18.3.2011 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 71/4
COMMISSION REGULATION (EU) No 263/2011
of 17 March 2011
implementing Regulation (EC) No 458/2007 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the European system of integrated social protection statistics (ESSPROS) as regards the launch of full data collection for the ESSPROS module on net social protection benefits
(Text with EEA relevance)
THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION
,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,
Having regard to Regulation (EC) No 458/2007 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 April 2007 on the European system of integrated social protection statistics (ESSPROS) (1), and in particular Articles 5(2) and 7(3) thereof,
Whereas:
(1) Regulation (EC) No 458/2007 established a methodological framework to be used for compiling statistics on a comparable basis for the benefits of the European Union and time limits for the transmission and dissemination of statistics compiled in accordance with the European system of integrated social protection statistics (hereinafter referred to as ‘ESSPROS’).
(2) Pursuant to Article 5(1) of Regulation (EC) No 458/2007, pilot data collection for the year 2005 was carried out in all Member States with a view to introducing a module on net social protection benefits.
(3) A synthesis of the national pilot data collection showed that the outcome of a very large majority of the pilot studies was positive, so the implementing measures needed to launch full data collection for the module on net social protection benefits should be adopted.
(4) The module on net social protection benefits should be obtained using the restricted approach, in order to have the same population of beneficiaries of the gross social protection benefits collected in the ESSPROS core system.
(5) Pursuant to Article 7(3) of Regulation (EC) No 458/2007, implementing measures relating to the first year for which full data shall be collected, and measures relating to the detailed classification of data covered, the definitions to be used and the rules on dissemination for the module on net social protection benefits should be adopted.
(6) The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the European Statistical System Committee,
1.   Member States shall submit data relating to the ESSPROS module on net social protection benefits to the Commission (Eurostat) annually. The reference period shall be the calendar year.
2.   The deadline for the transmission of data for the year N, together with any revision of previous years’ data, shall be 31 December of the year N + 2.
3.   The first reference year for which full data shall be collected on net social protection benefit shall be 2010.
1.   The definitions to be applied to the module on net social protection benefits shall be as laid down in Annex I.
2.   The detailed classifications to be used in the module on net social protection benefits shall be as laid down in Annex II.
3.   The criteria for dissemination of the data relating to the module on net social benefits shall be as laid down in Annex III.
This Regulation shall enter into force on the 20th day following its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.
This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.