EUROPEAN COMMISSION

Brussels, 20.1.2016

COM(2016) 4 final

REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL

on the exercise of the power to adopt delegated acts conferred on the Commission by Regulation (EU) No 692/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning European statistics on tourism

REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND

THE COUNCIL

on the exercise of the power to adopt delegated acts conferred on the Commission by Regulation (EU) No 692/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning European statistics on tourism

1.    INTRODUCTION

Regulation (EU) No 692/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council 1 established a common framework for the systematic development, production and dissemination of statistics on tourism in the European Union. It reflected the changes in the nature of the tourism economy and of tourist behaviour that had occurred since the entry into force of Council Directive 95/57/EC 2 , and responded to the ensuing changes in user needs.

Regulation (EU) No 692/2011 empowers the Commission to adopt delegated acts:

amending the definitions to reflect changes to international definitions (Article 2(2));

amending the deadlines for data transmission to take account of economic, social and technical developments (Article 9(5)); and

adapting the Annexes to take account of economic, social and technical developments. The Commission may not, however, change provisions in the Annex on the optional nature of the required data and the limitation of the scope (Article 3(2)).

Furthermore, Regulation (EU) No 692/2011 emphasises the importance of the Commission carrying out appropriate consultations during its preparatory work, including at expert level, before exercising the empowerment.

2.    LEGAL BASIS

This report is required under Article 11(2) of Regulation (EU) No 692/2011. Under this provision, the Commission is granted the power to adopt delegated acts for a period of five years from 11 August 2011, and is required to prepare a report on the delegation of power not later than nine months before the end of the five-year period.

3.    EXERCISE OF THE DELEGATION

Since the entry into force of Regulation (EU) No 692/2011, the Commission has adopted one delegated act, Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 253/2013 3 . This amended certain definitions relating to educational attainment, to reflect changes made to the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED).

The exercise of the empowerment was deemed necessary as a result of the revision of the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) adopted by UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) at its 36th General Conference in November 2011. Pursuant to Article 2(2) of Regulation (EU) No 692/2011, the Commission may adopt delegated acts to adapt the definitions used in EU statistics on tourism to changes in international definitions.

Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 253/2013 makes the following amendments to Annex II to Regulation (EU) No 692/2011:

all references to the variable or socioeconomic breakdown ‘educational level’ were replaced with ‘educational attainment level’;

all references to the categories ‘lower (ISCED 0, 1 or 2), middle (ISCED 3 or 4), higher (ISCED 5 or 6)’ were replaced with ‘at most lower secondary, upper secondary and post-secondary (non-tertiary), tertiary’.

The amendments apply from 1 January 2014.

The Commission consulted experts, including national experts on tourism statistics, on the draft delegated act at technical level (in June 2012) and at director level (in July 2012). The draft Commission Delegated Regulation was presented to the Directors-General of the EU national statistical institutes in November 2012.

The Commission adopted the Delegated Regulation on 15 January 2013 and notified the European Parliament and the Council. Neither the European Parliament nor the Council issued any objection to the Delegated Regulation within the two months allowed. On the expiry of the two-month period, the Delegated Regulation was published in the Official Journal of the European Union on 21 March 2013 and has been in application since 1 January 2014.

Although in the five years following its entry into force, no need occurred to adopt delegated acts regarding amendment of the deadlines for data transmission or regarding adapting the Annexes in order to take account of economic, social and technical developments, the empowerments remain relevant.

4.    CONCLUSION

The Commission has exercised its delegated powers correctly and invites the European Parliament and the Council to take note of this report.

(1)

Regulation (EU) No 692/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 6 July 2011 concerning European statistics on tourism and repealing Council Directive 95/57/EC (OJ L 192, 22.7.2011, p. 17).

(2)

 Council Directive 95/57/EC of 23 November 1995 on the collection of statistical information in the field of tourism (OJ L 291, 6.12.1995, p. 32).

(3)

 Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 253/2013 of 15 January 2013 amending Annex II to Regulation (EU) No 692/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council, as regards adaptations following the revision of the International Standard Classification of Education ISCED in relation to the variables and breakdowns to be submitted (OJ L 79, 21.3.2013, p. 5).