Decision No 507/2001/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 March 2001 concerning a set of actions relating to the trans-European network for the collection, production and dissemination of statistics on the trading of goods within the Community and between the Community and non-member countries (Edicom)
Date: 2001-03-12
Institutions: Council of the European Union, European Parliament
Subjects: EU statistics, electronic mail, extra-EU trade, intra-EU trade, trans-European network

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(Acts whose publication is obligatory)

DECISION No 507/2001/EC OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL

of 12 March 2001

concerning a set of actions relating to the trans-European network for the collection, production
and dissemination of statistics on the trading of goods within the Community and between the
Community and non-member countries (Edicom)

THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE
EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community, and in particular Article 285 thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission (1),

Acting in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article
251 of the Treaty (2),

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

The actions implemented pursuant to Council Decision
96/715/EC of 9 December 1996 on inter-administration
telematic networks for statistics relating to the trading of
goods between Member States (Edicom) (3) have made it
possible to improve considerably the quality of intra-
Community statistics.

Statistics for foreign trade and for trade within the
Community are entering a new phase of development,
characterised by growing and increasingly demanding
user need for information.

It is necessary to meet the urgent need of the Economic
and Monetary Union by the rapid provision of reliable
and accurate macroeconomic statistics.

The modernisation of the trans-European network for
the collection, production and dissemination of statistics
on the trading of goods within the Community and
between the Community and non-member countries
should be a driving force in the development of these
statistics.

Council Regulation (EEC) No 3330/91 of 7 November
1991 on the statistics relating to the trading of goods
between Member States (4) (Intrastat) and Council Regu-
lation (EC) No 1172/95 of 22 May 1995 on the statis-
tics relating to the trading of goods by the Community

(1) OJ C 337 E, 28.11.2000, p. 246.
(2) Opinion of the European Parliament of 30 November 2000 (not yet
Journal) and Council Decision of 12

published in the Official
February 2001.

(3) OJ L 327, 18.12.1996, p. 34.
(4) OJ L 316, 16.11.1991, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by Regula-

tion (EC) No 1624/2000 (OJ L 187, 26.7.2000, p. 1).

(6)

(7)

(8)

(9)

and its Member States with non-member countries (5)
provide for increased use of automatic processing and
electronic data transmission.

Simplification of the Intrastat system was a pilot project
in the SLIM (‘Simpler Legislation for the Internal Market’)
initiative launched in 1996; the measures for reducing
the workload on statistical
in
particular SMEs, which have been approved by the Euro-
pean Parliament and the Council, should be continued.

information providers,

this Decision are adequate and
The objectives of
compatible with those of Decisions No 1719/
1999/EC (6) and No 1720/1999/EC (7) of the European
Parliament and the Council on trans-European networks
for the electronic interchange of data between adminis-
trations (IDA); account should also be taken of IDA
decisions, in particular Article 11 of Decision No 1719/
1999/EC,

in implementing this Decision.

An ex-ante evaluation has been performed in accordance
with the financial management rules, in order to focus
the programme on the need for
in
achieving the objectives and to incorporate budgetary
constraints from the design phase of the programme
onwards.

effectiveness

Since the objectives of the proposed action, namely the
development and modernisation of the trans-European
network for the collection, processing and dissemination
of intra- and extra-Community trade statistics, cannot be
sufficiently achieved by the Member States and can
therefore, by reason of their scale, be better achieved at
Community level, the Community may adopt measures,
in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity as set
out in Article 5 of the Treaty. In accordance with the
principle of proportionality, as set out in that Article,
this Decision does not go beyond what is necessary in
order to achieve those objectives.

(5) OJ L 118, 25.5.1995, p. 10. Regulation as last amended by Regula-

tion (EC) No 374/98 (OJ L 48, 19.2.1998, p. 6).

(6) OJ L 203, 3.8.1999, p. 1.
(7) OJ L 203, 3.8.1999, p. 9.

