Structural business statistics. Recast
PURPOSE : to revise the Regulation on structural business statistics with a view to extending the framework for the collection, compilation, transmission and evaluation of Community statistics on the structure, activity, competitiveness and performance of businesses in the Community.
PROPOSED ACT : Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council.
CONTENT : Council Regulation 58/97/EC, Euratom of 20 December 1996 concerning structural business statistics, which is the common framework for the collection, compilation, transmission and evaluation of Community statistics on the structure, activity, competitiveness and performance of businesses in the Community, has been amended four times.
Since further amendments are to be made, it should be recast in the interests of clarity. The recast regulation aims to continue with the existing statistical support for decisions in current policy areas and to satisfy the additional requirements arising from new Community policy initiatives, and from the ongoing review of statistical priorities and the necessity of the statistics produced – all this with a view to making best use of available resources and minimising response burden.
In order to be able to give substantial policy recommendations for the support of entrepreneurship, harmonised data on business demography, i.e. data on enterprise births, survivals and deaths and their respective impact on employment are required. A flexible tool is needed enabling timely response to newly emerging statistical needs due to changing economic or technical conditions. Currently there is no legal text setting up a common framework for the systematic production of statistics on business services, business demography and ad hoc data collection.
Wherever possible, the recast regulation proposes simplifications and alleviation of burden to balance the new requirements.
For further information concerning the financial implications of this measure, please refer to the financial statement.