CELEX: 51994PC0674
Language: en
Date: 1995-01-09
Title: Proposal for a COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) concerning Harmonised Consumer Price Indices

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51994PC0674

Proposal for a COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) concerning Harmonised Consumer Price Indices  /* COM/94/674FINAL - CNS 95/0009 */  

Official Journal C 084 , 06/04/1995 P. 0007

Proposal for a Council Regulation (EC)  concerning Harmonized Consumer Price Indices(95/C  84/06)COM(94) 674 final - 95/0009(CNS) (Submitted by the Commission on 9 January 1995)THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 213  thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament, Having regard to the opinion of the European Monetary Institute, Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee, Whereas Article 109j of the Treaty establishing the European Community requires the Commission and  the EMI to report to the Council on the progress by Member States in the fulfilment of their  obligations regarding the achievement of economic and monetary union in respect of a high degree of  price stability; Whereas Article 1 of the Protocol on convergence criteria referred to in the said Article 109j  states that the required sustainable price performance for Member States should be in terms of  inflation measured by means of the consumer price indices on a comparable basis; and whereas  existing consumer price indices are not compiled on a directly comparable basis; Whereas there is a need for the European Community and particularly its fiscal and monetary  authorities to have regular and timely consumer price indices for the purpose of providing  comparisons of inflation in the macroeconomic and international context as distinct from national  and micro-economic purposes; Whereas it is recognized that inflation is a phenomenon manifesting itself in all forms of market  transactions including capital purchases, government purchases, payments to labour as well as  purchases by consumers, and whereas it is recognized that a range of statistics, of which consumer  price indices form an essential part, is relevant for a full understanding of the inflationary  process within and between countries of the European Community; Whereas comparable indices of consumer prices may be produced instead of or in addition to similar  indices of consumer prices already produced or to be produced in future by Member States; Whereas the production of comparable indices will involve costs to be met partly by the Commission  and partly by Member States; Whereas, according to the principle of subsidiarity, the creation of common statistical standards  for consumer price indices is a task that can only be dealt with effectively at Community level and  whereas the collection of data and compilation of comparable consumer price indices will be  implemented in each Member State under the aegis of the organizations and institutions responsible  for compiling official statistics at a national level; Whereas there will, in prospect of the achievement of economic and monetary union, be a need for a  consumer price index for the European Community as a whole; Whereas the Statistical Programme Committee (SPC), established by Council Decision 89/382/EEC  (1),  has reached a favourable conclusion on the draft Regulation, HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: Article 1 AimThe aim of this Regulation is to establish Community statistics  on consumer prices as follows: 1. Each Member State shall produce a comparable consumer price index hereinafter referred to as the  Harmonized Consumer Price Index of the Member State (HCPI). 2. The Commission (Statistical Office of the European Communities - Eurostat hereinafter) shall  produce a consumer price index for the European Community based on the HCPIs of the Member States  and hereinafter referred to as the European Consumer Price Index (ECPI). 