Labour Force Survey (LFS): aligning the Regulation with the TFEU (Commission delegated and implementing powers); financing provision

2013/0084(COD)

PURPOSE: to align Council Regulation (EC) No 577/98 on the organisation of a labour force sample survey in the Community to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (the Commission’s delegated and implementing powers) and integrate into the Regulation a provision on financing.

PROPOSED ACT: Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council (amending Council Regulation (EC) No 577/98).

ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: the European Parliament decides in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure and on an equal footing with the Council.

BACKGROUND: following the entry into force of the TFEU, the powers delegated to the Commission must be aligned with Article 290 (delegated acts), and Article 291 (implementing acts).

The Commission has made a commitment to review legislative acts which currently contain references to regulatory procedure with scrutiny in the light of the criteria laid down in the

Treaty. The overall objective is to remove all provisions referring to the regulatory procedure with scrutiny from all legislative instruments by the end of Parliament’s seventh term (June 2014).

Council Regulation (EC) No 577/98 on the organisation of a labour force sample survey in the Community contains references to the regulatory procedure with scrutiny and should therefore be reviewed in the light of the criteria laid down in the TFEU.

The EU Labour Force Survey (LFS) is the biggest household survey in Europe. The results produced form the backbone of the statistical information system on labour markets in the European Union. In particular, the LFS provides the indicators for three of the Europe 2020 headline targets.

Each year, the core LFS is supplemented with an ad hoc module, which serves predominantly European policy initiatives, such as the European Employment Strategy, the Youth on the Move flagship initiative, the Strategy for Equality between Women and Men, the European agenda for integration and the Employment Package. The sustainable production of high-quality ad hoc module data is of utmost importance to EU decision-makers, and thus it is proposed that a provision on financing be integrated into the Regulation.

IMPACT ASSESSMENT: there was no need for impact assessment.

LEGAL BASIS: Article 338(1) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.

CONTENT : the main objectives of the proposal are as follows:

1) Amend Regulation (EC) No 577/98 in order to align it to the new institutional context.

The Commission may adopt, by means of delegated acts in accordance with Article 290 of the TFEU: (i) the content of the ad hoc modules, the definitions and any adjustment of the list of survey variables made necessary by the evolution of techniques and concepts; (ii) the list of structural variables, including the minimum sample size and the survey frequency.

Implementing powers are conferred upon the Commission with a view to ensuring uniform conditions concerning the transmission of statistical information, in particular by adopting the rules on the edits to be used, the codification of the variables and the list of principles for the formulation of questions concerning labour status.

2) Allow the Commission to provide for a financial contribution. The contribution by the Union to the financing of the implementation of modules is proposed through grant procedures, without calls for proposals. The grants are to be awarded to the national statistical institutes and other national authorities referred to in Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 on European statistics.

BUDGETARY IMPLICATIONS: the total amount in commitment and payment appropriations (operational appropriations and human resources) is estimated at EUR 15.890 million for the period 2014-2020.

DELEGATED ACTS: the proposal contains provisions empowering the Commission to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 290 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.