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(10)

(11)

(12)

Council Regulation (EC) No 322/97 of 17 February
1997 on Community statistics (1) provides the regula-
tory framework for the provisions of
this Decision,
particularly those relating to access to administrative
data sources, statistical confidentiality and the principle
of cost-effectiveness.

The measures necessary for the implementation of this
Decision should be adopted in accordance with Council
Decision 1999/468/EC of 28 June 1999 laying down
the procedures for the exercise of implementing powers
conferred on the Commission (2).

This Decision establishes a financial framework for the
entire duration of the programme which is to be the
principal point of reference for the budgetary authority,
within the meaning of point 33 of the Interinstitutional
Agreement of 6 May 1999 between the European Parlia-
ment, the Council and the Commission on budgetary
the budgetary proce-
discipline and improvement of
dure (3),

HAVE ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

Field of application and general objectives

1.
The measures provided for by this Decision relate to the
trans-European network for the collection, production and
dissemination of statistics on the trading of goods within the
Community and between the Community and non-member
countries.

2.

The general objectives are as follows:

(a) to encourage the organisation of the network referred to in
paragraph 1 in the most modern, rational and effective
manner possible and to adopt measures necessary for
improving and harmonising the methods used, in order to
produce statistics which:

— are more reliable and less expensive for the information
providers and administrations, and become available
more quickly;

— better satisfy the existing and future expectations of

users;

(b) further to develop existing computer tools for the collec-
tion, production, transmission and dissemination of statist-
technological
ical data,
advances and seeking to optimise cost-effectiveness.

taking into account

the latest

Article 2

Actions

1.
To achieve the objectives referred to in Article 1, a set of
actions (known as the ‘Edicom’ programme) shall be imple-
mented for:

(1) OJ L 52, 22.2.1997, p. 1.
(2) OJ L 184, 17.7.1999, p. 23.
(3) OJ C 172, 18.6.1999, p. 1.

(a) the development of the network referred to in Article 1(1)

in order to:

— produce statistical

information which is of better
quality, less costly and available more quickly, in order
to satisfy the requirements of Community policies;

— produce statistical

is relevant and
information that
appropriate to the new needs of users within the frame-
work of Economic and Monetary Union and the
changing international economic environment;

— incorporate statistics on the trading of goods more
effectively
system at
general
Community and international level and adapt them to
changes in the administrative environment;

into the

statistical

— improve

the

service

administrations,
suppliers and users of information, by providing them
with all the available statistics and metadata relating to
the trading of goods;

offered

to

(b) the development and promotion of tools for collecting
information on the trading of goods, by taking into
account
to
improve the functions available to information providers.

technological advances in order

the latest

The specific conditions in which these actions are implemented
are set out in Annex I. The indicative breakdown for the entire
period is set out in percentages in Annex II.

The procedures for implementing the actions referred to
2.
in paragraph 1 shall be adopted in accordance with the proce-
dure provided for in Article 4(2).

Article 3

Annual work programme and management of expenditure

1.
In accordance with the procedure provided for in Article
annual work
4(2),
the Commission shall
programme, including the allocation of annual budget expendi-
ture under this Decision.

approve

the

2.
The Commission shall inform the Statistical Programme
Committee of the European Communities, set up by Decision
the annual work programme.
89/382/EEC, Euratom (4), of

Article 4

Procedure

1.
The Commission shall be assisted by the Committee on
statistics relating to the trading of goods between Member
States, set up by Regulation (EEC) No 3330/91, and the
Committee on statistics relating to the trading of goods with
non-member countries, set up by Regulation (EC) No 1172/95,
for matters coming under their respective responsibility.

2. Where reference is made to this paragraph, Articles 4 and
7 of Decision 1999/468/EC shall apply, having regard to the
provisions of Article 8 thereof.

The period laid down in Article 4(3) of Decision 1999/468/EC
shall be set at three months.

3.

The Committees shall adopt their rules of procedure.

(4) OJ L 181, 28.6.1989, p. 47.

