Timeliness of social statistics on inequality and poverty Luxembourg 4-5 March 2013 Meeting of the European Directors of Social Statistics

The needs Monitoring of social policy – Europe 2020 Five years of crisis: even more acute The social impact has political consequences Social dimension of the EMU But, poverty and income distribution data are not up-to-date, while they are timely for growth trade, debt and deficit, etc.

Policy request EPSCO Council, 2010 "invites the Commission to support, in collaboration with the Member States, the timely availability of valid indicators to monitor the social dimension of the Europe 2020 Strategy". ECOFIN Council, 2012 called “upon Eurostat and the Member States to draw up an action plan to significantly improve the timeliness of statistics on inequality, poverty, income and social exclusion in the context of Europe 2020”. The Commission (social investment package), 2013: “will underpin this together with the European Statistical System through improved and timelier statistics on poverty and outcomes of social and health policies”. The DSS, 2012: “The ESS is challenged. The topic is difficult, but the policy emergency is there. Globally, the DSS agreed that an answer should be given and that this is a priority but that this answer is not easy. Priority setting is needed. Eurostat will reflect on the next steps and will perhaps propose the creation of a task force.” The high level Stakeholder meeting, 2013: “The representatives from National statistical Institutes recognised the importance of this issue and agreed on the need to move forward”.

Principles of an action plan Systemic answer from the social statistics system Improved use of modern technology and tools, incl. modeling Process re-design In the context of modernisation of social statistics

Key areas Evolution of income distribution Who is impacted ? Who benefits ? Evolution of living conditions Deprivation, assessment Coping strategies Impact of financial stress

Actions for the ESS : LFS Annual income distribution evolution: 6 months after the reference period LFS annual Monthly income Methodological studies needed and on-going Infra annual data on income distribution If possible LFS quarterly

Actions for the ESS: EU-SILC Improve by 6 months the availability of all data June N+1 Production process Trade off when using registers (partial registers) Deliver at the end of year N the data collected through questionnaire Deprivation, assessment Methodological questions on weights Process re-design

Action for the ESS: other Implementation of a module on strategies to cope with a financial stress Short module, based on existing work Delivery 6 months after field work No prescription of an instrument

Actions outside the ESS Micro-simulation models (EUROMOD) EU-SILC data Initially: impact of fiscal and social policies Now, in addition : impact of economic conditions (employment) on poverty and inequalities Requires several data from SILC and national disaggregation of social protection and fiscal data Use of alternative sources Consumer surveys Beneficiaries

Next steps DSS – March 2013 SILC working group and LAMAS, spring 2013 DSS October 2013 ESSC Autumn 2013, for decision Pilot launched for SILC early delivery Methodological studies Financial support from DG EMPL

The DSS are invited To comment To advise To endorse and commit