1. Overview of assistance projects and activities for the ENP-East countries
21st meeting of the Management Group on Statistical Cooperation
Luxembourg, 4-5th April 2019
Youri Skaskevitch, Jolanta Szczerbinska
Eurostat B.3, ENP-East

2. Content Political background Eurostat/B3 activities in ENP-East
2.1. Regional programme for statistics – “STEP”
2.2. Other cooperation activities in ENP-East

3. 1. Political background European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) - EAST
EU initiative for AM, AZ, BY, GE, MD, UA
Launched in 2004,
Fundamentally reviewed in 2015
Differentiation according to the country's ambitions is the main new characteristic of revised policy
Cooperation priorities per country negotiated between

4. 1. Political background
Joint initiative of 3 parties: EU, EU MS, and 6 ENP-East countries
Launched in 2009,
10th anniversary in 2019
Multinational and national dimensions
Technical work is organized through 4 thematic platforms
Between , Statistics Panel operated under Platform 2 (Economic integration & convergence with EU policies)
Following the EaP Summit in November 2017, the architecture change
From 2018, Expert Working Group on Statistics replaced Statistics Panel

5. 2. Eurostat/B3 activities in ENP-East
Regional programme for statistics – “STEP”
Based on the Strategy for Statistical Cooperation in the ENP-East Region , developed in 2013 by Task Force (Eurostat, EFTA, AR, MD, UA, GE)
to empower users including policy-makers, civil society and social partners in using statistical information in an educated and informed way
to improve the availability of good quality statistics for all groups of users
to strengthen the professional independence and institutional capacity of the NSIs
Direct management by Eurostat
Budget about 5 M EUR

6. 2. Eurostat/B3 activities in ENP-East
Regional programme for statistics – “STEP”
Eurostat implements STEP with the help of contractor (Expertise France + NSIs of LT, FR, DK, IT, HU)
2020
2021
2019
Inception Report
Implementation
JAN- JUN 2019
Inception
Kick-off
Desk research
Country visits
Gap analysis
Tendering & contracting

7. 2. Eurostat/B3 activities in ENP-East
Regional programme for statistics – “STEP”
Inception Report (JUN 2019) to be approved by Eurostat
Proposal for the work programme by each statistical and institutional topic as well as by country
Proposed working modalities, activities and related human resources, financial breakdown, implementation plan and expected results.
Communication and visibility plan
Updated log-frame with precise verifiable indicators

8. 2. Eurostat/B3 activities in ENP-East
Regional programme for statistics – “STEP”
Steering Committee
To ensure participation & ownership of the beneficiary countries
Involving DGs of the NSIs
Meets at least once a year
At working level coordination through the network of PNCs
HLS (High Level Seminar)
PNC
(Principal National Coordinators)
Contracting Authority
e.g. DG NEAR

9. 2. Eurostat/B3 activities in ENP-East
Regional programme for statistics – “STEP”
Steering Committee (SC)
2020
2021
2019
Implementation
JAN- JUN 2019
Inception
Inception Report
PNC (JUN) SC
PNC
HLS 2019 (Moldova)

10. 2. Eurostat/B3 activities in ENP-East
Regional programme for statistics – “STEP”
Main activities
Technical assistance in priority areas (SDGs, migration, SMEs, business, economy, trade, competitiveness, poverty, employment, etc.)
Preparation and implementation of surveys
Training courses, seminars, workshops
Statistical publications
Priorities at regional level
Priorities at national level

11. 2. Eurostat/B3 activities in ENP-East
Regional programme for statistics – “STEP”
Main activities
Regional priorities
Macro-economic statistics
Social statistics
Business statistics
Agriculture statistics
Energy and transport statistics
Gender breakdowns if reasonable
SDGs
Population census 2020 round
National priorities
Ukraine: population and demographic data, displaced people, migration
Belarus: market-economy driven statistics on businesses, institutional issues
Moldova: employment and migration
Georgia/Ukraine/Moldova: trade data for the DCFTA
Azerbaijan: energy, diversification of the economy
Georgia: economic and business statistics, population and migration statistics
Armenia: SMEs data, migration, poverty, population census

12. 2. Eurostat/B3 activities in ENP-East
Other cooperation activities in ENP-East
> Global Assessments, Peer Reviews, Sector Reviews
1st round:
Light peer review in Armenia in 2014
Eurostat annually monitors progress of implementation of recommendations
2nd round started in 2016
Adjusted methodology, improved reporting
2nd round:
completed UA, AZ, MD + AR (peer review)
ongoing/planned: BY, GE

13. 2. Eurostat/B3 activities in ENP-East
Other cooperation activities in ENP-East
> High Level Seminars for EECCA countries
Annual meeting of Senior managers of NSIs of EECCA countries
Hosted in EU, ENP-East countries
HLS 2018 – October 2018, Kiev, Ukraine
Updates on latest developments in quality; informal get-together
Since HLS 2017: more ownership to ENP-E countries
HLS 2019 – September 2019, Chisinau, Moldova

14. 2. Eurostat/B3 activities in ENP-East
Other cooperation activities in ENP-East
> Expert Working Group meetings
Replaced Statistics Panels (SP) from 2018
SP were established in within Eastern Partnership initiative
To promote ESCoP and EU acquis in statistics, exchange best practice
2 day-long technical meetings (business, labour market, price, innovation, R&D statistics, ESCoP & GLOS, living conditions statistics, admin. data sources)
Planned : census 2020 (JUN/JUL 2019)
> Follow-up workshops
In addition to ENP-E, Central Asian countries are invited
To continue technical discussion started during Expert Working Group meetings, focusing on implementation
Planned: ICT/R&D/Innovation statistics (JUL 2019)

15. 2. Eurostat/B3 activities in ENP-East
Other cooperation activities in ENP-East
> Training courses
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
Planned:
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

16. 2. Eurostat/B3 activities in ENP-East
Other cooperation activities in ENP-East
> Other activities
Support to PPPs for Georgia and Ukraine, via a contract
Data collection and dissemination (e.g. (under General and regional statistics -> Non EU countries)
Twinning
TAIEX – advice on expertise and approvals

17. Thank you