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European Statistical System - ESS

The European Statistical System (ESS) is the partnership between the EU statistical authority – Eurostat (one of the European Commission's Directorates General), the “National Statistical Institutes” (NSIs) and the “Other National Authorities” in each EU country. These are responsible for the development, production and dissemination of European statistics. This partnership also includes the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries.

Since the beginning of the European Community, it has been clear that policy decisions, planning and other activities must be based on reliable and comparable statistics. To accomplish this, the ESS was built up gradually with the objective of providing comparable statistics at EU level. The ESS guarantees that the European statistics produced in all Member States are reliable and follow common criteria and definitions.

What is the ESS and how it works

Since the beginning of the European Community, it has been clear that policy decisions, planning and other activities must be based on reliable and comparable statistics. To accomplish this, the ESS was built up gradually as a partnership between the EU statistical authority – Eurostat (one of the European Commission's Directorates General), the National Statistical Institutes and the Other National Authorities in each EU country. These are responsible for the development, production and dissemination of European statistics. This partnership also includes the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries. The objective of the ESS is to provide reliable and comparable statistics at EU level and to ensure that the European statistics produced in all Member States follow common criteria and definitions, so that the statistics are harmonised, relevant and usable. The ESS therefore guarantees the reliability of European statistics.

The ESS is governed by the European Statistical Law, passed in 2009 (Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council), which was amended twice, in 2015 and in 2024. The Regulation contains the fundamental principles for compiling European statistics. The objective of the latest revision in 2024 was to provide the ESS with a mechanism and tools that would allow the ESS to respond quickly, collectively and in a coordinated manner to urgent data needs in crisis situations.

The core of the ESS is the European Statistical System Committee, with representatives from Eurostat (including its Director-General) and the heads of the National Statistical Institutes of the Member States and EFTA countries. This Committee offers professional guidance for the planning, compilation and dissemination of European statistics.

The ESS has a dedicated European Statistical Programme, which includes tasks and activities relating to statistical planning for a period of five years (2021-2027). This Programme is passed by the European Parliament and the Council. Although the activity planning is carried out jointly among the National Statistical Institutes and Eurostat, the production of harmonised national statistics is the responsibility of the Member States, whereas Eurostat collects, processes and publishes these data as European statistics, which are the basis for EU decision-making and policy-making.

Furthermore, Eurostat ensures the coordination of the whole system and ensures the coherence and quality of the data. Within the ESS, Eurostat's role - in close cooperation with the National Statistical Institutes - is to manage the harmonisation of statistics, the development of the ESS, the provision of data to European users, etc. As EU policies expand, harmonisation covers more and more areas of statistics.

European statistics are prepared, compiled and disseminated not only by the ESS but also by the European System of Central Banks (ESCB). The two systems therefore cooperate with each other. The ESS also coordinates its activities with other European and international institutions and organisations such as the European Central Bank, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund, the International Labour Organisation, the World Health Organisation and the World Bank.

More information at the European Statistical System website.

CZSO participation in the ESS

The Czech Statistical Office is a full member of the ESS. This fact implies an obligation not only to provide all the required statistical information to this system, but also to actively participate in the preparation of European statistical legislation specifying the requirements for the content and methodology of statistical data as well as the related systems and tools for the collection, processing and dissemination of statistics. The CZSO is also actively involved in the preparation of strategic plans for the further development of the ESS and the preparation of other programming and planning documents. All statistical activities of the CZSO respect the obligations of the Czech Republic arising from its membership in the European Union.

Statistical information is provided by the CZSO on the basis of EU legislation (or gentlemen's agreements), which also specifies the scope of the information to be provided, a common methodology, submission deadlines and requirements related to data quality. At the same time, the CZSO complies with the European Statistics Code of Practice, which emphasises adherence to the principles governing the functioning of the national statistical service, in particular the independence and credibility of statistics, reflected, among other things, in efforts to permanently improve the quality of statistical systems and the quality of statistical data.

