Common rules for the collection of census data on population and housing

 

SUMMARY OF

Regulation (EC) No 763/2008 on population and housing censuses

WHAT IS THE AIM OF THIS REGULATION?

It sets out common rules for the provision of census statistics on population and housing in the EU.

It aims to achieve comprehensive and flexible dissemination of census data as well as transparency regarding their quality.

KEY POINTS

Data submission

EU countries are required to submit to the European Commission (Eurostat) data on the population covering:

• various demographic, social and economic characteristics of persons, families and households;
• housing at a national, regional and local level.

These data are as set out in the regulation’s annex and its implementing regulations.

Data sources

The regulation sets out the data sources on which EU countries must base their statistics. These include:

• conventional censuses;
• register-based censuses;
• a combination of conventional censuses and sample surveys;
• a combination of register-based censuses and sample surveys;
• a combination of register-based censuses and conventional censuses;
• a combination of register-based censuses, sample surveys and conventional censuses; and
• appropriate surveys with rotating samples (rolling censuses).

Data protection

EU countries must take all measures necessary to meet the requirements of data protection. Their own data protection rules are not affected by this regulation.

Data transmission

Each EU country must determine a date to which its data refer (a reference date), which must fall in the reference year. The first reference year is 2011. Reference years fall on the first year of each decade.

EU countries must inform Eurostat of any revision or correction of the statistics transmitted as well as of any changes in the chosen data sources and methodology. This must be done no later than 1 month before the release of the revised data.

EU countries must provide Eurostat with final, validated and aggregated data and metadata within 27 months of the end of the reference year.

To fulfil the requirements of this regulation, in 2010 the European Commission adopted a first programme of the statistical data and of the metadata to be transmitted for the reference year 2011 and, in 2017, it adopted a second programme for the reference year 2021.

EU countries transmit to Eurostat the data in accordance with the EU law on data transmission subject to statistical confidentiality as set out in Regulation (EC) No 223/2009. They must ensure that the transmitted data do not permit the direct identification of the statistical units. Transmission is in electronic format and is in accordance with the specifications agreed by the European Statistical System Committee, the committee that assists and advises the Commission (Eurostat).

Quality assessment

EU countries must ensure that the data sources and the methodology used to satisfy the requirements of the regulation meet the essential features of population and housing censuses as laid down in the regulation, i.e.:

• individual enumeration,
• simultaneity,
• universality within a defined territory,
• availability of small-area data, and
• defined periodicity.

EU countries must provide Eurostat with a report on the quality of the data transmitted, outlining the extent to which the chosen data sources and methodology meet the essential features of population and housing censuses.

The Commission assesses the quality of the data transmitted. In cooperation with the EU countries’ competent authorities, it provides methodological recommendations designed to ensure the quality of the data and the metadata produced, in particular acknowledging the Conference of European Statisticians — Recommendations for the 2010 Censuses of Population and Housing.

FROM WHEN DOES THE REGULATION APPLY?

It has applied since 2 September 2008.

BACKGROUND

For the EU to be able to develop its regional, social and environmental policies, it needs to have at its disposal comparable and reliable data on population and the main family, social, economic and housing characteristics of persons.

For more information, see:

• Population and housing census — Overview (Eurostat)
• Population and housing census — 2011 Census (Eurostat).

MAIN DOCUMENT

Regulation (EC) No 763/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 July 2008 on population and housing censuses (OJ L 218, 13.8.2008, pp. 14-20)

RELATED DOCUMENTS

Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/881 of 23 May 2017 implementing Regulation (EC) No 763/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council on population and housing censuses, as regards the modalities and structure of the quality reports and the technical format for data transmission, and amending Regulation (EU) No 1151/2010 (OJ L 135, 24.5.2017, pp. 6-14)

Commission Regulation (EU) 2017/712 of 20 April 2017 establishing the reference year and the programme of the statistical data and metadata for population and housing censuses provided for by Regulation (EC) No 763/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ L 105, 21.4.2017, pp. 1-11)

Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/543 of 22 March 2017 laying down rules for the application of Regulation (EC) No 763/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council on population and housing censuses as regards the technical specifications of the topics and of their breakdowns (OJ L 78, 23.3.2017, pp. 13-58)

Commission Regulation (EU) No 1151/2010 of 8 December 2010 implementing Regulation (EC) No 763/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council on population and housing censuses, as regards the modalities and structure of the quality reports and the technical format for data transmission (OJ L 324, 9.12.2010, pp. 1-12)

Successive amendments to Regulation (EU) No 1151/2010 have been incorporated into the original document. This consolidated version is of documentary value only.

Commission Regulation (EU) No 519/2010 of 16 June 2010 adopting the programme of the statistical data and of the metadata for population and housing censuses provided for by Regulation (EC) No 763/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ L 151, 17.6.2010, pp. 1-13)

Commission Regulation (EC) No 1201/2009 of 30 November 2009 implementing Regulation (EC) No 763/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council on population and housing censuses as regards the technical specifications of the topics and of their breakdowns (OJ L 329, 15.12.2009, pp. 29-68)

Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 March 2009 on European statistics and repealing 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 (OJ L 87, 31.3.2009, pp. 164-173)

See consolidated version.

last update 07.11.2017