira on behalf of the Commission

(21 May 2001)

The organisation of population censuses in the Member States is regulated by the UN-ECE/Eurostat recommendations for the 2000 censuses of population and housing.

These recommendations do not specify which means should be used to fill in the questionnaire. It is, however, considered as good practice not to use a pencil.

With regard to the foreign population, it should be pointed out that the basic aim of a population census is to count the usually resident population of a Member State.

The usually resident population consists of:

- persons living in the Member State at the moment of the census and who have stayed or are going to stay in the Member State for at least 12 months;

- persons living in the Member State, but temporarily absent for not more than 12 months,

- independently of the person's place of legal residence or whether he or she has permission to stay in the Member State or not.

Every person belonging to the usually resident population is asked either about his/her citizenship or country of birth. The census therefore contains information on the foreign population.

The statistical information from the censuses will be transmitted to Eurostat in the form of a Community programme of tables. These tables will include information on the foreign population. A copy of the document presenting this programme of tables will be sent directly to the Honourable Member and to the Secretariat General of the Parliament.

Generally speaking, Eurostat does not directly collect statistical information available directly from data providers (households, enterprises, etc.). This information is collected and transmitted to Eurostat by the national statistical services, particularly the National Statistical Institutes, in accordance with Community definitions and methods in order to ensure comparability.

With regard to the Eurobarometer mentioned by the Honourable Member in his question, the Commission wishes to draw his attention to the fact that the Eurobarometer is not a statistical instrument but an opinion poll. The Eurobarometer surveys are carried out at the Commission's request by reputable survey institutes in the Member States.