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Article 5

Evaluation

The Commission shall take any other measure necessary
3.
to verify that the financed actions are carried out properly and
in compliance with the provisions of this Decision.

financed under

regularly review the actions

The Commission shall, in cooperation with the Member
1.
States,
this
Decision, in order to ascertain whether the stated objectives
have been attained and to provide guidelines for improving the
effectiveness of future actions. The Commission shall submit to
the Committees referred to in Article 4(1) a summary of the
evaluations made, which may if necessary be examined by the
latter. The evaluation reports shall be available on request to
the Member States.

By the end of December 2003, the Commission shall
2.
submit to the European Parliament and the Council a mid-term
report of the activities financed under the new programme so
as to enable,
if appropriate, a review of the actions imple-
mented under this Decision to be carried out.

At the end of the period of five years referred to in the second
subparagraph of Article 7, the Commission shall submit to the
European Parliament and the Council a report on the imple-
if appropriate, by
mentation of this Decision, accompanied,
proposals for new actions.

the benefits of

This report shall seek to assess, in the light of the expenditure
incurred by the Community,
the actions
accruing to the Community, the Member States and providers
and users of statistical information, to identify areas for poten-
tial improvement and to verify synergy with other Community
activities, particularly in the field of trans-European telecom-
munications
development
programmes.

technological

networks

and

Article 6

Financial aspects

financial

framework

The
the
for
Community action described in this Decision for the period
2001-2005 is fixed at EUR 51,2 million. An indicative break-
down, by category of actions referred to in Article 2, is shown
in Annex II.

implementation

of

The annual appropriations shall be authorised by the budgetary
authority, within the limits of the financial perspective.

The financial resources provided for under this Decision shall
not be allocated to actions which benefit from other sources of
Community funding.

Article 7

Entry into force and validity

This Decision shall enter into force on the day of its publica-
tion in the Official Journal of the European Communities.

This Decision shall be valid for a period of five years as from
its entry into force.

Article 8

Addressees

This Decision is addressed to the Member States.

Done at Brussels, 12 March 2001.

For the European Parliament

The President

N. FONTAINE

For the Council

The President

L. PAGROTSKY

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Specific conditions for implementation of the actions referred to in Article 2

ANNEX I

1. Implementation of the actions referred to in Article 2 shall:

(a) take into account the need for continuity of existing computer tools, the usefulness of which is acknowledged with
respect to the objectives referred to in Article 1, without jeopardising competition with the private sector in the
field of business services;

(b) take into account the satisfactory results of other relevant activities of the Community, particularly in the field of
trans-European telecommunication networks
and Community research and technological development
programmes; account will also be taken of the obligations arising under Article 11 of Decision No 1719/1999/EC;

(c) refer to existing European standards and the specifications accessible to the public, such as the Internet open
standards, so as to guarantee a high degree of interoperability of national and Community systems within and
between the administrative sectors and with the private sector.

2. The actions provided for in Article 2 shall first be the subject, in the context of the annual work programme, of:

(a) a description of their objectives, scope,

justification and the likely costs and benefits;

(b) a description of the functions and technical approach;

(c) a detailed implementation plan which describes in particular each task and the order in which the tasks are to be

performed.

3. Implementation of the annual work programme will require technical and administrative assistance and support

measures; appropriations allocated for this purpose will not exceed 7 % of total appropriations.

Indicative breakdown, by category of Edicom actions, in accordance with Article 2, for 2001 to 2005

ANNEX II

Breakdown 2001 to 2005

An information network of better quality, which is less costly and available more quickly, in
accordance with the requirements of Community policies

A relevant information network adapted to the changing needs of users within the framework
of Economic and Monetary Union and the international economic environment

A network of information which is better integrated into the general statistical environment
and adapted to the development of the administrative environment

A network improving the statistical service offered to administrations, users and providers of
data

A network bsed on tools for the collection of information in the light of the latest technolog-
ical advances in order to improve functions available to information providers

Integrated and interoperable network

Technical and administrative assistance; support measures

Total (EUR millions)

Total

22 %

14 %

25 %

12 %

9 %

11 %

7 %

51,2