3. The Commission (Eurostat) shall produce a consumer price index for the European Monetary Union  based on the HCPIs of Member States without a derogation pursuant to Article 109k of the Treaty,  hereinafter referred to as the Monetary Union Consumer price Index (MUCPI), as long as there are  any such derogations. Article 2 ScopeThe scope of this Regulation shall be the actual prices of goods and services  available for purchase in the economic territory of the Member State for the purposes of the direct  satisfaction of individual consumer needs or wants and the associated quantities actually purchased  for such purposes. Article 3 Comparability requirementHCPIs shall be considered to be comparable if they reflect  only differences in price changes or consumption patterns between countries. HCPIs which differ on  account of differences in the concepts, methods or practices used in their definition and  compilation shall not be considered comparable. The Commission (Eurostat), following the procedure  described in Article 14, shall set down rules to be followed to ensure the comparability of HCPIs  and notably where the difference between the effect on the annual change in the all-items HCPI of a  particular concept, method or practice and the effect of its alternatives is more than one-tenth of  one percentage point. Article 4 Timetable and derogations therefrom1.  The measures necessary to achieve comparable  consumer price indices shall be implemented in a staged process, as follows: (a) Stage I: By March 1996 at the latest, the Commission (Eurostat) shall, in collaboration with Member States,  produce for the purposes of the report referred to in Article 109j of the Treaty ('convergence  criteria`) an interim set of consumer price indices for each Member State. These indices shall be  based wholly on data underlying existing national consumer price indices, but adjusted as follows: (i) to exclude owner-occupied housing; (ii) to exclude health and educational services; (iii) to exclude certain other items not covered or treated differently by a number of Member  States. (b) Stage II: The HCPI shall start with the index for January 1997 and shall provide estimates of price changes  relative to a common index reference period. Estimates of price changes for the 12 months to  January 1997 and subsequent months shall also be provided. (c) Stage III: By January 1998 Member States shall implement the full range of measures referred to in Article  13. 2.  Where necessary the Commission (Eurostat) may, on request from a Member State and after  consulting the European Monetary Institute, grant derogations from the provisions of paragraph 1  not exceeding a period of one year in so far as the Member State's statistical system on consumer  prices in the scope of this legal act requires significant adaptation. Article 5 Information requiredThe information required in practice shall be those prices and  values of goods and services within scope, which it is necessary to take into account in order to  achieve comparable HCPIs as defined in Article 3. Article 6 ObservationThe price and weighting data used to compile the HCPI shall be collected  directly by surveys of statistical units (Council Regulation (EEC) No 696/93 of 15 March 1993  (1)  or indirectly from other sources subject to the conditon that the resulting HCPIs meet the  comparability requirement of Article 3. Article 7 SourcesThe statistical units called upon by Member States to cooperate in the  collection or provision of price data shall be obliged to allow observation of the prices actually  charged and to give honest and complete information at the time it is requested. Article 8 Frequency1.  The HCPI shall be compiled each month. 2.  The required frequency of price collection is once each month. Where less frequent collection  does not result in the failure to produce an HCPI meeting the comparability requirement the  Commission (Eurostat) may allow exceptions to monthly collection. 3.  The weight of the HCPI shall be updated at a frequency sufficient to meet the comparability  requirement. Article 9 Production of resultsMember States shall process the data collected in order to  produce the HCPI in the detailed categories listed in Annex I (adapted as necessary to meet the  purposes of constructing comparable HCPIs) according to methods, procedures and formulae, which,  following the procedure laid down in Article 14, are designed to meet the comparability  requirement. Article 10 Transmission of resultsMember States shall transmit to the Commission (Eurostat) the  results (Article 9) within a period which shall not exceed 30 days of the end of the calendar month  to which the indices relate. Article 11 PublicationThe HCPI, the ECPI, the MUCPI and corresponding subindices for a set of  categories within those laid down pursuant to Article 9 shall be disseminated in mutual cooperation  between national authorities and the Commission (Eurostat) and shall be published within a period  which shall not exceed five working days from the end of the period referred to in Article 10. Article 12 Quality controlMember States shall provide the Commission (Eurostat) at its request  with information, including such data collected pursuant to Article 5 as may be confidential, to  evaluate compliance with the comparability requirement and the quality of the HCPIs. Article 13 Consultation1.  