Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on the Proposal for a Decision of the European Parliament and of the Council setting up a European Advisory Committee on Community Statistical Information Policy COM(2006) 653 final — 2006/0217 (COD)
Date: 2007-02-16
Institutions: European Economic and Social Committee
Subjects: EU statistics, advisory committee (EU), economic statistics, statistics

28.4.2007

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 97/1

III

(Preparatory Acts)

EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE

433rd PLENARY SESSION HELD ON 15 AND 16 FEBRUARY 2007

Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on the Proposal for a Decision of the
European Parliament and of the Council setting up a European Advisory Committee on Community
Statistical Information Policy

COM(2006) 653 final — 2006/0217 (COD)

(2007/C 97/01)

On 22 December 2006, the Council decided to consult the European Economic and Social Committee,
under Article 262 of the Treaty establishing the European Community, on the abovementioned proposal.

Given the urgent nature of the work, the European Economic and Social Committee appointed Ms Florio as
rapporteur-general at its 433rd plenary session, held on 15 and 16 February 2007 (meeting of 16 February
2007), and adopted the following opinion by 105 votes to none with two abstentions.

1. Background

In this opinion, the EESC expresses its view on the draft
1.1
decision of
the Council
the European Parliament and of
presented by the Commission (1), which aims to restructure the
CEIES (European Advisory Committee on Statistical Information
in the Economic and Social Spheres).

1.2
Since it was formed, the CEIES has acted as a consultative
body, promoting dialogue between the producers and users of
statistics at Community level.

— a reformed CEIES whose membership reflects all

those
including civil society

concerned with European statistics,
players.

2. The Commission proposal

The Commission's proposal for a decision establishes a
2.1
new CEIES, and in Article 1 renames it the ‘European Advisory
Committee on Community Statistical
It
states that the new committee shall assist the European Parlia-
ment, the Council and the Commission with the coordination
of the priorities and strategic objectives of Community statistical
information policy.

Information Policy’.

1.3
In its explanatory memorandum, the Commission under-
lines that a number of commonly shared objectives emerged
from the consultations carried out with a view to reforming the
committee:

2.2
The committee is to play a decisive role in the prepara-
tion of the Community's statistical programme. The committee
will be consulted by the Commission and will express an
opinion on:

— the need for a smaller and more efficient body;

— a reformed CEIES continuing to raise the quality of Com-

munity statistics;

— a reformed CEIES playing a more strategic role in assisting
the Council, the European Parliament and the Commission
in coordinating policy objectives and priorities for Com-
munity statistics;

(1) COM(2006) 653 final — 2006/0217 (COD).

— the relevance of

the programme to the requirements of
European integration and development and to the activities
of the Community, taking into account economic, social and
technical developments;

— the

resources needed to implement

the programme,

including the costs.

2.3
The CEIES will also have the task of drawing the
Commission's attention to areas in which it may be necessary to
develop new statistical activities and it will advise the Commis-
sion on how the quality needs of information users can be
better met.

C 97/2

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

28.4.2007

At the request of the European Parliament, the Council
2.4
and the Commission, the committee will deliver opinions on
matters relating to:

The Commission's proposal for a decision repeals the

2.8
previous Council Decision 91/116/EEC.

— user requirements for the development of the Community's

3. Comments and conclusions

statistical information policy;

— priorities of the Community statistical programme;

— the evaluation of existing statistics;

— data quality and dissemination policy.

2.5
The committee may also present reports to the European
Parliament, the Council and the Commission on user require-
ments and the costs borne by data providers.

2.5.1
basis on how it has taken account of the committee's opinions.

The Commission will be required to report on a yearly

2.6
The Commission's draft decision reduces CEIES member-
ship from 79 to 25. Article 4 states that 14 members of the
committee shall be appointed by the Commission, after consul-
the European Parliament and the Council. Each
tation of
Member State shall nominate two candidates with a well-estab-
lished qualification in the field of statistics. The Commission,
meanwhile, shall endeavour to ensure that its 14 appointees
including the scientific community,
fairly reflect civil society,
and adequately cover the various statistical domains covered by
the Community statistical programme.

2.6.1
to which they belong, as follows:

Ten members shall be directly appointed by the bodies

— one representative of the European Parliament;

— one representative of the Council;

— one representative of the European Economic and Social

Committee;

— one representative of the Committee of the Regions;

— one representative of the ECB;

— two

representatives

from the

Statistical

Programme

Committee;

— one representative of UNICE;

— one representative of the ETUC;

— one representative of the UEAPME.

2.6.2
member of the CEIES.

The Director-General of Eurostat shall be an ex-officio

One of the issues raised by the enlargement of the Euro-
3.1
pean Union to 27 countries, and one that is recognised by the
CEIES itself, has been the need for it to reform. A body of this
kind needs to be as representative as possible of not just the
various national situations, but also of European users' and
producers' needs.

3.2
Strengthening the strategic role of the CEIES in choosing
priorities and in evaluation, and giving it the option of setting
up ad hoc working parties, goes a long way towards giving it the
responsibilities and resources it deserves.

the

independence, authority and neutrality of

3.3
One can only applaud the objective of establishing a
smaller and more efficient committee, but care must be taken to
secure
its
members. For this reason, the EESC is perplexed by the new
membership of the committee.
it is to promote dialogue
between the users and producers of statistics, the EESC believes
that the number of institutional representatives should be scaled
down.

If

3.4
Furthermore, this membership cannot properly reflect
the views of institutions such as the European Parliament, or
indeed the European Economic and Social Committee, which
represent a diverse range of political views and interest groups.

3.5
The European Economic and Social Committee is the
European Union body responsible for representing the various
economic and social milieux and civil society players. The fact
that it, like the other European institutions, is to be represented
on the new European Advisory Committee by just one member
appears to downgrade its importance as a European advisory
body.

3.6 With its role and unique membership the EESC ought to
have more clout in the consultation phase, to reflect not just its
institutional role but also its ability to express the viewpoints of
European civil society.

3.7
In the draft decision, however, civil society appears to be
represented by the 14 members appointed by the Commission,
and no criteria are specified for choosing them from the variety
of European associations. These are joined by ten representatives
of the institutions, the social partners and Eurostat.

One of the new elements introduced by the reform is the
2.7
possibility of setting up temporary working parties, chaired by a
member of
to prepare opinions on particularly
the CEIES,
complex statistical issues.

the
For this reason, while supporting the reform of
3.8
CEIES, the EESC calls for its own advisory role in the field of
Community statistical
recognised and
enhanced in the Commission's proposal.

information to be

Brussels, 16 February 2007.

The President

of the European Economic and Social Committee

Dimitris DIMITRIADIS