An important aspect of involvement in the ESS is the participation of the CZSO in the meetings of the ESS Committee, which discusses draft legislation in the area of statistics, the strategic objectives of the ESS and current issues concerning European statistics. Representatives of the CZSO are also members of other European Commission committees in the area of statistics, participate in meetings of Directors, Eurostat working groups and other similar groups and events that focus on individual statistics or cross-cutting issues.

As of 1 January 2025, the President of the CZSO, Marek Rojíček, assumed the chairmanship of the Partnership Group for two years. This is the first ever chairmanship of the Czech Republic in this group. The Partnership Group has 10 members, is composed of selected heads of National Statistical Institutes and the Director-General of Eurostat and acts as a bureau of the ESS Committee. The chairmanship lasts for two years, which means a total of 6 meetings (each in March, September and December), which the Czech Republic will chair and host.

In the all above-mentioned ways, Czech statistics participates in the improvement of statistics within the ESS and in the legislative initiatives of the European Commission in the area of statistics.

 

Basic legal framework of the EU Statistics

EXTRACTS FROM THE TREATY ON THE FUNCTIONING OF THE EUROPEAN UNION

Article 338

(ex Article 285 TEC)


1. Without prejudice to Article 5 of the Protocol on the Statute of the European System of Central Banks and of the European Central Bank, the European Parliament and the Council, acting in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure, shall adopt measures for the production of statistics where necessary for the performance of the activities of the Union.

2. The production of Union statistics shall conform to impartiality, reliability, objectivity, scientific independence, cost-effectiveness and statistical confidentiality; it shall not entail excessive burdens on economic operators.
 

European Statistics

Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 March 2009 on European statistics  amended by Regulation (EU) 2015/759 and by Regulation (EU) 2024/3018 (consolidated text).

Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 March 2009 on European statistics. This Regulation repeals Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1101/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the transmission of data subject to statistical confidentiality to the Statistical Office of the European Communities, Council Regulation (EC) No 322/97 on Community Statistics, and Council Decision 89/382/EEC, Euratom establishing a Committee on the Statistical Programmes of the European Communities.

Regulation (EU) 2015/759 of the EP and of the Council of 29 April 2015 amending Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 on European statistics

Regulation (EU) 2024/3018 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 November 2024 amending Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 on European statistics

Commission Regulation (EU) No 557/2013 of 17 June 2013 implementing Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council on European Statistics as regards access to confidential data for scientific purposes and repealing Commission Regulation (EC) No 831/2002 (Text with EEA relevance)

Regulation (EU) 2021/690 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 April 2021 establishing a programme for the internal market, competitiveness of enterprises, including small and medium-sized enterprises, the area of plants, animals, food and feed, and European statistics (Single Market Programme) and repealing Regulations (EU) No 99/2013, (EU) No 1287/2013, (EU) No 254/2014 and (EU) No 652/2014 (Text with EEA relevance)
 

Eurostat

Commission Decision 97/281/EC of 21 April 1997 on the role of Eurostat as regards the production of Community statistics
 

European Central Bank (ECB)

Council Regulation (EC) No 2533/98 of 23 November 1998 concerning the collection of statistical information by the European Central Bank

Council Regulation (EC) No 951/2009 of 9 October 2009 amending Regulation (EC) No 2533/98 concerning the collection of statistical information by the European Central Bank

 

 

European Commission/Eurostat

Eurostat

History
The history of Eurostat dates back to 1951, when the Treaty establishing the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) was signed in Paris. Article 46 of the Treaty required the Community's governing body (High Authority), among other things, to continuously monitor market developments and price trends and to collect the information necessary to assess the living and working conditions of workers. Article 47 then granted the High Authority the right to collect the information necessary for the performance of its tasks, provided for the obligation to preserve the business secrets of enterprises, and also provided for penalties for enterprises for failure to comply with the reporting obligation or for the submission of incorrect information. In 1952, the High Authority decided to establish 12 subdivisions and services, including the Statistical Service, which became the Statistical Division in 1954. In 1953, the so-called Conference of the Directors General of the National Statistical Institutes (Directeurs Généraux des Instituts Nationaux Statistiques – DGINS) was established, which acted as the predecessor to the Statistical Programme Committee (now the European Statistical System Committee).

