Statistics on tourism

2010/0063(COD)

PURPOSE: to establish a common framework for the systematic production of the European statistics on tourism.

PROPOSED ACT: Regulation (EU) No 692/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning European statistics on tourism and repealing Council Directive 95/57/EC.

CONTENT: the Council adopted, following a first reading agreement with the European Parliament, this Regulation which establishes a common framework for the systematic development, production and dissemination of European statistics on tourism. For this purpose, Member States shall collect, compile, process and transmit harmonised statistics on tourism supply and demand. For all data required by this Regulation, the first reference period, unless otherwise specified, shall begin on 1 January 2012.

Under the Regulation, the term ‘tourism’ shall mean the activity of visitors taking a trip to a main destination outside their usual environment, for less than a year, for any main purpose, including business, leisure or other personal purpose, other than to be employed by a resident entity in the place visited.

The Regulation stipulates that the Commission shall draw up a programme for pilot studies which may be carried out by Member States on a voluntary basis in order to:

  • prepare the development, production and dissemination of harmonised tables for tourism satellite accounts and to assess the benefits in relation to the cost of the compilation;
  • develop a system for the compilation of data showing the effects of tourism on the environment.

The Commission (Eurostat) shall, in close cooperation with the Member States, draw up and regularly update a methodological manual which shall contain guidelines on the statistics produced pursuant to this Regulation.

By 12 August 2016 and every 5 years thereafter, the Commission shall submit an evaluation report to the European Parliament and to the Council on the statistics compiled pursuant to this Regulation and, in particular, on their relevance and the burden on business.

ENTRY INTO FORCE: 11/08/2011.

DELEGATED ACTS: the power to adopt acts in accordance with Article 290 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union should be delegated to the Commission in respect of adapting the deadlines for data transmission and the Annexes. The Commission should also be empowered to adapt the definitions to the changes in international definitions. The delegation of power shall be conferred on the Commission for a period of 5 years from 11 August 2011. The Commission shall draw up a report in respect of the delegation of power not later than 9 months before the end of the 5-year period. The delegation of power shall be tacitly extended for periods of an identical duration. A delegated act shall enter into force only if no objection has been expressed either by the European Parliament or the Council within a period of 2 months of notification of that act to the European Parliament and the Council or if, before the expiry of that period, the European Parliament and the Council have both informed the Commission that they will not object. That period shall be extended by 2 months at the initiative of the European Parliament or the Council.