Regulation (EC) No 2257/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 November 2003 amending Council Regulation (EC) No 577/98 on the organisation of a labour force sample survey in the Community to adapt the list of survey characteristics (Text with EEA relevance)
Date: 2003-11-25
Institutions: Council of the European Union, European Parliament
Subjects: EU statistics, sample survey, statistical method, working population

L 336/6

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

23.12.2003

REGULATION (EC) No 2257/2003 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL

of 25 November 2003

amending Council Regulation (EC) No 577/98 on the organisation of a labour force sample survey
in the Community to adapt the list of survey characteristics

(Text with EEA relevance)

THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE
EUROPEAN UNION,

HAVE ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Com-
munity, and in particular Article 285 thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,

Acting in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article
251 of the Treaty (1),

Whereas:

The labour force sample survey to be carried out under
Council Regulation (EC) No 577/98 (2) should adequately
cover new and recently emerging features of the labour
market.

According to the European social policy agenda adopted
in December 2000,
by the Nice European Council
Council Decision 2002/177/EC of 18 February 2002 on
guidelines for Member States' employment policies for
the year 2002 (3) and Council Recommendation 2002/
549/EC of 21 June 2002 on the broad guidelines of the
economic policies of the Member States and the Com-
munity (4), the way in which work is organised must be
adapted to the needs of both businesses and individuals.

The survey characteristics laid down in Regulation (EC)
No 577/98 were determined according to statistical
needs and the labour market situation prevailing at the
time.

Data collection should not impose on respondents a
burden out of proportion with the results which users of
the survey can reasonably expect.

The Statistical Programme Committee, established by
Council Decision 89/382/EEC, Euratom of 19 June
1989 (5) has been consulted by the Commission.

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

(6)

Article 1

Article 4 of Regulation (EC) No 577/98 is hereby amended as
follows:

1. Points (b), (c), (d) and (g) of paragraph 1 are replaced by the

following:
‘(b) labour status:

— labour status during the reference week,

— continuing receipt of wages and salary,

— reason for not having worked though having a job,

— search for employment for person without employ-

ment,

— type of

employment

sought

(self-employed or

employee),

— methods used to find a job,

— availability to start work;

(c) employment characteristics of the main job:

— professional status,

— economic activity of the local unit,

— occupation,

— supervisory responsibilities,

— number of persons working at the local unit,

— country of place of work,

— region of place of work,

— year and month when the person started working in

current employment,

— involvement of public
finding the current job,

employment

service

in

— permanency of the job (and reasons),

— duration of

temporary job or work contract of

limited duration,

— full-time/part-time distinction (and reasons),

— contract with a temporary work agency,

Regulation (EC) No 577/98 should therefore be amended
accordingly,

— working at home;

(d) hours worked:

(1) Opinion of the European Parliament of 2 September 2003 (not yet
Journal); Decision of the Council of 4

published in the Official
November 2003.

(2) OJ L 77, 14.3.1998, p. 3. Regulation as last amended by Commis-
sion Regulation (EC) No 2104/2002 (OJ L 324, 29.11.2002, p. 14).

(3) OJ L 60, 1.3.2002, p. 60.
(4) OJ L 182, 11.7.2002, p. 1.
(5) OJ L 181, 28.6.1989, p. 47.

— number of hours per week usually worked,

— number of hours actually worked,

— number of hours of overtime in the reference week,

— main reason for hours actually worked being

different from usual hours;’

23.12.2003

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Official Journal of the European Union

L 336/7

‘(g) search for employment:

— type of employment sought,

— duration of search for employment,

3. Paragraph 2, third indent, is replaced by the following:

‘— the volume of an ad hoc module shall be limited to 11

variables.’

— situation of person immediately before starting to

4. The following paragraph shall be added:

seek employment,

— registration at public

employment office

and

whether receiving benefits,

— for person not seeking employment, willingness to

work,

— reasons why person has not sought work,

— lack of care facilities.’

2. The following point is added to paragraph 1:

‘(n) atypical working times:

On a proposal from the Commission, a list of vari-
‘4.
ables, hereinafter referred to as “structural variables”, may be
identified from among the survey characteristics specified in
paragraph 1 which need to be surveyed only as annual
averages with reference to 52 weeks rather than as quarterly
averages. This list of structural variables,
the minimum
sample size and the survey frequency will be drawn up in
accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 8.
Spain, Finland and the United Kingdom may survey the
structural variables with reference to a single quarter during
a transition period until the end of 2007.’

— shift work,

— evening work,

— night work,

— Saturday work,

— Sunday work.’

Article 2

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

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.

Done at Brussels, 25 November 2003.

For the European Parliament

The President

P. COX

For the Council

The President

L. MORATTI