Access to European Statistical System microdata Aleksandra Bujnowska Statistical confidentiality and microdata access, Eurostat Unit B1

Presentation outline Microdata as source and output type Access to microdata in Eurostat (eligibility criteria, procedures, microdata available, some statistics) Recent initiatives in microdata access services in Eurostat Euromod project

European Statistical System (ESS) Members of ESS Eurostat NSIs other authorities producing EUROPEAN statistics European statistics statistics necessary for the performance of the activities of the Community; defined in the statistical Work Programmes

Definitions Confidential data: data which allow statistical units to be identified, either directly or indirectly, thereby disclosing individual information. Microdata: sets of records (lines in the file) containing information on individual persons, households or business entities, i.e. statistical units. Each record represents information on individual.

Use of microdata Microdata confidential data for statistical purposes national statistical production secure data exchange (within ESS) for scientific purposes scientific use files (pseudonymised datasets sent to researchers on DVD) secure use files (datasets accessed in Eurostat's Safe Centre, outputs checked for confidentiality) public use files (anonymised datasets; identification of statistical units is not possible)

Incentives (for statistical institutes) of granting access to microdata In-depth analysis of the data (data linking, data matching, analysis of relationships, concentration, regressions, modelling) Better use of the data collected Feedback on data content and structure

Benefits of granting access to microdata To answer questions in the fields of economic, social, environmental and political science In the interest of scientific progress Without compromising the high level of protection that confidential statistical data require

Why the access to microdata is restricted? Risk of disclosure Legal obligation of statistical institutes to use the data only for calculating aggregates (statistics) Specific rules and protocols allow access to microdata for research purposes

Microdata access for scientific purposes at the EU level Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council on European statistics Commission Regulation (EU) No 557/2013 on access to confidential data for scientific purposes Access safeguards: Specific datasets Recognition as research entity Approved research project (specifying: names of researchers, access period, use of the data, security, publication of results)

ESS microdata for scientific purposes European Community Household Panel European Union Labour Force Survey Community Innovation Survey European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions Structure of Earnings Survey Adult Education Survey European Road Freight Transport Survey European Health Interview Survey Continuing Vocational Training Survey Community Statistics on Information Society Micro-Moments Dataset Household Budget Survey (since September 2016) More microdata sets available at the national level!

Institutions eligible to request access to microdata (recognition criteria) Reference to research in the purpose (mission, statute, objectives) of the entity; List of scientific publications and research projects; Independency in formulating scientific conclusions; Adequate security safeguards.

Recognised research entities, by country

Recognised research entities, by entity type

Recognition of the research entity (institutional eligibility) Step 1 Institutional level (1 month) Recognition of the research entity (institutional eligibility) Is the entity doing research? Step 2 Researchers (2 months) Is the access for scientific purposes? Request for access to microdata Request for access to microdata Research proposals (Requests for access) Eurostat National statistical authorities (4 weeks)

Research proposals received by data collections, 2013-2016

Types of microdata for scientific purposes Scientific use files Secure use files Access At researchers' workplace In NSIs controlled environment (e.g. safe centre or via remote access) Data preparation Data anonymised (variables grouped together, rounded, swapped or suppressed) Only direct identifiers removed Identification Possible but difficult Possible

Topics of research Adult learning, Children, Competitiveness, Consumption, Crisis, Culture, Debt, Demography, Deprivation, Disabilities, Discrimination, Distribution, Economy, Education, Employment, Environment, Family, Gender equality/inequality, Growth, Health, Housing, ICT, Income, Inequalities, Innovation, Labour market, Migration, Mobility, Pension, Savings, Social policies, Taxes, Transport, Unemployment, Wages, Well-being…

Recent initiatives: Self-study material for microdata users: http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/microdata/overview/self-study-material-for-microdata-users Household Budget Survey 2010 available for scientific purposes Public use files for EU-SILC and EU-LFS (some MS in 2016, all MS in 2017)

Enhancing the use of microdata: some ideas for further development Exploitation of research results Table builder allowing tailored tabulations (confidentiality on the fly) Collaboration with Council of European Social Science Data Archives - CESSDA (entry point for national microdata access systems)

EUROMOD: How Eurostat data underpin a key cross-national research project (1 of 2) EUROMOD is a tax-benefit microsimulation model for the EU, celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2016! www.iser.essex.ac.uk/euromod20 Model is highly flexible, documented, validated and transparent Purpose-built software: “tax-benefit modelling” language; user interface; “plug-ins” and “add-ons” for special purpose analysis (Relatively) easy to simulate major reforms to policy structures (without programming skills); many types of application Managed, maintained and developed by the University of Essex, the model is updated annually in collaboration with national experts from each EU member state, making use of micro-data from the EU-SILC Since 2009, the project has been supported by the European Commission’s DG-EMPL

EUROMOD: How Eurostat data underpin a key cross-national research project (2 of 2) Open access to model/software Freely accessible for non-commercial use Many users and stakeholders – provide quality assurance Regular use of EUROMOD by the EC now established (e.g.) to inform the European Semester process (JRC/DG-ECFIN & others); development of a method to provide flash estimates of income distribution (Eurostat) Bridges the gap between academic research and policymaking Controlled access to EU-SILC data SILC data re-formatted and harmonised for use as input data in the model Users wishing to use EUROMOD input data must meet standard Eurostat conditions (work at a recognised research entity and hold a current, approved research proposal)

Thank you for your attention! Aleksandra.Bujnowska@ec.europa.eu