EUROSTAT
Directorate D: Single Market, Employment and Social Statistics /
Doc. Eurostat/D0/04/DSS/8/10/EN
Minutes
meeting of the european directors of social statistics
luxembourg, 29-30 september 2004
bech building, room “ampère”
Commission européenne, L-2920 Luxembourg. Telephone: (352)43011.
Office: BECH D4/733. Telephone: direct line (352)4301 35837. Fax: (352)4301 34415.
http://europa.eu.int/comm/eurostat/
Introduction
The chairman Michel Glaude, Eurostat director for Single Market, Employment and Social Statistics, welcomed the participants to Eurostat and thanked them for their co-operation in completing the Form Exchanging Views, copies of which were available.
He described the new internal organisation of Eurostat and mentioned the appointment of three new directors, two of whom were former members of the Directors of Social Statistics group (MM Everaers and Glaude). A new deputy director-general Mrs Bohata had been nominated and a new director-general would be appointed shortly. He also presented the present heads of unit responsible for the different areas of social statistics.
The European Statistical System was again functioning efficiently following the events of the previous year, with the implementation of new guidelines on subsidies and a clearer policy separating legislative obligations from quality improvements requiring support. Data would be available free on the Eurostat website from 1 October, and the policy of access to micro-data would be discussed by the Statistical Programme Committee. Progress had been made on a number of statistical issues under the Ireland and Netherlands presidencies of the Council.
1. Preparation of Commission Regulations on the Labour Force Survey
Draft Commission Regulation adopting the specifications of the 2006 ad hoc module on transition from work to retirement
(Doc.Eurostat/E0/03/DSS/8/1/EN)
Presentation
- The latest amendments following the Working Party meeting of 15-17 September were described. They related to the replacement of “current job” by “At work” for variables 245, 246 and 247.
Discussions
- No discussion took place.
Conclusions
- The DSS agreed on the draft regulation which will be transmitted to the Statistical Programme Committee of 17-18 November 2004 for voting.
Draft Commission Regulation implementing Council Regulation No. 2257/2003 on the organisation of the LFS to adapt the list of survey characteristics
(Doc.Eurostat/E0/03/DSS/8/2/EN)
Presentation
The following points were highlighted
- New wording of some articles of the regulation following the Working Party meeting.
- The Regulation will enter into force on 1 January 2006.
- Clarification of the new variable “continuous receipt of salaries”.
Discussions
- There is a need for further work on the comparability of the LFS data following the introduction of the continuous survey
- The wording of Article 2 should emphasize the optional character of the wave approach
- There was some discussion as to whether the variable “continuing receipt of the wage or salary” should also allow the inclusion of social transfers to take into account institutional differences between countries
Conclusions
- A Task Force will be set to the study the quality and more precisely the comparability of the continuous LFS data.
- The wording for Article on Yearly/quarterly variables will be revised, replacing the text “Which may be surveyed only” by “which optionally need only be surveyed”
- After informal voting the DSS was in favour of keeping the present formulation for the variables “continuing receipt of the wage or salary” which allows the consideration of social transfers
- The DSS agreed on the draft regulation, with the revision of Article on Yearly/quarterly variables, and the text will be transmitted to the Statistical Programme Committee of 17-18 November 2004 for voting.
Draft Commission Regulation adopting the programme of Labour Force Survey ad hoc modules covering the years 2007 to 2009
(Doc.Eurostat/E0/03/DSS/8/3/EN)
Presentation
- The module planned for 2007 is a repetition of the 1999 module and no difficulties are expected.
- The Module planned for 2008 is of high policy interest but methodological difficulties are expected for its implementation, which should be examined by a task force early in 2005.
- The module planned for 2009 needs thorough revision in relation to the module conducted in 2000, due to the new policy demands and the introduction of new education variables in the core LFS in 2003.
Discussion
- The modules for 2007 and 2009 were accepted by the DSS after the explanations given in the presentation.
