European Parliament legislative resolution on the proposal for a Council regulation amending Regulation (EC) No 3605/93 as regards the quality of statistical data in the context of the excessive deficit procedure (COM(2005)0071 - C6-0108/2005 - 2005/0013(CNS))
Date: 2005-06-23
Institutions: European Parliament
Subjects: EU statistics, European accounting system, Treaty on European Union, data processing, public administration, public debt

8.6.2006

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 133 E/93

Thursday 23 June 2005

P6_TA(2005)0249

Quality of statistical data concerning excessive deficits *

European Parliament legislative resolution on the proposal for a Council regulation amending Regu-
lation (EC) No 3605/93 as regards the quality of statistical data in the context of the excessive
deficit procedure (COM(2005)0071 — C6-0108/2005 — 2005/0013(CNS))

(Consultation procedure)

The European Parliament,

— having regard to the Commission proposal to the Council (COM(2005)0071) (1),

— having regard to Article 104(14), third subparagraph, of the EC Treaty, pursuant to which the Council

consulted Parliament (C6-0108/2005),

— having regard to Rule 51 of its Rules of Procedure,

— having regard to the report of the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (A6-0181/2005),

Approves the Commission proposal as amended;

Calls on the Commission to alter its proposal accordingly, pursuant to Article 250(2) of the EC Treaty;

Calls on the Council to notify Parliament if it intends to depart from the text approved by Parliament;

Asks the Council to consult Parliament again if it intends to amend the Commission proposal substan-

1.

2.

3.

4.
tially;

5.

Instructs its President to forward its position to the Council and Commission.

TEXT PROPOSED
BY THE COMMISSION

AMENDMENTS
BY PARLIAMENT

Amendment 1
RECITAL 2

(2) The role of the Commission, as statistical authority, in that
context is specifically exercised by Eurostat, on behalf of the
Commission. As the Commission department responsible for
carrying out the tasks devolving on the Commission as regards
the production of Community statistics, Eurostat is required to
execute its tasks in accordance with the principles of impartial-
ity, reliability, relevance, cost-effectiveness, statistical confiden-
tiality and transparency, as laid down in Commission Decision
of 21 April 1997 on the role of Eurostat as regards the produc-
tion of Community statistics.

(2) The role of the Commission, as statistical authority, in that
context is specifically exercised by Eurostat, on behalf of the
Commission. As the Commission department responsible for
carrying out the tasks devolving on the Commission as regards
the production of Community statistics, Eurostat is required to
execute its tasks in accordance with the principles of impartial-
ity, reliability, relevance, cost-effectiveness, statistical confiden-
tiality and transparency, as laid down in Commission Decision
of 21 April 1997 on the role of Eurostat as regards the produc-
tion of Community statistics. The European Statistics Code of
Practice, which will be set up jointly by the national statistical
institutes and Eurostat, should enhance the principles of pro-
fessional independence, adequacy of resources and quality of
statistical data.

(1) Not yet published in OJ.

C 133 E/94

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

8.6.2006

Thursday 23 June 2005

TEXT PROPOSED
BY THE COMMISSION

AMENDMENTS
BY PARLIAMENT

Amendment 2
RECITAL 5

(5) The credibility of budgetary surveillance crucially hinges
upon reliable budgetary statistics. It is of the utmost importance
that data reported by Member States under Regulation (EC)
No 3605/93 and provided by the Commission to the Council
in accordance with the Protocol are of high quality.

(5) The credibility of budgetary surveillance crucially hinges
upon reliable budgetary statistics. It is of the utmost importance
that data reported by Member States under Regulation (EC)
No 3605/93 and provided by the Commission to the Council
in accordance with the Protocol are of high quality. In this con-
text, points 1.5, 1.6 and 1.7 of the ECOFIN Council report of
20 March 2005 endorsed by the Brussels European Council of
22 and 23 March 2005 and the Fundamental Principles of
Official Statistics of the Statistics Division of the United
Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs should
be considered as a basis on which to meet the required high
quality standards.

Amendment 3
RECITAL 9

(9) A permanent dialogue should be established between the
Commission and the Member States' statistical authorities in
order to ensure the quality both of the actual data reported by
Member States and of the underlying government accounts. To
that end, both dialogue visits and in-depth monitoring visits
may be carried out regularly by the Commission thus enhancing
the monitoring of the reported data and providing a permanent
assurance of the quality of the data. Member States have to
promptly provide
to the
information

the Commission with access

(9) A permanent dialogue should be established between the
Commission and the Member States' statistical authorities in
order to ensure the quality both of the actual data reported by
Member States and of the underlying government accounts. To
that end, both dialogue visits and in-depth monitoring visits
may be carried out regularly by the Commission thus enhancing
the monitoring of the reported data and providing a permanent
assurance of the quality of the data. Member States have to
promptly provide
to the
information The Commission should regularly inform the
European Parliament and the Council about the programme
for and work on improving the quality of statistics in the
European Union.

the Commission with access

Amendment 5
ARTICLE 1, POINT 2
Article 7, paragraph 2a (new) (Regulation (EC) No 3605/93)

In the event that the planned government deficit and
2a.
debt figures or the revisions thereof do not use the ‘common
external assumptions’, made public by the Commission in the
context of the coordination of economic and fiscal policies to
make comparisons between Member States,
the Member
States shall explain in depth the reason for the divergence
and calculate the differential between the projections.

Amendment 6
ARTICLE 1, POINT 3
Article 9, paragraph 1 (Regulation (EC) No 3605/93)

The Commission (Eurostat) shall assess the quality both of
1.
actual data reported by Member States and of the underlying
government accounts. Quality of actual data means the com-
pliance with accounting rules, completeness, reliability, timeli-
ness, and consistency of the data.

shall regularly assess

The Commission (Eurostat)

the
1.
quality both of actual data reported by Member States and of
the underlying government accounts. Quality of actual data
means the compliance with the European System of Accounts
1995 (ESA 95) standards, completeness, reliability, compara-
bility, timeliness, and consistency of the data.

