The European Parliament adopted by 459 votes to 76, with 49 abstentions, a legislative resolution on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on European Union labour market statistics on businesses, repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 530/1999 and Regulations (EC) No 450/2003 and (EC) No 453/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council.
The proposed Regulation establishes a common framework for systematic production of high-quality European Union labour market statistics on businesses.
The European Parliament’s position adopted at first reading under the ordinary legislative procedure amends the proposal as follows:
Data requirements
Labour market statistics on businesses should cover the following domains and topics:
(a) earnings: (i) structure of earnings; (ii) gender pay gap; (iii) collective bargaining coverage; (iv) level of statutory minimum wage, if applicable; (v) statutory minimum wage coverage, if applicable;
(b) labour costs: (i) structure of labour costs; (ii) labour cost index;
(c) labour demand: (i) job vacancies.
The amended text stressed the need to create equal opportunities and ensure them equal access to participate in society and economy, timely, comparable and accurate data on participation of persons with disabilities in labour market.
The data collected in the context of the labour market statistics on businesses regarding the structure of earnings, the gender pay gap and the structure of labour costs can also contribute to a better understanding of the gender pension gap in the Member States.
The implementation of the principle of equal treatment irrespective of racial or ethnic origin requires timely, comparable and accurate data on wages and job characteristics of persons of different racial or ethnic origins. Such data will provide much needed assessment of progress in reducing discrimination in relation to employment and working conditions, including dismissals and pay.
Sources and methods
To limit the administrative and financial burden on enterprises, in particular on social enterprises, SMEs and micro-enterprises, the national statistical authorities should consider administrative and innovative sources already available to national, regional or local authorities, the main aim of which is not the provision of statistics, as a substitute for or a complement to statistical surveys, subject to the quality requirements for official statistics.
The Commission is empowered to adopt delegated acts to ensure that the use of those other sources is necessary and proportionate to achieve the objective under this Regulation.
Requirement for the processing of personal data
Where the activities to be carried out under this Regulation involve the processing of personal data, such processing should be proportionate. In accordance with the data minimisation principle set out in those Regulations, data provided under this Regulation should be aggregated to such a degree that individuals cannot be identified.
Feasibility and pilot studies
In order to improve the labour market statistics on businesses or to limit the administrative and financial burden on enterprises, in particular SMEs and micro-enterprises, the Commission (Eurostat) may initiate feasibility and pilot studies. The purpose of such studies is to, inter alia, improve the quality and comparability of data and to improve the cost-effectiveness of data collection.
The Union financial contribution should not exceed 80% of the eligible costs.