P6_TA(2005)0249

Quality of statistical data concerning excessive deficits *

European Parliament legislative resolution on the proposal for a Council regulation amending Regulation (EC) No 3605/93 as regards the quality of statistical data in the context of the excessive deficit procedure (COM(2005)0071 — C6-0108/2005 — 2005/0013(CNS))

(Consultation procedure)

The European Parliament,

- having regard to the Commission proposal to the Council (COM(2005)0071) [1],

- having regard to Article 104(14), third subparagraph, of the EC Treaty, pursuant to which the Council consulted Parliament (C6-0108/2005),

- having regard to Rule 51 of its Rules of Procedure,

- having regard to the report of the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (A6-0181/2005),

1. Approves the Commission proposal as amended;

2. Calls on the Commission to alter its proposal accordingly, pursuant to Article 250(2) of the EC Treaty;

3. Calls on the Council to notify Parliament if it intends to depart from the text approved by Parliament;

4. Asks the Council to consult Parliament again if it intends to amend the Commission proposal substantially;

5. Instructs its President to forward its position to the Council and Commission.

TEXT PROPOSED BY THE COMMISSION | AMENDMENTS BY PARLIAMENT |

Amendment 1

RECITAL 2

(2) The role of the Commission, as statistical authority, in that context is specifically exercised by Eurostat, on behalf of the Commission. As the Commission department responsible for carrying out the tasks devolving on the Commission as regards the production of Community statistics, Eurostat is required to execute its tasks in accordance with the principles of impartiality, reliability, relevance, cost-effectiveness, statistical confidentiality and transparency, as laid down in Commission Decision of 21 April 1997 on the role of Eurostat as regards the production of Community statistics. | (2) The role of the Commission, as statistical authority, in that context is specifically exercised by Eurostat, on behalf of the Commission. As the Commission department responsible for carrying out the tasks devolving on the Commission as regards the production of Community statistics, Eurostat is required to execute its tasks in accordance with the principles of impartiality, reliability, relevance, cost-effectiveness, statistical confidentiality and transparency, as laid down in Commission Decision of 21 April 1997 on the role of Eurostat as regards the production of Community statistics. The European Statistics Code of Practice, which will be set up jointly by the national statistical institutes and Eurostat, should enhance the principles of professional independence, adequacy of resources and quality of statistical data. |

Amendment 2

RECITAL 5

(5) The credibility of budgetary surveillance crucially hinges upon reliable budgetary statistics. It is of the utmost importance that data reported by Member States under Regulation (EC) No 3605/93 and provided by the Commission to the Council in accordance with the Protocol are of high quality. | (5) The credibility of budgetary surveillance crucially hinges upon reliable budgetary statistics. It is of the utmost importance that data reported by Member States under Regulation (EC) No 3605/93 and provided by the Commission to the Council in accordance with the Protocol are of high quality. In this context, points 1.5, 1.6 and 1.7 of the ECOFIN Council report of 20 March 2005 endorsed by the Brussels European Council of 22 and 23 March 2005 and the Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics of the Statistics Division of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs should be considered as a basis on which to meet the required high quality standards. |

Amendment 3

RECITAL 9

(9) A permanent dialogue should be established between the Commission and the Member States' statistical authorities in order to ensure the quality both of the actual data reported by Member States and of the underlying government accounts. To that end, both dialogue visits and in-depth monitoring visits may be carried out regularly by the Commission thus enhancing the monitoring of the reported data and providing a permanent assurance of the quality of the data. Member States have to promptly provide the Commission with access to the information | (9) A permanent dialogue should be established between the Commission and the Member States' statistical authorities in order to ensure the quality both of the actual data reported by Member States and of the underlying government accounts. To that end, both dialogue visits and in-depth monitoring visits may be carried out regularly by the Commission thus enhancing the monitoring of the reported data and providing a permanent assurance of the quality of the data. Member States have to promptly provide the Commission with access to the information The Commission should regularly inform the European Parliament and the Council about the programme for and work on improving the quality of statistics in the European Union. |

Amendment 5

ARTICLE 1, POINT 2Article 7, paragraph 2a (new) (Regulation (EC) No 3605/93)

| 2a. In the event that the planned government deficit and debt figures or the revisions thereof do not use the "common external assumptions", made public by the Commission in the context of the coordination of economic and fiscal policies to make comparisons between Member States, the Member States shall explain in depth the reason for the divergence and calculate the differential between the projections. |

Amendment 6

ARTICLE 1, POINT 3Article 9, paragraph 1 (Regulation (EC) No 3605/93)