8.6.2006

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 133 E/95

TEXT PROPOSED
BY THE COMMISSION

Thursday 23 June 2005

AMENDMENTS
BY PARLIAMENT

Amendment 7
ARTICLE 1, POINT 3
Article 9, paragraph 2a (new) (Regulation (EC) No 3605/93)

2a.
The Commission (Eurostat) shall report regularly to the
European Parliament and Council on the quality of the actual
data presented by the Member States and the development of
Europe-wide minimum standards for the quality of statistics.

Amendment 8
ARTICLE 1, POINT 3
Article 12, paragraph 1 (Regulation (EC) No 3605/93)

The Commission (Eurostat) ensures a permanent dialogue with
the Member States' statistical authorities. To this end, the Com-
mission (Eurostat) will regularly carry out in all Member States
dialogue visits as well as in-depth monitoring visits.

The Commission (Eurostat) ensures a permanent dialogue with
the Member States' statistical authorities. To this end, the Com-
mission (Eurostat) will regularly carry out in all Member States
dialogue visits; it can also carry out in-depth monitoring visits
in compliance with Regulation (EC) No 322/97. The dialogue
visits shall be carried out according to a timetable decided
jointly by the Member States and the Commission (Eurostat).
If possible, the dialogue visits shall take place simultaneously
in all Member States on the basis of an annual report regard-
ing the evaluation of the adaptation of statistical data and the
perspectives in that field.

Amendment 9
ARTICLE 1, POINT 3
Article 12, paragraph 2 (Regulation (EC) No 3605/93)

The dialogue visits are designed to review reported data, to
examine methodological issues, and to assess compliance with
the accounting rules. The in-depth monitoring visits are
designed to monitor the processes and accounts which justify
the reported data and to draw detailed conclusions as to com-
pliance with accounting rules and the completeness, reliability,
timeliness and consistency of the reported data.

The dialogue visits are designed to review reported data, to
examine methodological issues, and to assess compliance with
the accounting rules. The results of the dialogue visits shall be
reported to at least the national statistical institutes. The in-
depth monitoring visits are designed to monitor the processes
and accounts which justify the reported data and to draw
detailed conclusions as to compliance with accounting rules
and the completeness, reliability, timeliness and consistency of
the reported data. The in-depth monitoring visits are decided
upon by the Commission (Eurostat) where there is grave doubt
as to the accuracy or consistency of the data submitted, and as
planned in the programme.

Amendment 10
ARTICLE 1, POINT 3
Article 13, paragraph 1 (Regulation (EC) No 3605/93)

1. When carrying out in-depth monitoring visits in Member
States, the Commission (Eurostat) can be assisted by experts,
most notably from other Member States, national authorities
the Member States being visited who have a functional
of
responsibility for the control of the government accounts, and
other Commission departments.

1. When carrying out in-depth monitoring visits in Member
States, the Commission (Eurostat) can be assisted by experts
from other Member States who shall be officials from the
national statistical authorities or, on specific occasions, by
other national authorities of the Member States being visited
who have a functional responsibility for the control of the gov-
ernment accounts or by other Commission departments, fol-
lowing an agreement between the Member State being visited
and the Commission (Eurostat).

C 133 E/96

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

8.6.2006

Thursday 23 June 2005

TEXT PROPOSED
BY THE COMMISSION

AMENDMENTS
BY PARLIAMENT

Amendment 11
ARTICLE 1, POINT 3
Article 13, paragraph 1a (new) (Regulation (EC) No 3605/93)

1a.
Eurostat has the principal role amongst the Community
authorities for monitoring the quality of statistical data. How-
ever, Eurostat must follow an internal procedure for contacts
with and debriefing of the other competent Community auth-
orities during the preparation of its monitoring and must
decide with them during the decision making procedure once
the monitoring visits are completed.

Amendment 12
ARTICLE 1, POINT 3
Article 14 (Regulation (EC) No 3605/93)

The Commission (Eurostat) shall report to the Economic and
Financial Committee on the findings of dialogue and in-depth
monitoring visits. These reports shall be made public.

The Commission (Eurostat) shall report to the Economic and
Financial Committee on the findings of dialogue. It shall report
to the European Parliament and Council on the conclusions of
the in-depth monitoring visits. These reports shall be made
public.

Amendment 13
ARTICLE 1, POINT 3
Article 16, paragraph 2a (new) (Regulation (EC) No 3605/93)

2a.
The Commission (Eurostat) shall report to the Euro-
pean Parliament and Council on the amended data and the
reasons for the amendment.

P6_TA(2005)0250

Specific restrictive measures against certain persons (Sudan) *

European Parliament legislative resolution on the proposal for a Council regulation imposing cer-
tain specific restrictive measures directed against certain persons impeding the peace process and
law in the conflict in the Darfur region in Sudan (COM(2005)0180 —
breaking international

C6-0138/2005 — 2005/0068(CNS))

(Consultation procedure)

The European Parliament,

— having regard to the Commission proposal to the Council (COM(2005)0180) (1),

— having regard to the Council text (8910/2005),

— having regard to Council Common Position 2005/411/CFSP (2),

— having regard to Articles 60 and 301 of the EC Treaty,

— having regard to Article 308 of the EC Treaty, pursuant to which the Council consulted Parliament

(C6-0138/2005),

(1) Not yet published in OJ.
(2) OJ L 139, 2.6.2005, p. 25.