Recherche et science

Réponse à une consultation relative au lancement de nouveaux projets de recherche (Dossier 2008-777)

Avis sur la recommandation pour un règlement du Conseil modifiant le règlement (CE) n° 2533/98 du 23 novembre 1998 concernant la collecte d'informations statistiques par la Banque centrale européenne, JO C 192, 15.08.2009, p. 1

On 23 November 1998, the Council of the European Union adopted Regulation (EC) No 2533/98 concerning the collection of statistical information by the European Central Bank (ECB). In order to maintain this Regulation as an effective instrument to carry out the statistical information collection tasks of the European System of Central Banks, the Governing Council of the European Central Bank adopted a Recommendation for a Council Regulation amending Regulation No 2533/98.

The Opinion analyses the Recommendation and gives some further reflexion on the relation between statistical confidentiality and data protection.

More specifically the EDPS:

• welcomes that the proposed amendments contain a specific reference to the data protection legal framework;
• underlines the need for further clarification of some concepts common to data protection and statistics;
• considers that the purpose limitation principle should be ensured in the widening of scope of the Regulation;
• stresses the need to assess the necessity of processing payment statistics which may contain personal information about natural persons;
• advocates for further collaboration between the European Statistical System and the ECB in view of ensuring the respect of the data quality principle as well as the data minimization principle;
• suggests that access to statistical information for research purposes should be provided in such a way that the reporting agent cannot be identified, either directly or indirectly, when account is taken of all relevant means that might reasonably be used by a third party.

Avis sur la proposition de règlement relatif aux statistiques européennes (COM(2007) 625 final), JO 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