PURPOSE: to establish a common framework for European business statistics.
LEGISLATIVE ACT: Regulation (EU) 2019/2152 of the European Parliament and of the Council on European business statistics, repealing 10 legal acts in the field of business statistics.
CONTENT: the Regulation establishes a common legal framework for: the development, production and dissemination of European business statistics and the European framework for statistical business registers.
Better integrated statistical processes, based on common methodological principles, definitions and quality criteria, shall lead to harmonised statistics on the structure, economic activities, transactions and performance of the business sector in the Union which meet the level of relevance and detail required to fulfil user needs.
Scope of application
The statistics should cover:
- the structure, economic activities and performance of statistical units, their research and development and innovation activities, their use of information and communication technologies (ICT) and electronic commerce, and global value chains. European business statistics shall also cover research and development statistics in higher education, the public sector and the private non-profit sector;
- production of manufactured goods and services and international trade in goods and services.
The Regulation deals with the following issues:
- data sources to be used for business statistics and statistical business registers;
- business statistics (domains and themes) and the periodicity with which the themes are to be covered. The statistics shall cover the following areas: (i) short-term business statistics; (ii) business statistics at national level; (iii) business statistics at regional level; (iv) statistics on international activities;
- business registers. The Commission (Eurostat) shall establish the EuroGroups register of multinational business groups for use for statistical purposes at Union level;
- the exchange of confidential data for the purposes of statistics on intra-Union trade in goods ;
- the quality, transmission and dissemination of data, including confidentiality concerning the dissemination of statistical data on international trade in goods.
Pilot studies
Where new data requirements are identified, the Commission may launch pilot studies to be carried out by Member States on a voluntary basis. These pilot studies shall cover as a priority "international trade in services", "real estate", "financial indicators" and "environment and climate".
The Commission may accompany the regular reports on overall progress on the pilot studies with proposals for the introduction of new data requirements.
Simplification
The Regulation calls on Member States or the competent national authorities to endeavour to simplify as far as possible the collection of statistics from European businesses. National statistical authorities shall take into account the most recent numerical developments when determining the instruments and methods for collecting statistics and shall be encouraged to apply innovative approaches.
The Commission shall carry out cost/benefit analyses and ensure that none of the measures it proposes impose significant additional costs or burdens on Member States or respondents, in particular SMEs.
ENTRY INTO FORCE: 6.1.2020.
IMPLEMENTATION: from 1.1.2021.