PURPOSE: the conclusion of an Agreement between the Community and the Swiss in the field of statistics.
LEGISLATIVE ACT: Council Decisions 2006/233/EC on the conclusion of the Agreement between the European Community and the Swiss Confederation on co-operation in the field of statistics.
CONTENT: continuing close relations on all economic, social and political matters, between the European Community and the Swiss Confederation has resulted in the need to intensify collaboration efforts in the field of statistics. Given that EUROSTAT and the Swiss Federal Statistics Office have co-operated over a long period of time, this Council Decision concludes an Agreement between the two sides in order to formalise and intensify any such co-operation.
The Agreement allows for the production and dissemination of coherent and comparable statistical information relating to all aspects of economic, social and environmental policies. Both parties will use harmonised methods, definitions and classifications as well as common programmes. The Agreement also establishes a Joint Committee responsible for administering all aspects of the Agreement. The Agreement foresees an exchange of personnel.
Switzerland will cover the entire costs of its participation as well as contributing financially to the “Community Statistical Programme” on an annual basis, as soon as the Agreement comes into force
ENTRY INTO FORCE: 1 January 2007.