PURPOSE: to establish a comprehensive strategic programme for official Community statistics for the period 2008-2012.
LEGISLATIVE ACT: Decision No 1578/2007/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2007 on the Community Statistical Programme 2008 to 2012.
CONTENT: the Council adopted a Decision establishing a statistical programme for the period 2008-2012 which aims to ensure the consistency and comparability of statistical information in the Community. This programme identifies the approaches, the main fields and the objectives of the actions envisaged in respect of the policy priorities of the EU. The programme shall be implemented in accordance with the principles of the European Statistics Code of Practice with a view to producing and disseminating high-quality, harmonised Community statistics disaggregated by gender, where appropriate, and ensuring the proper functioning of the European statistical system.
The programme shall be guided by the principal Community policy priorities of:
The Commission shall, after consulting the Statistical Programme Committee, present an interim progress report and shall submit it to the European Parliament and the Council no later than June 2010. That report shall address, in particular, the period of the second half of the current programme and the issue of the period to be covered by the next multiannual statistical programme, taking into account the term of office of the European Parliament.
In relation to the implementation of the programme, the Commission shall also provide a preliminary analysis of the competitive effects on small and medium-sized enterprises brought about by the proposed cuts in the administrative burden, and of the financial burden-sharing between Community and Member State budgets.
The Commission shall also pay special attention to the issue of necessary datasets, tools and methodologies which shall serve as the basis for the production of unbiased and objective analysis of the social and economic impacts of important areas which are in need of constant monitoring and review such as the common agricultural policy, the services in the internal market and the next multiannual financial framework.
At the end of the period covered by the programme, the Commission, after consulting the Statistical Programme Committee, shall present an evaluation report on the implementation of the programme, taking into account the views of independent experts. That report shall be completed by the end of 2013 and subsequently submitted to the European Parliament and the Council.
The financial envelope for the period 2008-2012 is set at EUR 274 200 000.
ENTRY INTO FORCE: 31/12/2007.