- The Module 2008 was judged by several countries as difficult and not suitable for linking with the core LFS. Feasibility studies should therefore be conducted
Conclusions
- A Task Force will be set up before the end of 2004 to examine the feasibility of the 2008 module. Several countries volunteered to participate.
- The draft regulation will be amended to indicate that the implementation of the 2008 module will be conditional upon the results of feasibility studies, to be finished before the end of 2005.
- In case of a negative outcome from the feasibility studies, the DSS agreed that alternative sources should be found to satisfy the needs of the Commission for these data.
- The DSS agreed on the draft regulation (with the amendment above mentioned) and the text will be transmitted to the Statistical Programme Committee of 17-18 November 2004 for voting.
2. Preparation of Commission Regulation on EU-SILC
(Doc.Eurostat/E0/03/DSS/8/4/EN)
Presentation
Eurostat presented the draft Commission regulation concerning the module on ‘cultural and social participation’ to be included in 2006 in the cross-sectional component of the EU-SILC project. This draft Commission regulation is planned to be approved by the SPC on 18 November 2004 and adopted by the Commission before the end of 2004.
Discussion
The majority of the Member States (except France and partly Belgium) approved the draft Commission regulation on the 2006 EU-SILC module on cultural and social participation.
The discussion focussed on four different issues:
- The need to start as soon as possible the work on the methodological studies planned to be included in a report to the European Parliament and to the Council by the end of 2007 and to evaluate and amend if necessary the core of the operation, i.e. the income part.
- The difficulties linked to the collection of data on participation in activities of a political party or a trade union, of a church or other religious organisation, mainly in Belgium where the Statistical Law does not allow questions about political opinions and religious beliefs but also in other countries such as Spain.
- The renaming of the title into ‘social participation’ only as very partial coverage of cultural participation is achieved in the module;
- The extension of the coverage of the variable on help from neighbours to include also help from family and friends, and the modification of this variable to cover only help which was actually received.
Eurostat agreed on the importance of the methodological studies and of the assessment of the income part of the project. Eurostat will present a proposal and an action plan for the methodological studies in the ‘Living Conditions’ Working Group in June 2005. On the variables relating to participation in activities of political parties and religious organisations, Eurostat underlined that it is not political opinions or religious beliefs which is asked but practice, and also that the type of political/religious affiliation is not required. Furthermore, the modification of the variable on help to record help actually received was discussed in the SILC Working Group but rejected as it is possible that some people didn’t receive help because they didn’t need it.
There were also comments on definitions, use of proxy interviews, wording of variables (PS020), reference period and variables interpretation.
Conclusions
It was decided that Eurostat would produce a revised version integrating comments received during the DSS meeting. This revised Commission regulation would be sent to the DSS in a written procedure in which opinion would be asked about the title of the module and about the coverage of the variable on help.
3. Information Society Statistics
(Doc.Eurostat/E0/03/DSS/8/4/EN)
Presentation
Given the fast-moving nature of the information society, framework Regulation 808/2004 has been designed in such a way that its implementation requires annual implementing measures. The timetable for these Commission Regulations is tight, as the final draft of the Commission Regulation for the 2006 data collection round will need to be submitted to the SPC in spring 2005.
Discussion
The following issues were raised:
- There is a certain difficulty in collecting information on broadband usage from households. Eurostat is aware of this difficulty and works together with the Task Force to devise measures that are more easily understandable (such as using the names of national providers of the respective technology). A limitation to data from National Regulatory Authorities would not suffice to answer the questions of the users concerning the social profiles of broadband users.
- Spain has drawn the attention of Eurostat to the fact that it was not clear, whether the total number of households is meant to include only households with at least 1 person in the age group 16-74 or all households. As the answer to this question is likely to have a noticeable impact on the value of the indicators, Eurostat has launched a short inquiry into the current practice in all participating countries with the aim of clarifying the instructions and of revising the data, if necessary.
