2. Indicators for EU policy making
Pedro Díaz Muñoz
Director, Eurostat

3. Indicators for EU policy making.
Lisbon Objectives (23-24/3/2000)
EU the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world
Yearly synthesis report (Spring Report) from Commission
Statistical Annex presenting a set of
Structural Indicators

4. Structural Indicators
Characteristics
Relevant
Easy to understand
Available
Comparable
Reliable source
Light burden
Decision Structure
Commission Services
Council Committees
(General Affairs, ECOFIN, Employment...)
Eurostat
The European Statistical System (ESS)

5. Structural Indicators Short List 2004
1. GDP per capita
2. Labour productivity
3. Employment rate
4. Employment rate of older workers
5. Youth educational attainment
6. Research and Development expenditure
7. Comparative price levels
8. Business investment
9. At risk-of-poverty rate
10. Long-term unemployment rate
11. Dispersion of regional employment rates
12. Greenhouse gas emissions
13. Energy intensity of the economy
14. Volume of freight transport

6. Eurostat Structrual Indicators Website

7. Integration in planning activity: The EU Statistical Programmes
Role of the ESS
Continuous Monitoring at high level: The Network Group of the Statistical Programme Committee
Integration in planning activity:
The EU Statistical Programmes
Quality and feasibility Assessment
The Quality Profiles

8. Quality profiles Overall Assesment User-oriented criteria Feasibility:
Timeliness and coverage
Technical Soundness
Accuracy and comparability
Other characteristics
Relevance
Systemic criterion
Development perspective
Overall Assesment
Eurostat Quality grades
A - Reliable source, high method. standards
B –As A, comparability (country/time) problems
C – Care in interpreting
To be developed

9. High visibility by publication on the Structural Indicators web-site
Quality profiling
The process
Involvement of NSI´s through the Network Group of the SPC. Checking by sectoral Working Groups
Official ESS recognition at Statistical Programme Committee level. Including development perspective and cost evaluation
High visibility by publication on the Structural Indicators web-site

10. Coverage

11. Conclusions
Impact on the organisation of the ESS
Need of harmonisation
Solidarity to achieve complete coverage
Joint response to political demands
Coordination of programming activity
Need for sustainable statistical information (supply)
Enhanced quality assessment
Use of official statistics