1. Overview of assistance projects and activities for the ENP-East countries
MGSC March 2017 Point 5.4 of the Agenda

2. Content Political background
Eurostat/A3 activities: in/out-puts of technical cooperation
General issues linked to Eurostat activities in the ENP- East region

3. 1. Political background (1/2)
European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP)
EU Political initiative;
Launched in 2004 after the big enlargement round, adopted in 2007;
Fundamentally reviewed in 2015;
ENP East: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine are included;
Differentiation according to the country's ambitions is the main new characteristic of revised policy;
Cooperation priorities per country are being negotiated in
Eastern Partnership Initiative
Joint initiative by 3 parties: EU, EU MS, and ENP-East countries;
Launched in 2009;
Multinational and national dimensions;
Technical work is organized through 4 thematic platforms;
Since 2015, Statistics Panel operates under Platform 2 (Economic integration & convergence with EU policies).

4. 1. Political background (2/2)
ENP-East regional programme for statistics
In 2013, a Task Force (Eurostat, EFTA, AR, MD, UA, GE) develops a Strategy for Statistical Cooperation in the ENP-East Region ;
Due to the non-understanding of the working mechanisms of Eurostat with these countries by the funding authority, regional programmes did not materialize since then;
Eurostat implemented some cooperation activities for ENP-E based on its own available (limited) budget.
In 2016, Eurostat managed to convince DG NEAR to provide financing for an ENP-E statistical regional cooperation programme to:
Strengthen NSIs, enhance institutional environment,
Capacity building, increase quality
Regional and national focus;
Implementation is planned to start in late 2018;
Length: 3 years
Budget: 5M EUR

5. 2. Eurostat/A3 activities (1/6)

6. 2. Eurostat/A3 activities (2/6)
Global Assessments, Peer Reviews
1st round: ;
Light peer review in Armenia in 2014
Eurostat annually monitors progress of implementation of recommendations;
2nd round started in UA, AZ in 2016;
Adjusted methodology, improved reporting.
High Level Seminars for EECCA countries, Mongolia
Annual meeting of Senior managers of NSIs of EECCA countries;
Hosted in EU, ENP-East countries;
HLS 2016 – October 2016, Minsk, Belarus;
Updates on latest developments in quality; informal get-together;
HLS 2017: more ownership to ENP-E countries.

7. 2. Eurostat/A3 activities (3/6)
Statistic Panels
Established in within Eastern Partnership initiative;
To promote ESCoP and EU acquis in statistics, exchange best practice;
2 day-long technical meetings (on business, labour market, price, innovation, R&D statistics, ESCoP & GLOS).
Follow-up workshops
In addition to ENP-E, Central Asian countries are invited;
To continue technical discussion started during Statistical Panel meetings, focus on implementation;
First workshops dedicated to business (JUL2016), labour market (Spring 2017), and price stats (fall 2017).
Statistical Panel and workshops are popular with ENP-E/CA countries and actively supported by EU/EFTA NSIs.

8. 2. Eurostat/A3 activities (4/6)
Training courses for ENP-E, CA countries
Organized since 2013, 2-3 times a year;
Focus on statistical concepts, EU acquis, methodology;
Similar to ESTP courses, delivered with interpretation, participation is financed;
Priority is given to qualified participants from ENP-E ;
Courses planned for :
ESA 2010 and its effect on government Finance Statistics and Excessive Deficit Procedure
Balance of Payments – introductory course
Dissemination and communication
International Trade in Goods Statistics
Statistical disclosure control
Small Area Estimation.

9. 2. Eurostat/A3 activities (5/6)
Other activities
Support to PPPs for Georgia and Ukraine, via a contract
Twinning
TAIEX – advice on expertise and approvals

10. 2. Eurostat/A3 activities (6/6)
Outputs: data collection
Eurostat collects, disseminates data from ENP-E countries;
Taking into account needs of the EU, MSs, etc.;
ENP-E countries annually fill-in a questionnaire covering several areas (economy, finance, population, social conditions, industry, tourism, etc.)
Validation checks to assess quality carried out by Eurostat/contractor;
In 2017, the questionnaire will be revised/optimized to better take into account users' needs.
Dissemination
Data is available in Eurobase [ (under General and regional statistics -> Non EU countries)]
Publications include books, leaflets, statistics explained articles.

11. 3. General issues. Generic Law on Official Statistics (GLOS)
Developed by UNECE, Eurostat, experts from EU/EFTA MS, AR and UA;
Endorsed by CES in 2016;
UA was pilot country for implementation. MD and AZ use GLOS to amend their statistical legislation;
Eurostat supports, advises ENP-E countries on GLOS implementation.
Transformative agenda
SDG monitoring is a challenge for all;
In 2016, Eurostat asked on the state of play in ENP-E countries:
Availability of data, generally similar in ENP-E region;
30-40% proposed indicators are covered.
Eurostat supports ENP-E in SGD monitoring though facilitation of countries' experts participation in international events, discussions during HLS, etc.

12. Thank you