Further development of European statistics took place in 1958, following the signing and ratification of the Treaty establishing the European (Economic) Community, when the EC Commission's Directorate General for Statistics (consisting of seven directorates by statistical area) was created to act as the common statistical authority for the ECSC, EURATOM and E(E)C. This DG was responsible for the collection, processing and dissemination of statistical data as well as the coordination of all statistical activities. In 1959, a decision was taken to rename the Directorate General as the Statistical Office of the European Communities, with the abbreviation SOEC. This abbreviation was changed in 1973 to the current EUROSTAT. In February 1997, Council Regulation 322/97 on Community Statistics, usually referred to as the Statistics Act, was adopted. On the basis of this, the Commission adopted Decision No 97/281 on the role of Eurostat in relation to Community statistics in April of the same year. In the context of the institutional changes brought about by the Lisbon Treaty, Eurostat is now referred to as the statistical office of the EU. In 2012, a Commission Decision on Eurostat (No 2012/504) was published, redefining its role and status.

The year 2009 brought fundamental changes. In spring 2009, Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 of the European Parliament (EP) and of the Council on European Statistics came into force. There were a number of reasons for the adoption of the new norm: the increase in user needs and the related increased burden, the progress of EU integration, the adoption of the European Statistics Code of Practice (2005), the increased emphasis on the quality of statistics, the need to protect confidential data or the strengthening of cooperation with the European System of Central Banks. The new Regulation has therefore responded to changing situations and needs and has also established the definition of European statistics and the European Statistical System (ESS). Further changes took place in 2015 when Regulation 223/2009 was amended by adding provisions aimed in particular at strengthening the independence and credibility of European statistics. In 2024, a further amendment to the Regulation was adopted to improve the ESS' ability to respond to urgent data needs arising from the recent financial, migration and coronavirus crises, followed by the Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. The ESS should be able to produce statistics that are more relevant, more accessible and more detailed, thereby improving efficiency and reducing the cost and burden on Member States and respondents. The amendment also aims to provide a mechanism for the ESS to have access to data owned by private data holders.

In the context of deepening integration and EU enlargement, the volume of Eurostat statistics and activities has also increased, and so has the number of Eurostat staff. In 1952, the ECSC Statistical Service started with 7 staff members and by 2009 Eurostat was reporting around 900 posts. The scope of EU statistics is determined by EU legislation and by agreements between the EU institutions and the Member States within their respective competences.

Organisational structure of Eurostat
Eurostat is headed by a Director-General, who is supported by 7 Directors who manage different statistical areas. They are:

  • Resources
  • Standards; Dissemination; Cooperation in the ESS
  • Macro-economic statistics
  • Government finance statistics
  • Sectoral and regional statistics
  • Social statistics
  • Business and trade statistics.

Committees and other bodies with competence in the area of statistics

ESSC

European Statistical System Committee (ESSC)

This committee, chaired by the Director-General of Eurostat and composed of the Heads of the National Statistical Institutes of the Member States, provides expert guidance to the ESS for the development, production and dissemination of European statistics. It discusses the main strategic issues concerning European statistics, priorities for further development, issues concerning statistical confidentiality, actions for the implementation of statistical programmes, etc. The ESSC is also a comitology committee which discusses and approves draft legislation in the area of statistics adopted under the responsibility of the European Commission. Meetings are usually held 3 times a year (February, May and October).

The ESSC was created in 2009, on the basis of Regulation 223/2009, when it replaced the Statistical Programme Committee (created in 1989 by Council Decision No 89/382), whose main task was to assist the European Commission in coordinating the multiannual statistical programmes. The adoption of statistical programmes with a periodicity not exceeding 5 years is required by Regulation 223/2009.

