Decision No 1608/2003/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 July 2003 concerning the production and development of Community statistics on science and technology (Text with EEA relevance)
Date: 2003-07-22
Institutions: Council of the European Union, European Parliament
Subjects: EU statistics, applied sciences, cooperation policy, innovation, statistical method, technology

16.9.2003

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Official Journal of the European Union

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(Acts whose publication is obligatory)

DECISION No 1608/2003/EC OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL

of 22 July 2003

concerning the production and development of Community statistics on science and technology

(Text with EEA relevance)

THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE
EUROPEAN UNION,

(5)

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Commu-
nity, 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),

(6)

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

There is a need for comparable statistics on research and
development, technological innovation and science and
technology in general in order to support Community
policies.

Council Decision 94/78/EC, Euratom of 24 January
1994 establishing a multiannual programme for the
development of Community statistics on research, devel-
opment and innovation (3), highlighted the objectives of
setting out a Community reference framework for statis-
tics and of establishing a harmonised Community statis-
tical information system in this field.

The final report for the programme period 1994 to
1997 emphasises that the work should be continued,
that data should be made available more rapidly, that
the regional coverage should be extended and that the
comparability of the data must be increased.

In accordance with Council Decision 1999/126/EC of
22 December 1998 on the Community statistical
programme 1998 to 2002 (4), the statistical information
system is to support the management of science and
technology policies in the Community and the assess-
ment of R&D and innovation capability of regions for
administration of structural funds.

(1) OJ C 332 E, 27.2.2001, p. 238.
(2) Opinion of

the European Parliament of 2 July 2002 (not yet
published in the Official Journal), Council Common Position of 17
March 2003 (OJ C 125 E, 27.5.2003, p. 58) and Decision of the
European Parliament of 19 June 2003 (not yet published in the
Official Journal).

(3) OJ L 38, 9.2.1994, p. 30.
(4) OJ L 42, 16.6.1999, p. 1.

In accordance with Council Regulation (EC) No 322/97
of 17 February 1997 on Community statistics (5), those
statistics are to be governed by the principles of imparti-
ality, reliability, relevance, cost-effectiveness, statistical
confidentiality and transparency.

In order to ensure usefulness and comparability of the
data and avoid overlap of work, the Community should
take into account work carried out in cooperation with
or by the OECD and other international organisations
concerning science and technology statistics, especially
as regards the details of data to be provided by the
Member States.

Community policy on science, technology and innova-
tion attaches particular importance to strengthening the
scientific and technological basis of European businesses
so as to enable them to be more innovative and compe-
titive on the international and regional
level, realising
the benefits of the information society and promoting
the transfer of technology,
improving activities in the
domain of intellectual property rights and the develop-
ment of mobility of human resources, and promoting
equality between men and women in science.

The principles of cost-effectiveness and relevance should
apply to data collection procedures for industry and
administrations,
the necessary
taking into account
quality of the data and the burden on the respondents.

It is essential that developments in official statistics on
science and technology are coordinated to cater also for
the essential needs of national, regional and local admin-
istrations,
international organisations, economic opera-
tors, professional associations and the general public.

(7)

(8)

(9)

(5) OJ L 52, 22.2.1997, p. 1.

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(10)

(11)

and the

Council Decision 1999/173/EC of 25 January 1999
adopting a specific programme for research, technolo-
gical development and demonstration on improving the
human research potential
socio-economic
knowledge base (1998 to 2002) (1) and Decision 1513/
2002/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council
of 27 June 2002 concerning the sixth framework
programme of the European Community for research,
technological development and demonstration activities,
contributing to the creation of the European research
area and to innovation (2002 to 2006) (2) should be
taken into account to avoid overlap of work.

Council Resolution of 26 June 2001 on science and
society and on women in science (3), welcoming the
work of the Helsinki Group and inviting Member States
and the Commission to pursue efforts to promote
women in science at national level should be taken into
account,
the collection of
gender-disaggregated statistics in human resources in
science and technology and the development of indica-
tors in order
to monitor progress towards equality
between men and women in European research.

in particular as

regards

(12)

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 (4).

(13)

The Statistical Programme Committee established by
Decision 89/382/EEC, Euratom (5) has been consulted in
accordance with Article 3 of the aforesaid Decision.

(14)

The Scientific and Technological Research Committee
(Crest) has given its opinion,

HAVE ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

— Development of new statistical variables to be produced on
a permanent basis that can provide more comprehensive
information about science and technology, in particular for
the measurement of the output of science and technology
activities, the dissemination of knowledge and more gener-
innovation. This information is
ally the performance of
needed for the formulation and assessment of science and
technology policies in the increasingly knowledge-based
economies. The Community shall give priority,
in parti-
cular, to the following domains:

— innovation (technological and non-technological),

— human resources devoted to science and technology,

— patents (patents statistics to be derived from the data-
bases of the national and European patent offices),

— high-technology statistics (identification and classifica-
tion of products and services, measurement of economic
performance and contribution to economic growth),

— gender-disaggregated statistics on science and tech-

nology,

— improvement and updating of existing standards and
manuals on concepts and methods, with particular regard
to concepts in the service sector and coordinated methods
for measurement of R&D activity. In addition, the Commu-
nity will intensify cooperation with the OECD and other
international organisations with a view to ensuring compar-
ability of data and avoiding duplication of efforts,

— improvement of data quality, specifically comparability,

accuracy and timeliness,

— improvement of the dissemination, accessibility and docu-

mentation of statistical information.

Available capacities within the Member States for data collec-
tion and processing and development of methods and variables
will be taken into account.

The objective of this Decision is to establish a Community
statistical information system on science, technology and inno-
vation to support and monitor Community policies.

Article 3

Article 2

The measures necessary for the implementation of this Deci-
sion shall be adopted in accordance with the regulatory proce-
dure referred to in Article 4(2).

The objective described in Article 1 shall be implemented by
individual statistical actions as follows:

— Delivery of statistics by the Member States on a regular
basis and within specified deadlines, in particular statistics
on R&D activity in all sectors of performance and on the
funding of R&D activity,
including government budget
appropriations for R&D, taking into account the regional
dimension by producing whenever possible science and
technology statistics based on NUTS classification,

(1) OJ L 64, 12.3.1999, p. 105.
(2) OJ L 232, 29.8.2002, p. 1.
(3) OJ C 199, 14.7.2001, p. 1.
(4) OJ L 184, 17.7.1999, p. 23.
(5) OJ L 181, 28.6.1989, p. 47.

Article 4

1.
The Commission shall be assisted by the Statistical
Programme Committee established by Article 1 of Decision 89/
382/EEC/Euratom.

2. Where reference is made to this paragraph, Articles 5 and
7 of Decision 1999/468/EC shall apply, having regard to
Article 8 thereof.

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The period laid down in Article 5(6) of Decision 1999/468/EC
shall be set at three months.

3.

The Committee shall adopt its rules of procedure.

Article 6

This Decision shall enter into force on the 20th day following
that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European
Union.

Article 5

The Commission shall, within four years of the publication of
this Decision, and thereafter every three years, present a report
to the European Parliament and the Council to evaluate the
implementation of the measures provided for in Article 2.

This report shall consider, inter alia, the costs of the actions and
the burden on the respondents in relation to the benefits of the
data availability and user satisfaction.

Following this report,
measures to improve the operation of this Decision.

the Commission may propose any

This Decision is addressed to the Member States.

Article 7

Done at Brussels, 22 July 2003.

For the European Parliament

The President

P. COX

For the Council

The President

G. ALEMANNO