Council Directive 78/166/EEC of 13 February 1978 concerning coordinated statistics on the business cycle in building and civil engineering

COUNCIL DIRECTIVE  of 13 February 1978  concerning coordinated statistics on the business cycle in building and civil engineering  (78/166/EEC)
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, and in particular Article 213 thereof,
Having regard to Council Directive 72/211/EEC of 30 May 1972 concerning coordinated statistics on the business cycle in industry and small craft industries (1), and in particular Article 4 thereof,
Having regard to the draft Directive submitted by the Commission,
Whereas, in order to carry out the tasks entrusted to it under the Treaty, the Commission must have at its disposal coherent statistical documentation, comparable as between States, on the overall short-term economic development of industry and small craft industries in Member States;
Whereas the statistics to be drawn up pursuant to the aforesaid Directive cover only the energy sector, mining and quarrying and the manufacturing industries and exclude building and civil engineering;
Whereas building and civil engineering constitute a highly important sector of industry occupying a key position within the economic structure;
Whereas the increasing international involvement and interdependence of business cycles and economic policies require that a body of statistical data should be available whereby short-term developments in all sectors of the economy may be followed and appropriate and coordinated measures taken within the framework of the short and medium-term economic objectives;
Whereas such data on building and civil engineering ought also to allow analysis of any disturbances or discrepancies and of any intensive growth or recession in partial markets, which presupposes a breakdown of certain statistics into both "building" and "civil engineering";
Whereas the statistics available in the different Member States on short-term economic developments in building and civil engineering are insufficient or insufficiently comparable to serve as a valid basis for the work of the Commission;
Whereas, in order to facilitate the implementation of the proposed provisions, certain time-limits should be laid down for providing the necessary statistical information;
Whereas account should be taken of the fact that the regulations and administrative practices pertaining to building permits differ from one Member State to another;
Whereas, in view of the nature of the structure of employment in building and civil engineering in any given Member State, data obtainable on the volume of work may not be sufficiently significant in assessing the short-term business cycle in the sector in question,