PG

Partnership Group (PG)

The Partnership Group has a total of 10 members (the Chair, the Director-General of Eurostat, the Director of Eurostat responsible for the management of the ESS, the Heads of the National Statistical Institutes of the Member States of the Trio Presidency of the Council of the EU and 4 elected Heads of the National Statistical Institutes of the ESS with a mandate of 2 years). The PG acts as a bureau of the ESSC - it deals mainly with the preparation of its meetings and matters of importance for the work of the ESSC. Meetings are usually held in the presiding country in March, September and December. As of 1 January 2025, the President of the CZSO, Marek Rojíček, assumed the chairmanship of the Partnership Group for two years. This is the first ever chairmanship of the Czech Republic in this group.

DGINS

Conference of the Directors General of the National Statistical Institutes (DGINS)

The Conference of Directors General of National Statistical Institutes is held once a year to discuss important topics related to the statistical programme or the methods and procedures used to produce European statistics. It is hosted each year by a different National Statistical Institute of the ESS. The first DGINS conference was held in 1953 in Luxembourg.

ESGAB

European Statistical Governance Advisory Board (ESGAB)

The Board was established by a Decision of the European Parliament and the Council of the EU in 2008. The Board has a total of 7 members, 3 appointed by the European Parliament and 4 by the Council of the EU. The main task of ESGAB is to produce an annual report to the European Parliament and the Council of the EU on compliance with the European Statistics Code of Practice, to advise the European Commission on compliance with the Code, to address issues of user confidence in European statistics, to disseminate and update the Code, etc.

ESAC

European Statistical Advisory Committee (ESAC)

The Committee was set up by a Decision of the European Parliament and the Council of the EU in 2008 to replace the European Advisory Committee on Statistical Information in the Economic and Social Spheres (CEIES). The Committee has a total of 24 members nominated by the European Commission and other institutions (e.g. the European Parliament, the Council of the EU or the European Central Bank). The ESAC's task is to participate in the process of the preparation of statistical programmes (assessing the adequacy of the scope and extent of statistics, the cost of providing information or the burden on respondents), to facilitate information and suggestions from users, respondents and institutions, and to produce reports to the European Parliament, the Council of the EU and the European Commission on user needs.

CMFB

Committee on Monetary, Financial and Balance of Payments Statistics (CMFB)

The Committee on Monetary, Financial and Balance of Payments Statistics plays an important role in EU macroeconomic statistics. The CMFB is the main mechanism for cooperation between Eurostat, the European Central Bank, the central banks of the Member States, the National Statistical Institutes of the Member States and the European Commission's Directorate General for Economic and Financial Affairs. CMFB is primarily responsible for the development of the conceptual documents, monitoring and evaluation of the statistical tools needed for the European Monetary Union, and is also a subsidiary and advisory body for the statistical areas it has in its title. One example of the CMFB's activities is its advisory capacity on the calculation of government deficits and debt.

Peer review of the National Statistical System and the European Statistics Code of Practice

European Statistics Code of Practice

The European Statistics Code of Practice (CoP) is the cornerstone of the common quality framework of the European Statistical System. It is a self-regulatory tool based on set of sixteen principles covering the institutional environment, statistical processes, and statistical outputs. For each of the principles, a set of best practice indicators and standards have been developed to provide guidance and benchmarks for reviewing how the CoP has been applied in practice, thereby increasing transparency within the European Statistical System. For example, Principle 1 on “Professional independence” states that European statistics should be produced in an impartial and independent manner, free from any political or other external influence. The statistical authorities, which include Eurostat, the National Statistical Institutes (i.e. the Czech Statistical Office) and Other National Authorities responsible for the development, production and dissemination of European statistics, have committed to comply with the CoP.

What is peer review?

 There is an ocean of information, facts and statistics out there. But how can one be sure that this information is accurate, the facts are not fake and the statistics have not been manipulated?


The CZSO offers high-quality statistics and data! Count with us and on us!

