1. Modernisation of European Social Statistics Objectives, Initiatives, State of Play
Thank you for the opportunity to present the modernisation of social statistics to the DGSA Seminar
The modernisation of European Social Statistics, as indeed of any other area of statistics, is not only a project of Eurostat, but of the whole ESS
The presentation will demonstrate how the current activities of modernising European Social Statistics has been derived from common ESS policies:
The objectives are those of common ESS policies
The main initiatives are derived from these objectives
The initiatives feed into the legislative project on the EU level
The projects are ambitious and, to be honest, still at an early phase.
Modernisation offers opportunities to advance cross-domain integration, e.g. between social and agricultural statistics. Some activities might be 'low hanging fruits', other will take more time to explore and develop.
This presentation want to make the first step in showing how social statisticians are modernising their work to our colleagues from the agriculture side.
Eurostat

2. Objectives
Wiesbaden Memorandum on a new conceptual design for household and social statistics
General objectives
The 'guiding star' of the modernisation of European social statistics is the Wiesbaden Memorandum on a new conceptual design for household and social statistics.
It has been adopted by the Directors General of the NSIs on 28 September 2011
It presents the cornerstones of modernisation of European social statistics set by the responsible decision makers in the ESS.
It is motivated by important policy initiatives, the Vision, and takes the diversity of production processes and the tight budgets allocated to statistical production into account.
The political guidelines that the new JUNKER Commission has promised to follow again strengthens the emphasis put on social issues, and on smart, sustainable and inclusive growth.

3. Objectives
Wiesbaden Memorandum on a new conceptual design for household and social statistics
Growing requests for new or improved social statistics
Progress towards a common architecture for European Social statistics
Efficiency gains optimal way to address emerging information needs
Strengthen capacity for reaction and adaptation
The Wiesbaden identifies general objectives for the new conceptual design.
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The general objectives are the starting point of considerations on the modernisation of social statistics…

4. Objectives
Wiesbaden Memorandum on a new conceptual design for household and social statistics
Specific objectives
… from where specific objectives have been derived
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5. Objectives Wiesbaden Memorandum
Better access to administrative data, re-use of existing data
Reliable and up-to-date sampling frames of individuals and dwellings
European social surveys should be streamlined and complemented with less frequent data micro-data collections
European social statistics shall be implemented in a standardised way
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For each of these specific objectives, Eurostat has launched an initiative.
In other words: each modernisation initiative is closely based on the Wiesbaden Memorandum and thereby in line with common ESS policy
It is fair to say that some of the initiatives are of considerable size.
I just list them now and provide more detail later.

6. Objectives ESS.VIP.BUS.ADMIN Wiesbaden Memorandum Initiative
Better access to administrative data, re-use of existing data
Initiative
ESS.VIP.BUS.ADMIN
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7. Objectives Quality frames for European social statistics
Wiesbaden Memorandum
Reliable and up-to-date sampling frames of individuals and dwellings
Initiative
Quality frames for European social statistics
Work package within the ESS.VIP.BUS.ADMIN
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8. Integration of European social surveys
Objectives
Wiesbaden Memorandum
European Social Surveys should be streamlined and complemented with less frequent data micro-data collections
Initiative
Integration of European social surveys
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9. Objectives Standardisation of variables in European social statistics
Wiesbaden Memorandum
European Social statistics shall be implemented in a standardised way
Initiative
Standardisation of variables
in European social statistics
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10. IESS: Framework legislation on Integrated European Social Statistics
… Wiesbaden Memorandum … Vision 2020 … growing information requests … tight budgets … need for efficiency gains … need for higher responsiveness … standardisation … survey integration … administrative data … frames … common architecture … quality assessment of multi- source data … EU wide comparability post 2020 …
Initiative
IESS: Framework legislation on Integrated European Social Statistics
The four initiatives feed into the legislative project on the EU level, namely the IESS initiative.
The mandate for IESS can be derived from the Wiesbaden Memorandum and the Vision 2020
The environment is characterised by growing information needs, a need for higher responsiveness, needs for efficiency gains and tight budgets in the NSIs, increasing competition in the information market, changed user expectations in the age of the Internet
Challenges are linked to conceptual, methodological and technical standardisation, the increasing usage of administrative data, quality assessment of multi-source data, development of a common architecture
Today, the IESS initiative is the greatest ambition of European social statistics. It aim to integrate the different European micro-data collections, namely the LFS, EU-SILC, Adult Education Survey, European Health Interview Survey, the household part of the ICT survey, the Household Budget Survey, and the Time Use Survey.
It shall enable the modernisation of statistical production, increase the flexibility in view of statistical output and make best use of the legal instruments of the Lisbon Treaty in order to achieve these goals.

