WRITTEN QUESTION E-0223/04 by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Unemployment rate in Greece.
Date: 2004-01-30
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Eurostat, Greece, employment statistics, national statistics, statistical method, unemployment

27.3.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 78 E/943

The Commission strictly adheres to the payment procedures contained in the call for proposals and the
new Financial Regulation. The disbursement of grants is therefore dependent on the submission of
documentary evidence by the beneficiary at the end of the activity. Although the volume of documentary
evidence has been reduced, in nearly 25 % of cases beneficiaries have had to be contacted again because
the documentation they submitted was incomplete. This is the reason for most of the payment delays.

Nevertheless, on the whole, the situation has improved considerably.

The Commission would like to reassure the Honourable Member that everything is being done to catch up
on the backlog and pay the sums due as soon as possible.

(2004/C 78 E/0997)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0223/04

by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(30 January 2004)

Subject: Unemployment rate in Greece

According to the Greek Statistical Service, the rate of unemployment in Greece is 8,9 %, corresponding to
a total of 392 200 people, whereas figures published by the Greek Manpower Employment Organisation
(OAED) on 19 January give the number of registered unemployed as 585 788 or 13,2 % of
the
economically active population.

Can the Commission, in cooperation with the Greek Government, clarify the discrepancy between the
figures produced by the OAED and those published by the Greek Statistical Service?

Answer given by Mr Solbes Mira on behalf of the Commission

(5 March 2004)

The data that Eurostat uses to calculate monthly unemployment rates come from the National Statistical
Service of Greece. The most recent data available from Greece refer to the second quarter 2003 (data until
June 2003) as shown in the Eurostat databases. Data for Greek unemployment rates are identical between
Eurostat and the National Statistical Service of Greece. However, in Greece, the data are published in non-
seasonally adjusted form (Second quarter 2003, 8,9 %) and in Eurostat in seasonally adjusted form (Second
quarter 2003, 9,2 %). Eurostat publishes seasonally adjusted series for all the Member States and Acceding
and Candidate Countries.

Eurostat has no comments on the other national data providers. Eurostat is interested in the harmonised
data or the sources for the harmonised data, which in the unemployment statistics area are provided by
the National Statistical Service of Greece. Data from other national services may be based on different
concepts and rules for which the Commission has neither reason, nor obligation to verify or approve.

(2004/C 78 E/0998)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0224/04

by Roberta Angelilli (UEN) to the Commission

(2 February 2004)

Subject:

‘Militaria e Dintorni in Europa’ (Militaria Fair)

For a number of years a Militaria Fair has been held in Rome which, because of its specialist nature, has
gained such importance that it is now the only fair of its kind in central/southern Italy. The fair was
designed to attract collectors of military memorabilia from Italy and abroad (items come from France, the
United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, Greece, Poland, the United States and Russia) and others interested in
the subject.