European Statistics

Opinion on the proposal for a Regulation on European Statistics (COM(2007) 625 final), OJ C 308, 3.12.2008, p. 1

On 20 May, the EDPS adopted an Opinion on a proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on European Statistics.

The proposal aims to revise the existing basic legal framework governing the production of statistics at European level with a view to adapting it to the current reality and also to improving it to meet future developments and challenges.

The EDPS welcomes this Regulation which will give a firm and general legal basis to the development, production and dissemination of statistics at a European level. However, the EDPS makes several recommendations on the proposed text, for instance:

• He stresses that the concept of anonymity should be clarified in order to avoid any uncertainty regarding the data which may be made available for public use;
• He recommends that the proposed concept of 'statistical data subject' should be reconsidered in order to avoid confusion with data protection concepts;
• He underlines that data protection requirements should be taken into consideration in the quality assessment of the Commission;
• Finally, he expects to be consulted on the sectoral legislation which could be adopted on statistics by the Commission in order to implement this Regulation, once it has been adopted