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The CZSO together with Eurostat and the national statistical authorities of all the EU and EFTA countries form a partnership called the European Statistical System (ESS). We produce European statistics which respect a common quality framework. One instrument that ensures the implementation of the common quality framework (and thus the quality of European statistics) is the so-called ESS peer reviews. The Czech Statistical Office expects this Peer Review in March 2023.

Curious to know more about the peer reviews? Then browse through the most common FAQs below.

For up-to-date information follow us on our social networks (X, LinkedIn and Instagram) and Statistika & My website.
 

What are the ESS peer reviews and how do they ensure the quality of European statistics?

Quality is the trademark of European statistics and makes them more trustworthy than other data that are readily available through many channels. To guarantee the quality of their statistics, the ESS created a common quality framework. The European Statistics Code of Practice (CoP) is the cornerstone of this quality framework, a set of principles that must be met by the national statistical system and the activities and outputs of the national statistical office. The objective of the peer reviews is to assess ESS members' the compliance with the principles and indicators of the CoP. The subsequent recommendations should also help statistical authorities to further improve and develop their statistical systems.

What is the European Statistics Code of Practice?

The common quality framework of the ESS is based on the CoP. It is a self-regulatory tool based on a set of 16 principles covering the institutional environment, statistical processes, and statistical outputs. For each of the principles, a set of best practice indicators and standards have been developed to provide guidance and benchmarks for reviewing how the CoP has been applied in practice. For example, Principle 1 on professional independence states that European statistics should be produced in impartially, independently, and free from any political or other external influence.

Is this the first time that peer reviews are taking place?

Two previous rounds of peer reviews were carried out in 2006 – 2008 and 2013 – 2015. They provided us with valuable experiences and recommendations that were implemented in the previous period. The evaluation of the success of their implementation took place in the new III. round 2021–2023. 

Who participates in the peer reviews?

All members of the ESS are reviewed, i.e. Eurostat and the national statistical authorities of the EU Member States and EFTA countries. Peer review expert teams are composed of four European experts in statistics, auditing and governance issues. An expert team from the European Statistical Governance Advisory Board (ESGAB) reviews Eurostat.

How are the peer reviews conducted?

1. Each ESS national statistical authority assesses itself against the principles of the CoP through a questionnaire and provides extensive documentation on its functioning.

2. This questionnaire is checked and analyzed by an expert peer review team, which then conducts a more detailed on-site review during a personal weekly visit.

3. The expert team compiles a final report with recommendations for improvements.

4. This report is submitted to the national statistical authority for approval and the drafting of improvement actions. The implementation of the improvement actions in the EU and EFTA countries is monitored on an annual basis by Eurostat. The implementation of the improvement actions for Eurostat is monitored by ESGAB.

What is the aim of the peer reviews?

In the previous rounds of peer review, the reviews focused mainly on compliance with the CoP. The third round of peer review went a step further and helped ESS stakeholders to improve by providing future-oriented recommendations. In some cases, these recommendations went beyond the current scope of the CoP. Therefore, it is possible that the future-oriented elements in this round of ESS peer review could also lead to a revision of the CoP based on new findings identified during the review.

What is the role of ESGAB?

Summary information on this monitoring is provided to the European Statistical Governance Advisory Board (ESGAB) for its annual report to the European Parliament and the European Council. ESGAB is an independent Advisory Board that carries out the peer review of Eurostat and reports on Eurostat's implementation of the CoP. It also includes an assessment of the implementation of the CoP in the ESS as a whole.

It advises on measures to facilitate the CoP’s implementation, on its communication and its possible updates. The ESGAB annual reports are available from 2009 onwards.