1. The Commission (Eurostat) shall assess the quality both of actual data reported by Member States and of the underlying government accounts. Quality of actual data means the compliance with accounting rules, completeness, reliability, timeliness, and consistency of the data. | 1. The Commission (Eurostat) shall regularly assess the quality both of actual data reported by Member States and of the underlying government accounts. Quality of actual data means the compliance with the European System of Accounts 1995 (ESA 95) standards, completeness, reliability, comparability, timeliness, and consistency of the data. |

Amendment 7

ARTICLE 1, POINT 3Article 9, paragraph 2a (new) (Regulation (EC) No 3605/93)

| 2a. The Commission (Eurostat) shall report regularly to the European Parliament and Council on the quality of the actual data presented by the Member States and the development of Europe-wide minimum standards for the quality of statistics. |

Amendment 8

ARTICLE 1, POINT 3Article 12, paragraph 1 (Regulation (EC) No 3605/93)

The Commission (Eurostat) ensures a permanent dialogue with the Member States' statistical authorities. To this end, the Commission (Eurostat) will regularly carry out in all Member States dialogue visits as well as in-depth monitoring visits. | The Commission (Eurostat) ensures a permanent dialogue with the Member States' statistical authorities. To this end, the Commission (Eurostat) will regularly carry out in all Member States dialogue visits; it can also carry out in-depth monitoring visits in compliance with Regulation (EC) No 322/97. The dialogue visits shall be carried out according to a timetable decided jointly by the Member States and the Commission (Eurostat). If possible, the dialogue visits shall take place simultaneously in all Member States on the basis of an annual report regarding the evaluation of the adaptation of statistical data and the perspectives in that field. |

Amendment 9

ARTICLE 1, POINT 3Article 12, paragraph 2 (Regulation (EC) No 3605/93)

The dialogue visits are designed to review reported data, to examine methodological issues, and to assess compliance with the accounting rules. The in-depth monitoring visits are designed to monitor the processes and accounts which justify the reported data and to draw detailed conclusions as to compliance with accounting rules and the completeness, reliability, timeliness and consistency of the reported data. | The dialogue visits are designed to review reported data, to examine methodological issues, and to assess compliance with the accounting rules. The results of the dialogue visits shall be reported to at least the national statistical institutes. The indepth monitoring visits are designed to monitor the processes and accounts which justify the reported data and to draw detailed conclusions as to compliance with accounting rules and the completeness, reliability, timeliness and consistency of the reported data. The in-depth monitoring visits are decided upon by the Commission (Eurostat) where there is grave doubt as to the accuracy or consistency of the data submitted, and as planned in the programme. |

Amendment 10

ARTICLE 1, POINT 3Article 13, paragraph 1 (Regulation (EC) No 3605/93)

1. When carrying out in-depth monitoring visits in Member States, the Commission (Eurostat) can be assisted by experts, most notably from other Member States, national authorities of the Member States being visited who have a functional responsibility for the control of the government accounts, and other Commission departments. | 1. When carrying out in-depth monitoring visits in Member States, the Commission (Eurostat) can be assisted by experts from other Member States who shall be officials from the national statistical authorities or, on specific occasions, by other national authorities of the Member States being visited who have a functional responsibility for the control of the government accounts or by other Commission departments, following an agreement between the Member State being visited and the Commission (Eurostat). |

Amendment 11

ARTICLE 1, POINT 3Article 13, paragraph 1a (new) (Regulation (EC) No 3605/93)

| 1a. Eurostat has the principal role amongst the Community authorities for monitoring the quality of statistical data. However, Eurostat must follow an internal procedure for contacts with and debriefing of the other competent Community authorities during the preparation of its monitoring and must decide with them during the decision making procedure once the monitoring visits are completed. |

Amendment 12

ARTICLE 1, POINT 3Article 14 (Regulation (EC) No 3605/93)

The Commission (Eurostat) shall report to the Economic and Financial Committee on the findings of dialogue and in-depth monitoring visits. These reports shall be made public. | The Commission (Eurostat) shall report to the Economic and Financial Committee on the findings of dialogue. It shall report to the European Parliament and Council on the conclusions of the in-depth monitoring visits. These reports shall be made public. |

Amendment 13

ARTICLE 1, POINT 3Article 16, paragraph 2a (new) (Regulation (EC) No 3605/93)

| 2a. The Commission (Eurostat) shall report to the European Parliament and Council on the amended data and the reasons for the amendment. |

[1] Not yet published in OJ.

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