1. Strategy for statistical cooperation with the enlargement countries 2014 – 2020
MGSC March 2014 Point 3.1 of the Agenda Ferenc Gálik

2. Structure Background What is new? Objectives Instruments and costs
Monitoring

3. Background
multi-annual financial framework for the EU as the basis for the external aid instruments, including the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA)
IPA II Regulation with new rules for support
Need to prove that progress is made in the countries covered by the IPA programmes
IPA countries should be involved in the planning process
Common Task force of Eurostat and the countries
Work on the strategy document since November 2012

4. What is new? Strategy presented at MGSC in 2013
Main changes since then:
Shorter
Tangible results and measurable indicators
Compliance indicators

5. Objectives - 1
The aim of EU is to support enlargement countries to proceed towards EU accession
Enlargement countries should become compliant with the EU acquis in most statistical areas by end of 2020
Enlargement countries should make their statistical systems sustainable for the most important statistical domains
7 different countries covered by the strategy
Regional approach for support to statistics (IPA MBP) is cost-efficient, has given good results and should continue

6. Objectives - 2 To make statistics a better tool for policy purposes
Policy makers should get confidence in the stable statistical environment
Dissemination policy should focus on improving the tools, on making statistics more visible, and on explaining statistics
Raise the quality of statistical data (relevance and timeliness)

7. Objectives - 3
To integrate the NSIs in the European Statistical System
Increase the knowledge about the EU acquis in the NSIs of enlargement countries
Improve communication between ESS and NSIs of enlargement countries
Involve other stakeholders of statistics more in ESS
Establish bilateral partnerships between NSIs in enlargement countries and in EU Member States

8. Objectives - 4 To implement the European Statistics Code of Practice
Ensure the professional independence of the NSI
Introduce a 'quality culture' at the NSI
Strengthen the role of the NSI as the coordinator of the national statistical system
Measure the progress in implementing the Code of Practice

9. Objectives - 5 To strengthen the management capacity of the NSIs
Increase the capacity for human resources management, including a specific HR policy
Increase the managerial capacity – senior statisticians will not necessarily become good managers!
Be able to adapt to changes

10. Regional approach Working method of the ESS Economy of scale effects
Common training, workshops, and standards
Synergy and coordination effects
Harmonisation; measure relationships between countries
Timing aspects
EU negotiations require statistics for many policies; long lead times for development
Development of the acquis in statistics over time as a moving target
Good results of previous multi-beneficiary programmes.

11. Instruments and costs
Grant or service contract depending on capacity of the countries
Pilot projects
Participation in meetings within the ESS
Training
Traineeships
Study visits and consultancies
Peer reviews
Costs
The distribution of the budget by country will be determined when planning each annual statistical MB programme, taking into accounts the needs each time
For MBP, the estimated amount is 8m EUR per year

12. Instruments and costs IPA Costs indicative budget
covers the seven enlargement countries as a whole (AL, BA, ME, MK, RS, TR, XK)
no activities take place in Iceland under IPA II
the total budget for IPA MBP is around 56 MEUR

13. Monitoring of results two major reviews of the implementation:
the first at the end of 2017
the second at the end of 2020
For better monitoring, information on current and expected compliance was requested by DG ELARG
Compliance indicators – Annex 1
IPA II foresees two major reviews of the implementation:
the first at the end of 2017
the second at the end of 2020
Monitoring should focus on the
appropriateness of the intervention,
results achieved and
efficiency of programme implementation

14. Measuring compliance Estimated figures (intervals) based on:
Data points in Eurobase
Data sets sent via eDAMIS
Data included into the pocketbook on enlargement countries
Estimations from the enlargement countries on when they will be compliant according to their long term strategies
Data included into the statistical annex to the progress report

15. Questions
What is your opinion about the aims/objectives to be achieved in the next seven years?
What is your opinion about the expected results in chapter 5? What is your opinion about the indicators to measure the progress?
What is your opinion about the implementation mechanisms?

16. Thank you for your attention