Responses to recent challenges in official statistics Renewed Institutional Frameworks and adoption of good statistical practice Pieter Everaers Director ESS Governance; International cooperation; Resources. Eurostat, European Commission, Luxembourg Buenos Aires 50 years INDEC 31 January 2018

Threats The paradox of indicators used for policy making (once they are used they risk to be influenced) Trust / Fake news etc. (other understanding of society) New type of data sources (other access rules) Competition with new information providers New types of users (new media) Transparent society, and request for new confidentiality rules (strengthened) Declining budgets, increasing costs / burden etc.

How to adapt to changing circumstances without giving in on quality? In short How to adapt to changing circumstances without giving in on quality?

Opportunities Create a more sound (modernised) institutional framework Make more efficient use of (all) data sources and new methodologies Capture better all relevant user groups Maintain a well organised (European) statistical system

Institutional framework (before 2012) of European Statistics Art 338 in Treaty on the European Union Regulation 223 (2009) on European Statistics (basic law and established ESSC) (adv. Committees ESGAB and ESAC est in 2008) Sectoral legislation on great variety of statistical domains European Commission Decision on Eurostat (281/1997) European Statistics Code of Practice (2005/2011): principles on institutional, outputs and processes

Treaty of the Functioning of the European Union art. 338 1. Without prejudice to Article 5 of the Protocol on the Statute of the European System of Central Banks and of the European Central Bank, the European Parliament and the Council, acting in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure, shall adopt measures for the production of statistics where necessary for the performance of the activities of the Union. 2. The production of Union statistics shall conform to impartiality, reliability, objectivity, scientific independence, cost-effectiveness and statistical confidentiality; it shall not entail excessive burdens on economic operators.

More sound institutional framework Creation of the European Statistical Forum, (ESF), (2013) Cooperation between European Statistical System (ESS) and European System of Central Banks (ESCB) Memorandum on Quality assurance of Statistics in Macro Economic Imbalance Procedure (2016) Practical arrangements in areas of Balance of Payment and Financial Accounts

More sound institutional framework Amending Reg. 223 (2009) on European Statistics (the basic law), by Reg. 759/2015 Commitment on confidence Professional independence Coordinating role of National Statistical Institutes in National Statistical System (mapping of NSS) Access to administrative records and need to be consulted Also other providers to adapt to the framework of the CoP and link to Code of Practice

Quality in statistics: levels Conceptual Methodological Mathematical Institutional Contextual

Commitment on Confidence (CoC) Political recognition of the importance of the CoP for maintaining public confidence Transparency requirements Implementation: MS must put in place CoC or report on progress; The Commission evaluates CoC implementation and reports to European Parliament and Council; European Statistics Governance Advisory Board (ESGAB) reports on the Commission;

Coordinating role of NSIs and Heads of NSIs Scope of coordination Represent the national statistical system in the ESS National guidelines for ensuring quality Implementation: List of statistical products List of NSIs and Other National Authorities, incl. contact persons Clarify the scope of the coordination

Access to administrative records Strengthened right of access Possibility to influence the design Right to be involved before changes or discontinuation Implementation

More sound institutional framework Update the Decision on Eurostat (2012/504/EU) To function as European Commissions 'Commitment on Confidence' Responsibility and independence of Chief Statistician: coordination EC statistics Access etc. to administrative records held in other EC-DG's Recruitment and dismissal procedures Quality guidelines for 'other statistics'

More sound institutional framework Redesign of sectoral legislation Reduce of the large number of specific (and very detailed) sectoral legislations to a reduced (handful) number of framework regulations (to be adopted by Council and Parliament) on the 'what' to be combined with implementing and delegating regulation with further going responsibilities to the implementing institutions on the 'how'. Integrated Farm Statistics, Integrated European Social Statistics, Framework Regulation for Integrated Business Statistics

More sound institutional framework Update the Code of Practice (16 Nov 2017) Quality declaration of the European Statistical System New principle (1bis) on Coordination and cooperation includes: contact point, national guidelines, cooperation On access to data and information from multiple data sources and access to privately held data (principle 2) Quality also concerns the integration of data from multiple sources (principle 4) Acces Big data and cooperation with Public Private Partners

More sound institutional framework Update the Code of Practice (16 Nov 2017) ctd Data protection and security explicitly mentioned (principle 5) Emphasizing independently deciding on time and content of releases (principle 6) Methodology relates to registers and frames (principle 7) Metadata managed throughout whole process (princ. 8) Data sharing and data integration promoted (princ. 9) Dissemination also uses platforms and open data standards (principle 15)

Capture all relevant user groups Disappearing traditional publication modes New types of 'results' (experimental) New media / innovative techniques New governance on dissemination / making more available

Four main messages Fundamental Principles is not enough, new global commitment needed Statistical law to be kept up to date More agile, proactive and user oriented approach needed Rebalance data sources and confidentiality issues needed

Thank you for your attention!

Quality in statistics = function of Mathematical Methodology (Procedures, processes) Conceptual Institutional Reg 223/ Code of Practice (CoP) Contextual Commitment on Confidence (CoC) Compliance measured via Peer Review exercise

Efficient use of data sources and new methodologies surveys registers Mixed sources ' Administrative data 'Big data'

Maintain a well organised global system The effect of the SDG's ? Increase of maturity in the system, national and international Change of position and responsibilities of organisation

Global statistical system Before Sectoral statistics Global statistical system Member States

After The effect of the SDG's ? Increase of the maturity in the system, on national and international level Change of position and responsibilities of institutions

Global statistical system After Member States Sectoral statistics Global statistical system

Quality in statistics: levels Conceptual Methodological Mathematical Institutional Contextual