Commission Recommendation (EU) 2023/397 of 17 February 2023 on reference metadata and quality reports for the European Statistical System, replacing Recommendation 2009/498/EC on reference metadata for the European Statistical System
Date: 2023-02-17
Institutions: European Commission, Eurostat
Subjects: EU Member State, EU statistics, European Statistical System, data collection, exchange of information, metadata, technical specification








L_2023053EN.01010401.xml










21.2.2023   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


L 53/104








            COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION (EU) 2023/397
of 17 February 2023
         
on reference metadata and quality reports for the European Statistical System, replacing Recommendation 2009/498/EC on reference metadata for the European Statistical System


THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 292 thereof,

Whereas:







(1)


The European Statistics Code of Practice (1), intended for national and Union statistical authorities, sets out the principles and indicators covering the institutional environment, statistical processes and statistical output.












(2)


The European Statistics Code of Practice addresses the accessibility and clarity of European statistics and says that the accompanying metadata should be documented using a standardised metadata system.












(3)


The European Interoperability Framework (2) outlines key principles for interoperability in the Union.












(4)


Reference metadata and quality reports are an integral part of each statistical authority’s metadata system.












(5)


Reference metadata and quality reporting requirements are included in Union regulations that apply to various statistical areas.












(6)


By adopting the European Statistics Code of Practice, national and Union statistical authorities have committed themselves to producing high quality statistics, which require more transparent and harmonised reporting on data quality.












(7)


Considerable efficiency gains and burden reduction can arise from producing reference metadata and quality reports on the basis of a harmonised list of statistical concepts in the European Statistical System, while at the same time allowing national and Union statistical authorities to add more statistical concepts in particular statistical areas if needed.












(8)


Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council (3) on European Statistics provides a reference framework for this Recommendation.












(9)


Commission Recommendation 2009/498/EC (4) lays the foundations for metadata standardisation in European statistics, but it does not fully cover quality reporting concepts.












(10)


The Commission (Eurostat) coordinates and maintains the version updates of the Single Integrated Metadata Structure and supports the Member States to implement them and ensure their uptake.












(11)


The Commission (Eurostat) and the Member States should cooperate in implementing this Recommendation and assessing its impact.












(12)


This Recommendation replaces Recommendation 2009/498/EC,





HAS ADOPTED THIS RECOMMENDATION:








1.


Member States are invited to ensure that their national statistical authorities apply the statistical concepts listed in the latest version of the Single Integrated Metadata Structure (SIMS) (5) approved by the European Statistical System Committee, when compiling reference metadata and quality reports in the various statistical areas, and when exchanging reference metadata and quality reports in the European Statistical System.










2.


It is for each Member State to choose the procedures and practices best designed to ensure the implementation of this Recommendation. For this, Member States should make full use of the support available, especially in the European Statistical System.










3.


National statistical authorities are invited to inform the Commission (Eurostat) by 1 January 2024 and regularly after that of the measures taken to apply, and the degree of implementation of, the concepts listed in the Single Integrated Metadata Structure.







Done at Brussels, 17 February 2023.


For the Commission

Paolo GENTILONI
            

Member of the Commission






(1)  https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/quality/european-quality-standards/european-statistics-code-of-practice

(2)  COM(2017) 134.

(3)  Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 March 2009 on European statistics and repealing Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1101/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the transmission of data subject to statistical confidentiality to the Statistical Office of the European Communities, Council Regulation (EC) No 322/97 on Community Statistics, and Council Decision 89/382/EEC, Euratom establishing a Committee on the Statistical Programmes of the European Communities (OJ L 87, 31.3.2009, p. 164).

(4)  Commission Recommendation 2009/498/EC of 23 June 2009 on reference metadata for the European Statistical System (OJ L 168, 30.6.2009, p. 50).

(5)  https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/quality/quality-monitoring/quality-reporting