EC statistics: legislative framework for the production of short-term EC statistics

OBJECTIVE: to require Member States to supply Eurostat with comparable statistics on short-term trends in the European business community. SUBSTANCE: the proposal for a Regulation has the aim of making available to all users of short-term indicators harmonized statistics on the economic cycle within the EU. This information is vital for the purpose of formulating, monitoring and appraising Community policies, especially monetary, economic, social, industrial, sectoral and regional policy and policy on competition, enterprises and the environment. In practical terms, the proposal lays down the rules, standards and definitions necessary for producing comparable statistics within the European Union, without imposing any specific collection method. Member States will be responsible for collecting the data, not the Commission.