 

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Statistics in the Council of the EU

The Council of the EU is the supreme collegiate body of the European Union, at the level of the ministers of the Member States. The EU Council meets in ten different configurations depending on the issues under discussion (e.g. transport, social affairs, environment, agriculture, etc.). The ministers have the authority to commit their governments to the actions or measures agreed on in the meetings. Together with the European Parliament, the Council of the EU is the main decision-making body of the EU. The role of the Council of the EU is therefore to adopt EU legislation, to interpret the views of the Member States and to coordinate EU policies. The Presidency of the Council of the EU is held by each EU Member State on a rotating basis for six months. Due to its cross-cutting nature, statistics falls under the General Affairs Council (GAC).

Council decisions are discussed by the Committee of Permanent Representatives (Comité des représentants permanents - COREPER), which meets in two formations and consists of the Permanent Representatives (ambassadors) of the Member States to the EU in Brussels (COREPER II) and their deputies (COREPER I). The Council of the EU is assisted by more than 150 preparatory bodies of the Council, including specialised committees, subcommittees and working groups made up of delegates from each Member State, along with COREPER.

The Council’s main preparatory bodies are committees, which may be established by the Treaties, by intergovernmental decisions or by an act of the Council. Of these committees, the Economic and Financial Committee (EFC), an advisory body established under Article 134 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, is of particular importance to statistics. Its mission is to monitor and report regularly to the EU Council and the European Commission on the economic and financial situation of the Member States and the EU. The EFC issues opinions at the request of the Council of the EU or the European Commission and contributes to the organisation of Council meetings. The EFC's agenda includes issues closely related to the European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU). The EFC is one of the few preparatory bodies of the Council that is chaired by a permanent elected President, rather than by a representative of the EU Presidency, as is customary in the Council. Given its focus, the Committee falls under the Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN).

One of the sub-committees of the EFC is the Sub-Committee on Statistics (SCS). The SCS usually meets once a year and issues opinions and reports on various statistical issues, such as the administrative burden, government debt and deficit indicators, the main European economic indicators (PEEIs), the status of statistics in the candidate countries, the European Statistics Code of Practice, statistical governance at EU level, the five-year statistical programme, etc. The Czech Republic has representatives - like other EU Member States - both in the EFC (through the Ministry of Finance) and in its Subcommittee on Statistics (through the CZSO) and is therefore regularly involved in the discussions in these bodies.

In addition to the Sub-Committee on Statistics, there is a Council Working Party on Statistics, but its main focus is on discussing legislative proposals. This Working Party was set up relatively recently (2003) in the framework of the General Affairs Council (GAC). Until then, proposals for statistical legislation were discussed in different working bodies according to their subject matter (e.g. agriculture, etc.). Currently, the Working Party discusses all draft legislation submitted by the European Commission/Eurostat for which the relevant procedure requires the approval of the Council (and, as a rule, the European Parliament in parallel). This includes all framework legislation (whether in the form of a Regulation, a Decision or, rarely, a Directive) adopted under the co-decision procedure[1] as well as implementing legislation which, once approved at European Commission/Eurostat level, is subject to formal scrutiny (review) by the Council and the European Parliament. In addition, the Working Party also addresses some cross-cutting issues that have an impact on the discussion of draft legislation, particularly in the procedural area. The Working Party is chaired by a representative of the National Statistical Institute (usually the head) of the country holding the Presidency of the Council of the EU.

Due to the "technical" nature of statistics (as opposed to "political" perceived areas), it is in the Council Working Party on Statistics that the most comprehensive debate on legislation takes place. The discussions are attended by experts in the given area if statistics, who are representatives of the CZSO or other ministries, depending on the subject matter of the discussion. The objective is always to reach a compromise that is acceptable to all parties involved, i.e. in particular the Member States and representatives of the European Commission/Eurostat and, where appropriate, the European Central Bank, while at the same time finding consensus with the requirements of the European Parliament. Although negotiations at the level of the Council Working Party can be very lengthy (months or even years - with breaks, of course), consensus is usually reached and the approval of the draft legislation at the level of COREPER and then by one of the configurations of the EU Council is only a formality.

 

[1] Approval by both the Council and the European Parliament is now referred to as "ordinary legislative procedure".

 

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