The measures for implementing the present Regulation, including  measures for adaptation to economic and technical developments, shall be laid down by the  Commission (Eurostat) following consultation with the Statistical Programme Committee (hereinafter  referred to as the Committee) set up by Council Decision 89/382/EEC, Euratom, and the European  Monetary Institute in accordance with the procedure specified in Article 14. 2.  The measures in paragraph 1 shall be limited to those which do not involve significant  additional resources in any Member State unless agreed by the Member States concerned or unless the  Commission (Eurostat) undertakes to meet two-thirds of the additional costs up to the end of the  first two years after implementation. Article 14 Procedure1.  The representative of the Commission shall submit to the Committee a  draft of the measures to be taken. The Committee shall deliver its opinion on this draft within a  time limit which the chairman may set in the light of the urgency of the matter in hand. The  opinion shall be delivered by the majority laid down in Article 148 (2) of the Treaty establishing  the European Community for Decisions which the Council of the European Union is required to adopt  on a proposal from the Commisison. When the Committee votes, the weightings laid down in the  abovementioned Article shall be applied to the votes of the representatives of the Member States.  The chairman shall not take part in the vote. 2.  The Commission shall adopt measures that are immediately applicable. However, if they do not  accord with the opinion delivered by the Committee, these measures shall be immediately  communicated by the Commission to the Council, in which case the Commission shall postpone the  application of the measures it has adopted by three months from the date of such communication. 3.  The Council, acting by a qualified majority, may adopt a different Decision within the time  limit laid down in paragraph 2. Article 15 ReviewThe Commission (Eurostat) shall, after consulting the Committee, and within two  years of the date of entry into force and again within two years thereafter, submit a report to the  Council on the HCPIs constructed pursuant to this Regulation, and in particular in respect of their  reliability and the application of the comparability requirement. Article 16 Entry into forceThis Regulation shall enter into force on the 20th day following its  publication in the Official Journal of the European Communities. This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all  Member States. (1) OJ No L 181, 28. 6. 1989. (1) OJ No L 76, 30. 3. 1993.  ANNEX I CLASSIFICATIONS OF INDIVIDUAL CONSUMPTION BY PURPOSE FROM WHICH COMPONENT  INDICES OF THE HCPI TO BE COMPILED WILL BE DETERMINED 1. FOOD, BEVERAGES AND TOBACCO1.1.  Food1.1.1. Bread and cereals1.1.2. Meat1.1.3. Fish1.1.4. Milk, cheese and eggs1.1.5. Oils and  fats1.1.6. Fruit1.1.7. Vegetables other than potatoes and other tubers1.1.8. Potatoes, manioc  and other tubers1.1.9. Sugar1.1.10. Jam, honey, chocolate and confectionery1.1.11. Salt, spices,  sauces and food products n.e.c. 1.2. Beverages  (1)1.2.1. Coffee, tea, cocoa1.2.2. Other non-alcoholic beverages1.2.3. Alcoholic  beverages1.3. Tobacco2. CLOTHING AND FOOTWEAR2.1. Clothing2.1.1. Clothing materials2.1.2.  Garments2.1.3. Other articles of clothing and clothing accessories2.1.4. Repair and hire of  clothing2.2. Footwear2.2.1. Shoes and other footwear2.2.2. Repairs to footwear3. HOUSING,  WATER, ELECTRICITY, GAS AND OTHER FUELS3.1. Gross rents  (2)3.1.1. Rents actually paid by tenants   (3)3.1.2. Imputed rents of owner occupiers3.1.3. Other actual or book rents3.2. Regular  maintenance and repair of the dwelling3.2.1. Products for the regular maintenance and repair of  the dwelling3.2.2. Services for the routine maintenance and repair of the dwelling3.3. Other  services relating to the dwelling3.3.1. Refuse disposal and sanitary services3.3.2. Insurance in  respect of the dwelling3.3.3. Water supply3.4. Electricity, gas and other fuels3.4.1.  