European Statistical Governance Advisory Board

SUMMARY OF:

Decision No 235/2008/EC establishing the European Statistical Governance Advisory Board

WHAT IS THE AIM OF THE DECISION?

It sets up the European Statistical Governance Advisory Board, whose purpose is to provide and independent overview of the European statistical system.

KEY POINTS

Mission

The board carries out its mission:

through an annual report for the European Parliament and Council on the implementation of the code of practice by the EU’s Statistical Office (Eurostat);
through assessing how the code is implemented in the European statistical system as a whole, which is then recorded in the annual report;
by advising on the implementation of the code by Eurostat and the European statistical system as a whole;
by advising on communicating the code to users and data providers;
by advising on the updating of the code.

The advisory board may advise the European Commission to build user confidence in European statistics.

Composition

The board comprises 7 independent members who are experts in the field of statistics. The European Parliament and the Council each nominate 3 members after consulting the Commission; their term of office is 3 years, renewable once.

After consulting the Commission, the chairperson is selected by the Council and approved by the Parliament. The term of office for the chairperson is also 3 years, renewable once. He or she cannot be a member of either a national statistical office or the Commission, nor have held such a post within the last 2 years.

If a member resigns before the expiry of his or her term of office, his or her replacement is nominated to serve a full term.

Eurostat is an observer member of the advisory board.

Operation

The board is assisted by an independent secretariat which is provided by the Commission. A secretary is appointed by the Commission after consulting the board.

The public can have access to the annual report on the implementation of the code of practice.

The board’s expenses are included in the budgetary estimates of the Commission.

FROM WHEN DOES THE DECISION APPLY?

It has applied since 16 March 2008.

BACKGROUND

The European statistics code of practice was drawn up in 2005 by the statistical programme committee (now the European statistical system committee). It is presented in the recommendation of the Commission of 25 May 2005. The code defines standards on the independence, integrity and accountability of the national and EU statistical authorities. It therefore contributes to the improvement of good governance, the quality of statistical data and user confidence in the authorities concerned.

For more information, see:

European statistical governance advisory board (Eurostat).

MAIN DOCUMENT

Decision No 235/2008/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 March 2008 establishing the European Statistical Governance Advisory Board (OJ L 73, 15.3.2008, pp. 17-19)