History of MGSC XXI meeting of the Management Group on Statistical Cooperation Luxembourg, 4-5th April 2019 Avis Beneš Eurostat, Head of Unit B3

The Statistical Cooperation Steering Committee and the Liaison Group 1999 2002 2008 The Statistical Cooperation Steering Committee and the Liaison Group PHARE PGSC + MGSC CARDS PGSC; CARDS countries joined MGSC

Before 1999 The statistical cooperation work programmes for Phare countries overseen by the Statistical Cooperation Steering Committee and the Liaison Group Statistical cooperation programmes for the Eastern European and Central Asian countries (TACIS) and for the countries of North Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean (Medstat) were not part of the remit of the Steering Committee or the Liaison Group.

CARDS countries joined MGSC 1999 2002 2008 The Statistical Cooperation Steering Committee and the Liaison Group PHARE PGSC + MGSC CARDS PGSC; CARDS countries joined MGSC

1999-2008 A new meeting structure adopted in 1998 by the Steering Committee: The Policy Group on Statistical Co-operation (PGSC) composed of the Presidents of NSI of Phare countries; The Management Group for Statistical Co-operation (MGSC) composed of directors for international relations of the NSIs of Phare countries, together with EU and EFTA Member States and international organisations active in the region. TACIS, Medstat and other statistical cooperation activities were not discussed in the PGSC or the MGSC.

1999-2008 The Policy Group on Statistical Co-operation (PGSC) Role of PGSC: the main role - to advise the Commission on the contents and implementation of future statistical cooperation programmes and to discuss issues related to the Accession process; to orient the work of the MGSC. The Phare Policy Group on Statistical Co-operation (PGSC) last meeting took place in 2002; since then acceding countries could attend the SPC meetings (predecessor of the ESSC’s). In 2002, the first CARDS PGSC took place in Belgrade.

1999-2008 The Management Group for Statistical Co-operation (MGSC) The MGSC was responsible for the practical implementation of statistical co-operation, and contributed to donor coordination. The directors for international relations of the NSIs of CARDS countries joined this group in 2002.

2008 2012 2019 Revised MGSC and PGSC mandates; orientation towards enlargement countries; ENP region is included in MGSC discussions Cooperation activities for Africa, ALA, enlargement and ENP countries discussed in the MGSC. Revision of the MGSC mandate

2008-2019 The mandates of the PGSC and MGSC were reoriented towards the candidate and potential candidate countries of the Western Balkans and Turkey. The mandate of the PGSC is to orient the work of the MGSC and it may ask the MGSC to discuss concrete items and to submit proposals for adoption to the PGSC – in last year's practice this was rarely done however.

2008-2019 The mandate for the MGSC widened to providing advice to the European Commission, and notably Eurostat, on the practical implementation of the Commission’s statistical cooperation programmes, “with the aim to integrate in an efficient way the candidate and potential candidate countries into the European Statistical System (ESS)." In revised MGSC mandate the ENP (European Neighbourhood Policy) countries mentioned for the first time: it allows (but doesn’t oblige) the MGSC to reflect on issues related to the statistical cooperation with these countries.

2008-2019 Statistical cooperation with Africa, Asia and Latin America (ALA): Until 2012 cooperation with Africa and ALA countries was the responsibility of a separate unit in Eurostat and it was discussed in a separate annual coordination meeting with interested Member States. From 2012 all cooperation activities for Africa, ALA, enlargement and ENP countries are the responsibility of a single unit and all cooperation activities are discussed in the MGSC.

Revision of the MGSC mandate 2008 2012 2019 Revised MGSC and PGSC mandates; orientation towards enlargement countries; ENP region is included in MGSC discussions Cooperation activities for Africa, ALA, enlargement and ENP countries discussed in the MGSC. Revision of the MGSC mandate

Timeline of the revision - proposal By mid/end of May minutes of the meeting to be circulated reflecting discussion on this topic Any further additions to the discussion to be sent by participants within a month Early autumn, Eurostat to present draft new mandate paper 2 months for discussions + PGSC to take note Consolidated version presented early 2020, to be adopted at next MGSC (end March) ESSC role?