11. IESS: Framework regulation
Overall context
Eurostat plans to launch three framework regulations in the area of social statistics
IESS (European social micro-data collections)
demography and census
administrative data collections
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12. IESS: Framework regulation
State of Play
DSS April (principles)
DSS Board June (1st draft)
DSS September 2014 (2nd draft)
DSS Board December 2014 (3rd draft)
DSS February 2015 (4th draft)
Roadmap March 2015
Impact Assessment January to autumn 2015
Commission proposal early for 2016 (provisional)
Adoption Planned for 2018
Regular consultation with the Directors' Group in the area of social statistics.
The Roadmap is a document that describes the legislative initiative in order to help the Commission to decide on the 'go ahead'. It has been adopted in March However, due to a procedural reform within the Commission that affect all legislative initiative, IESS is still on hold.
Since the beginning of this year, Eurostat works on an Impact Assessment for IESS. It includes an analysis of the problems, a consultation of main stakeholders, a formulation of policy options and their assessment based on common principles.
The Commission adoption of IESS is povisionally scheduled for early 2016.
It is hoped that the European Parliament and the Council would adopt IESS in 2018.

13. IESS: Framework regulation
Main challenges ahead
Balancing flexibility of output against cost
Accompanying flexibility of production with quality assessment and guarantee
Standardisation versus fragmentation
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14. IESS: Framework regulation
Main challenges ahead
Balancing flexibility of output against cost
Accompanying flexibility of production with quality assessment and guarantee
Standardisation versus fragmentation
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15. Variable / Common element
Domain
Topic
Detailed topic
and/or
Module
Variable / Common element
A major challenge of IESS is to bridge conflicting interests:
Users of statistics ask for more responsiveness and flexibility of output
Producers of statistics insist of an effective control over cost
Eurostat and the DSS have made an attempt at designing a legal structure that can bridge that gap.
A major challenge in that context is – of course – to agree on the appropriate legal instrument for the different issues at stake.
All explained now is based on the legal draft discussed with the DSS in February 2015, and is subject to revision.
Explain with slides

16. Variable / Common element
Domain
Topic
Detailed topic
and/or
Module
Variable / Common element
Basic act
Delegated act
Implementing act
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17. Framework regulation No changes Need for flexibility Domain Topic
Specification of data collections
Common elements
Other technical issues
Sampling frames
Detailed topic
Labour market
Module
Labour Market Participation
Variable
Job characteristics
Duration of contract
Permanency of the job
Framework regulation
Planning
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Text
Annex
No changes
Limited changes
Delegated act
Delegated act
Implementing act
Political Technical

18. Integration of European social surveys
Framework regulation
Common planning
Technical specifications aligned
Definitions
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19. Integration of European Social Surveys
Framework regulation
Common planning
Technical specifications aligned
Definitions (variables and concepts)
Data sources
Sampling frames
Precision requirements
Standards for transmission

20. IESS: Framework regulation
Main challenges ahead
Balancing flexibility of output against cost
Accompanying flexibility of production with quality assessment and guarantee
Standardisation versus fragmentation
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21. ESS.VIP.BUS.ADMIN Wiesbaden Memorandum
Better access to administrative data, re-use of existing data and access to new data sources are areas to be developed at national and EU level
ESS Vision 2020
New data sources; quality of European statistics; efficient and robust statistical processes
Timetable
2015 to 2019 (depending on the project)
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22. ESS.VIP.BUS.ADMIN Work packages 1 Access to administrative data
2 Methods
3 Quality of multisource statistics
4 Administrative data in the Commission
5 Quality frames in social statistics
6 Pilot studies and applications
7 Centre of excellence on administrative data
Cross cutting ESSnet 'Quality of multisource statistics'
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23. ESS.VIP.BUS.ADMIN Work package 4
Eurostat as a (in)direct user of administrative data sources held or designed by the Commission
4.1 Fishery statistics
using DG MARE catch reporting for catch statistics
4.2 Agricultural statistics
using IACS for agricultural statistics
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IACS = Integrated Administration and Control System
If asked:
The IACS register is a system of administrative registers help by Member States with a view to implementing the Common Agricultural Policy
Explained in the business case

24. ESS.VIP.BUS.ADMIN Work package 5
Quality frames for European Social Statistics
report on the availability, kind and development of base registers and frames on persons and dwellings
methodology for the assessment of the quality of frames
preparation of long-term EU actions to increase the availability and quality of sustainable frames in the Member States
The usage of unified frames is a condition for targeting particular sub-groups within the target population efficiently.
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25. IESS: Framework regulation
Main challenges ahead
Balancing flexibility of output against cost
Accompanying flexibility of production with quality assessment and guarantee
Standardisation versus fragmentation
Read out from slide

26. Standardisation of variables
European standards developed by the end of 2015
16 Core Social Variables + 11 other frequently used variables
Every data collection that use social variables shall respect those standards
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There is already a draft for the standard for the variable 'Permanency of the job'

27. Standardisation of methodology, business processes, transmission standards, etc.
IESS will support an sustained evolution towards standardisation of methodology, processes and technical standards
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28. Impact for education surveys
Labour Force Survey
Introduction of a module on Participation in E&T during the last 12 months every 2 years (four variables)
Adult Education Survey
Broader content: Education and Training Survey
Majority of countries in favour of increasing periodicity (4 years) but issue of costs at national level
age coverage ( error in age coverage in the version presented at the meeting) but reduced precision for 18-24y