2003/51/EC: Commission Decision of 22 January 2003 granting France a derogation to bring its national statistical system into conformity with Regulation (EC) No 1221/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council (notified under document number C(2003) 290)
Date: 2003-01-22
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: European accounting system, France, data transmission, derogation from EU law, national statistics, public administration

L 18/52

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

23.1.2003

COMMISSION

COMMISSION DECISION

of 22 January 2003

granting France a derogation to bring its national statistical system into conformity with Regula-
tion (EC) No 1221/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council

(notified under document number C(2003) 290)

(Only the French text is authentic)

(2003/51/EC)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community,

the
Having regard to Regulation (EC) No 1221/2002 of
European Parliament and of the Council of 10 June 2002 on
quarterly non-financial accounts for general government (1),
and in particular Article 5(2) and Article 6(2) thereof,

Having regard to the request submitted by France on 24
September 2002,

Whereas:

Council Regulation (EC) No 2223/96 of 25 June 1996
on the European system of national and regional
accounts in the Community (2) (ESA 95), as last amended
by Commission Regulation (EC) No 1889/2002 (3),
contains the reference framework of common standards,
definitions,
for
drawing up the accounts of the Member States for the
statistical requirements of the Community, in order to
obtain comparable results between Member States.

classifications and accounting rules

(4)

(5)

(6)

In addition, Article 6(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1221/
2002 provides that,
in so far as national statistical
systems require major adaptations, with regard to the
transmission of backdata, the Commission may grant a
derogation, not exceeding one year, concerning the date
of the first transmission of quarterly data from the first
quarter of 1999 onwards.

In a letter dated 24 September 2002, the French authori-
ties asked to be granted a one-year derogation to bring
their national statistical system into conformity with the
requirements of Regulation (EC) No 1221/2002.

The French authorities base their request on the fact
that, for the moment, the French statistical system is not
capable of producing reasonably reliable data in this
area. However, they have stated that they are in the
process of carrying out major work and putting into
place working structures which will enable them to
submit satisfactory data in one year's time.

(7)

The request by France should therefore be granted until
30 June 2003,

The objective of Regulation (EC) No 1221/2002 is to
establish simplified quarterly non-financial accounts,
whose contents are defined on the basis of a list of ESA
95 categories, for the general government sector.

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 5(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1221/2002 provides
that,
in so far as national statistical systems require
major adaptations, the Commission may grant a deroga-
tion, not exceeding one year, concerning the date of the
first transmission of quarterly data from the first quarter
of 2002 onwards.

(1) OJ L 179, 9.7.2002, p. 1.
(2) OJ L 310, 30.11.1996, p. 1.
(3) OJ L 286, 24.10.2002, p. 11.

Article 1

Pursuant to Article 5(2) and Article 6(2) of Regulation (EC) No
1221/2002, France is granted a derogation until 30 June 2003
at the latest to bring its national statistical system into confor-
mity with the said Regulation.

(1)

(2)

(3)

23.1.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

L 18/53

This Decision is addressed to the French Republic.

Article 2

Done at Brussels, 22 January 2003.

For the Commission

Pedro SOLBES MIRA

Member of the Commission