Article 1 Subject matter
This Regulation establishes a common framework for the production of Community statistics on vocational training in enterprises.
Article 2 Definitions
For the purpose of this Regulation, the following definitions shall apply: 1. ‘enterprise’ means the enterprise as defined in Council Regulation (EEC) No 696/93 of 15 March 1993 on the statistical units for the observation and analysis of the production system in the Community ( 9 );
Article 3 Data to be collected
2. Specific data shall be collected by the Member States with respect to initial vocational training in enterprises on: (a) participants in initial vocational training; and (b) total expenditure on initial vocational training.
Article 4 Scope of statistics
The statistics on the vocational training in enterprises shall cover at least all economic activities defined in sections B to N and R to S of NACE Rev. 2.
Article 5 Statistical units
1. For the collection of the data, the enterprise active in one of the economic activities referred to in Article 4 and employing 10 or more employees shall be used as a statistical unit. 2. Having regard to the specific national size distribution of enterprises and the evolution of policy needs, Member States may extend the definition of the statistical unit in their country. The Commission may also decide to extend that definition, if such extension would substantially enhance the representativeness and the quality of the result of the survey in the Member States concerned. Those measures, designed to amend non-essential elements of this Regulation by supplementing it, shall be adopted in accordance with the regulatory procedure with scrutiny referred to in Article 14(3).
Article 6 Data sources
1. Member States shall acquire the required data using either a survey in enterprises or a combination of a survey in enterprises and other sources, applying the principles of reduced burden on respondents and of administrative simplification. 2. Member States shall lay down the modalities for enterprises to reply to the survey. 3. Through the survey the enterprises shall be called upon to give correct and complete data within the prescribed deadlines. 4. Other sources, including administrative data, could be used to complete the data to be collected where these sources are appropriate in terms of relevance and timeliness.
Article 7 Survey characteristics
1. The survey shall be a sample survey. 2. Member States shall take the necessary measures to ensure that the data they transmit reflect the structure of the population of the statistical units. The survey shall be conducted in such a way as to permit a breakdown of the results at Community level in at least the following categories: (a) economic activities pursuant to NACE Rev. 2 ; and (b) size of the enterprises. 3. Sampling and precision requirements, the sample sizes needed to meet those requirements, and the detailed specifications of the NACE Rev. 2 and size categories into which the results can be broken down shall be determined by the Commission. Those measures, designed to amend non-essential elements of this Regulation by supplementing it, shall be adopted in accordance with the regulatory procedure with scrutiny referred to in Article 14(3).
Article 8 Survey approach
1. In order to reduce the burden on respondents the survey approach shall permit the data collection to be customised with respect to: (a) training and non-training enterprises; and (b) different forms of vocational training. 2. The specific data to be collected with respect to training and non-training enterprises and to the different forms of vocational training shall be determined by the Commission. Those measures, designed to amend non-essential elements of this Regulation by supplementing it, shall be adopted in accordance with the regulatory procedure with scrutiny referred to in Article 14(3).
Article 9 Quality control and reports
1. Member States shall take the necessary measures to ensure the quality of the data they transmit. 2. No later than 21 months after the end of each reference period referred to in Article 10, Member States shall submit to the Commission (Eurostat) a quality report containing all the information and data requested for it to verify the quality of the data transmitted. The report shall specify possible breaches of the methodological requirements. 3. On the basis of the reports referred to in paragraph 2, the Commission (Eurostat) shall assess the quality of the data transmitted with particular regard to ensuring the comparability of the data between Member States. 4. The quality requirements for the data to be collected and transmitted for Community statistics on vocational training in enterprises, the structure of the quality reports referred to in paragraph 2 and any measures necessary for assessing or improving the quality of the data shall be determined by the Commission. Those measures, designed to amend non-essential elements of this Regulation by supplementing it, shall be adopted in accordance with the regulatory procedure with scrutiny referred to in Article 14(3).
Article 10 Reference period and periodicity
1. The reference period to be covered by the data collection shall be one calendar year. 2. The Commission shall determine the first reference year for which the data are to be collected. That measure, designed to amend non-essential elements of this Regulation by supplementing it, shall be adopted in accordance with the regulatory procedure with scrutiny referred to in Article 14(3). 3. Member States shall collect the data every five years.
Article 11 Transmission of data
1. Member States and the Commission, within their respective fields of competence, shall promote the conditions for increased use of electronic data collection, electronic data transmission and automatic data processing. 2. Member States shall transmit to the Commission (Eurostat) the individual data on enterprises in accordance with the existing Community provisions on transmission of data subject to statistical confidentiality as set out in Regulations (EC) No 322/97 and (Euratom, EEC) No 1588/90. Member States shall ensure that the transmitted data do not permit the direct identification of the statistical units. 3. Member States shall transmit the data in electronic form, in conformity with the appropriate technical format and the interchange standard to be determined in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 14(2). 4. Member States shall transmit the complete and correct data no later than 18 months after the end of each reference year.
Article 12 Report on implementation
1. By 20 October 2010 and after consultation of the Statistical Programme Committee, the Commission shall transmit a report to the European Parliament and the Council on the implementation of this Regulation. In particular, this report shall: (a) assess the benefits accruing to the Community, the Member States and the users of the statistics produced in relation to the burden on the respondents; and (b) identify areas for potential improvement and amendments considered necessary in the light of the results obtained. 2. Following the report, the Commission may propose measures to improve the implementation of this Regulation.
Article 13 Implementing measures
The measures necessary to take account of economic and technical developments concerning the collection, transmission and processing of the data shall be adopted by the Commission. Those measures, designed to amend non-essential elements of this Regulation, inter alia , by supplementing it, shall be adopted in accordance with the regulatory procedure with scrutiny referred to in Article 14(3). Other measures for the implementation of this Regulation, including the appropriate technical format and interchange standard of the electronically transmitted data, shall be adopted by the Commission in accordance with the regulatory procedure referred to in Article 14(2).
Article 14 Committee procedure
1. The Commission shall be assisted by the Statistical Programme Committee established by Council Decision 89/382/EEC, Euratom ( 10 ). 2. Where reference is made to this paragraph, Articles 5 and 7 of Decision 1999/468/EC shall apply, having regard to the provisions of Article 8 thereof. The period laid down in Article 5(6) of Decision 1999/468/EC shall be set at three months. 3. Where reference is made to this paragraph, Article 5a(1) to (4) and Article 7 of Decision 1999/468/EC shall apply, having regard to the provisions of Article 8 thereof.
Article 15 Financing
1. For the first reference year for which the Community statistics provided for in this Regulation are produced, the Commission shall make a financial contribution to the Member States to help cover the costs incurred by them in collecting, processing and transmitting the data. 2. The amount of the financial contribution shall be fixed as part of the relevant annual budgetary procedure. The budget authority shall determine the appropriation available. 3. In implementing this Regulation, the Commission may have recourse to experts and to technical assistance organisations, the financing of which may be provided for within the overall financial framework for this Regulation. The Commission may organise seminars, colloquia or other meetings of experts as are likely to facilitate the implementation of this Regulation, and undertake appropriate information, publication and dissemination actions.
Article 16 Entry into force
This Regulation shall enter into force on the twentieth day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union .