1. ČESKÝ STATISTICKÝ ÚŘAD www.czso.cz Hitches with harmonisation of EU-SILC 19. 10. 2010 Mgr. Veronika Sequensová, Czech Statistical Office

2. ČESKÝ STATISTICKÝ ÚŘAD www.czso.cz What is EU-SILC? European Union – Statistics on Income and Living Conditions EU member states, Iceland and Norway In Czech republic from 2005 Annual data on income distribution and social inclusion Cross-sectional data Longitudinal data

3. ČESKÝ STATISTICKÝ ÚŘAD www.czso.cz Legal framework of EU-SILC EU-SILC is based on a common framework: harmonised list of target variables common guidelines common concepts using the same classifications of occupation and education Revision of legal framework of EU-SILC planned 2011

4. ČESKÝ STATISTICKÝ ÚŘAD www.czso.cz Planned revision of EU-SILC Object of the revision is the survey as a whole target variables (number, usefulness, definitions, guidelines) longitudinal x panel type of survey modules further harmonisation - common questionnaire? → closely related to input and output harmonisation

5. ČESKÝ STATISTICKÝ ÚŘAD www.czso.cz Input harmonisation All steps of producing statistical results are consistently standardized Harmonisation of wording and order of questions answers

6. ČESKÝ STATISTICKÝ ÚŘAD www.czso.cz Input harmonisation Theme for the planned review: common questionnaire harmonised wording of questions and answers at least in non-income variables → Advantages: Better comparability among countries Easier for data users

7. ČESKÝ STATISTICKÝ ÚŘAD www.czso.cz Input harmonisation → Disadvantages: different legal system and system of social benefits in particular countries – need of special questions cultural and social differences among countries some questions may be useless in specific conditions of some countries (CZ: pension from individual private plans)

8. ČESKÝ STATISTICKÝ ÚŘAD www.czso.cz Output harmonisation Harmonisation where the activities are limited to standardizing the statistical results Harmonisation of the product of whole process of creating datasets

9. ČESKÝ STATISTICKÝ ÚŘAD www.czso.cz Output harmonisation EU-SILC ex-ante output harmonisation (just before the interviewing itself) → Advantages: It leaves space for national specifics – exact wording and order of questions is not given Gives more freedom to solve special problems with obligatory variables

10. ČESKÝ STATISTICKÝ ÚŘAD www.czso.cz Output harmonisation → Disadvantages: problems with comparability problem with administrative sources – discrepancies between this data and data from interviewing → underestimation in data from interviews

11. ČESKÝ STATISTICKÝ ÚŘAD www.czso.cz Social income: comparison with administrative sources (Ministry of Labour and Social Affair; in million CZK)

12. ČESKÝ STATISTICKÝ ÚŘAD www.czso.cz Income: comparison with national accounts (in million CZK)

13. ČESKÝ STATISTICKÝ ÚŘAD www.czso.cz Other hitches with harmonisation in data producing process CAPI x PAPI type of interview converting one type to another if both are carried out simultaneously CAPI - controled in the real time PAPI - before processing are data controled only by the interviewer and the guarantee → may cause further discrepancies among the data

14. ČESKÝ STATISTICKÝ ÚŘAD www.czso.cz Conclusion Harmonisation: absolutely necessary for maximal comparability of data from different countries important condition for making outputs on EU as a whole Need of a space for member states and their national (cultural and → social) specifics