Electricity3.4.2. Gas3.4.3. Liquid fuels3.4.4. Other fuels4. FURNISHINGS, HOUSEHOLDEQUIPMENT  AND ROUTINEMAINTENANCE OF THE HOUSE4.1. Furniture, furnishings and decorations, carpets and other  floor coverings and repairs4.1.1. Furniture, furnishings and decoration4.1.2. Carpets and other  floor coverings4.1.3. Repair of furniture, furnishings, decorations, carpets and other floor  coverings4.2. Household textiles4.3. Heating and cooking appliances, refrigerators, washing  machines and similar major household appliances, including fittings and repairs4.3.1. Electric  household appliances4.3.2. Non-electric household appliances4.3.3. Repair of household  appliances4.4. Glassware, tableware and houshold utensils4.5. Tools and equipment for the house  and garden4.5.1. Major tools and equipment4.5.2. Small tools and miscellaneous accessories4.6.  Goods and services for routine household maintenance4.6.1. Non-durable household goods4.6.2.  Domestic services4.6.3. Home care services excluding domestic service5. HEALTH5.1. Medical and  pharmaceutical products and therapeutic appliances and equipment5.1.1. Medicines5.1.2. Other  pharmaceutical products5.1.3. Therapeutic appliances and equipment5.2. Non-hospital medical and  paramedical services5.2.1. Services of physicians5.2.2. Dentistry5.2.3. Medical analyses5.2.4.  Services of medical auxiliaries5.2.5. Other non-hospital services5.3. Hospital services5.3.1.  Basic hospital services5.3.2. Medical services for hospitalized persons5.3.3. Medical analyses  for hospitalized persons5.3.4. Services of medical auxiliaries for hospitalized personsto5.3.5.  Food and drink for hospitalized persons5.4. Sickness and accident insurance services5.4.1.  Private sickness and accident insurance services5.4.2. Public sickness and accident insurance  services6. TRANSPORT6.1. Purchase of vehicles6.1.1. Motor cars6.1.2. Cycles and motor  cycles6.2. Operation of personal transport equipment6.2.1. Spare parts and accessories6.2.2.  Fuels and lubricants6.2.3. Maintenance and repairs6.2.4. Other services in respect of personal  transport equipment6.3. Transport services6.3.1. Local transport6.3.2. Long-distance  transport6.3.3. Removals and furniture storage7. LEISURE, ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE  (1)7.1.  Equipment and accessories including repairs7.1.1. Equipment for the reception, recording and  reproduction of sound and pictures7.1.2. Photographic and cinematographic equipment, optical  instruments7.1.3. Data processing equipment7.1.4. Other major durables for leisure and  culture7.1.5. Games and toys; equipment for sport, camping and open-air recreation. 7.1.6. Recording media for pictures and sound7.1.7. Gardening and pets7.1.8. Repair of equipment  and accessories for leisure and culture7.2. Recreational and cultural services7.2.1. Group  recreational and cultural services7.2.2. Other recreational and cultural services7.3. Newspapers,  books and stationery7.3.1. Books7.3.2. Newspapers and miscellaneous printed matter7.3.3.  Stationery and drawing materials8. EDUCATION8.1. Educational services8.1.1. Pre-primary and  primary education8.1.2. Secondary education8.1.3. Education at the third level8.1.4. Education  not defined by level8.2. Educational materials8.3. Ancillary educational services8.3.1. School  canteens and university refectories8.3.2. Accommodation services8.3.3. Health care  services8.3.4. Other ancillary educational services9. HOTELS, CAFES AND RESTAURANTS9.1.  Catering9.1.1. Restaurants and cafés  (2)9.1.2. Canteens9.2. Accommodation services10.  MISCELLANEOUS GOODS AND SERVICES10.1. Personal care10.1.1. Hairdressing salons and personal  grooming establishments10.1.2. Electrical applicanes for personal care10.1.3. Other articles for  personal care; toiletries10.2. Personal effects n.e.c. 10.2.1. Jewellery, clocks and watches10.2.2. Other personal effects10.3. Communications10.3.1.  Postal services10.3.2. Telephone and telegraph10.4. Social services10.4.1. Social welfare with  accommodation10.4.2. Social welfare without accommodation10.5. Financial services n.e.c. 10.6. Other services n.e.c. (1) For home consumption. (2) Imputed rents of owner occupiers: excluded.  (3) Distinguishing private from local authority rents. (1) The classification of package holiday expenditure to be decided.  (2) Distinguishing meals out from drinks out.