- In the 2005 questionnaire, the idea of optional questions has disappeared. This is due to the fact that optional questions are of little value for Eurostat except in the case of new pilot questions. The final number of questions in the Commission Regulation will depend largely on the number of indicators adopted in the post-eEurope 2005 process.
Conclusions
There were no objections to the timetable outlined in the document.
4. Adult Education Statistics
(Doc.Eurostat/E0/03/DSS/8/5/EN)
Presentation
Since 2000, Eurostat has been working on the development of better instruments, needed in the context of improved statistics relating to lifelong learning. The recommendations made by the Eurostat task force in February 2001 were confirmed on several occasions, including a CEIES seminar in June 2001. In 2002 and 2003, the DSS was regularly involved in these developments and has created the task force on adult education. The final report of the task force, together with a consultation document, was sent to the DSS members during the summer of 2004. The results of the consultation are very encouraging: 21 Member states intend to conduct an adult education survey over the period 2005-2007. Eurostat therefore proposes to implement the survey, to assess the funding aspects and to prepare a legal basis.
Discussion
The DSS were unanimous in agreeing on the political importance of the subject. The discussion concentrated on issues relating to methodology (where work is still ongoing and should be finalised by the beginning of 2005), funding (without prejudice to the expected new Eurostat grant policy, the funding needs for 2005 should be met, and further discussion are needed for the funding in 2006 and 2007) and the legal basis. Norway has a national survey. Some non-participating countries are willing to contribute on the basis of information already available at national level.
Conclusions
The proposals of Eurostat were endorsed. The methodological work will be finalised soon. The non-participating countries are encouraged to join in, or to discuss further with Eurostat the alternative solutions, in order to improve the coverage of the survey.
5. Netherlands Presidency of the European Council
Mr Paul van der Laan described the progress made on statistical issues under the Netherlands presidency of the Council (July-December 2004). He paid tribute to the work done under the preceding Irish presidency. He highlighted the following points:
- The CVTS regulation would soon be sent to the committee stage of the European Parliament.
- Technical amendments to the NUTS and EU-SILC regulations, necessitated by the enlargement, would probably be handled through written procedures.
- Asylum and migration statistics might be discussed by the Council working-party on statistics before the end of 2004.
- The Council working-party had discussed the criteria to be used to identify matters relating to statistics which might be discussed by the working party and it had also discussed the structural indicators, in particular the problems of using them to rank Member States.
- The review of progress under the Lisbon strategy in the 2005 Spring Council would probably lead to discussion of indicators and a revision of targets, particularly in view of much lower economic growth rate than anticipated at the Lisbon Council in 2000. An extensive discussion in the working party of the present indicators was therefore not appropriate at the moment.
- Work was continuing on a new Social Policy Agenda to cover the years 2006-10.
- A meeting on 'Social Europe - let's deliver' would be held in Rotterdam, 8-9 November 2004.
6. Development of an organisational structure for Social Statistics
(Doc.Eurostat/E0/03/DSS/8/9/EN)
Presentation
Eurostat recalled the discussions of this issue at previous DSS meetings, which had centred upon the need to find more efficient ways of operating with 25 Member States. As an important part of the new structure for social statistics, a Strategic Development Group was proposed to prepare DSS and SPC meetings, to ensure a proper co-ordination with data users, and to develop future strategy for social statistics.
Discussion
Some questions were raised concerning the changes to the proposals compared with earlier versions. These concerned principally the number of representatives of statistical offices, the representation of users and the chairmanship of the group. It was agreed that five representatives of statistical offices would provide a suitable balance with users. The users would not be permanent members but would be invited according to the issues under discussion. The chairman would be Eurostat’s director of social statistics, in accordance with the principle of clearly defining the responsibility of Eurostat directors for developments in their respective domains.
Conclusions
The following participants volunteered to serve as members of the SDG: Denmark, United Kingdom, Poland, and Italy. Ireland expressed a willingness to be a member but would wait to see if a better geographical balance could be obtained by finding an alternative. Other Member States would contact Eurostat within the next two weeks if they wished to serve as a member.