The European Parliament adopted by 592 votes to 30, with 3 abstentions, a legislative resolution on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Council Regulation (EC) No 577/98 on the organisation of a labour force sample survey in the Community.
Parliament adopted its position at first reading under the ordinary legislative procedure. The amendments adopted in plenary were the result of a compromise between Parliament and Council. They amend the Commission’s proposal as follows:
In line with the wishes expressed by the Members, the Union objective to effectively combat discrimination and to pursue the aim of full employment and social progress as well as the main objectives of the Europe 2020 strategy have been stressed. In this regard, it is necessary to have comparable, reliable and objective statistics on the situation of employed persons, unemployed persons and persons outside the labour market, while respecting statistical confidentiality, privacy and protection of personal data.
Ad hoc modules: the amended text provided for a further set of characteristics to supplement the information described in the Regulation. The sample used to collect information on ad hoc modules should also provide information on structural variables and should fulfil certain conditions laid down in the text.
The Commission should be empowered to adopt delegated acts as regards establishing a programme of ad hoc modules covering three years. This programme should be adopted not later than 24 months before the beginning of the reference period of the programme.
Financial contribution: the Union should award financial support to the national statistical institutes and other national authorities for the implementation of the ad hoc modules. The grants may take the form of lump-sum payments and shall be made on condition that Member States actually participate in the implementation of ad hoc modules.
Structural variables: these should fulfil the condition that the relative standard error (without taking design effect into account) of any yearly estimate representing 1% or more of the working age population does not exceed: (a) 9% for Member States with a population of between 1 million and 20 million inhabitants; and (b) 5% for Member States with a population of 20 million or more.
Member States with less than 1 million inhabitants should be exempted from the requirements regarding the relative standard error and the variables shall be collected for the total sample.
Delegation of power: the delegation of powered conferred on the Commission to adopt delegated acts should be limited to a period of five years (renewable) from the date of entry into force of the Regulation.
The delay to make an objection to a delegated act should be two months. That period could be extended by two months at the initiative of the European Parliament or the Council.
Those delegated acts shall be adopted only where they are necessary in order to take account of social and economic developments. The Commission shall duly justify the statistical actions provided for in those delegated acts.