1. Data without Boundaries The DwB project (FP7-13)
Roxane Silberman
CNRS/Réseau Quetelet
DwB coordinator
WG on Statistical Confidentality (WGSC) 1st meeting
November 15th/16th Eurostat, Luxembourg

2. A European project
A FP7- 13 EC call : Data archives and remote access to official statistics in Europe
Coordination of existing infrastructures : Data Archives (CESSDA), ESS, others stakeholders
27 Partners and 12 countries
CESSDA partners : CNRS/Quetelet, GESIS, NSD, SND, DANS, UKDA, FORS, EKKE, CIS, RODA, ADP
NSIs and other providers of official statistics: ONS, CBS, INSEE, SORS, CBS, IAB, DESTATIS, INSSE
Universities, CED (IPUMS)
Enhancing researchers access to official microdata both national and European and both anonymised (PUF and SUF) and confidential
A step toward a European research infrastructure within the context of the ESFRI roadmap and the CESSDA ERIC process

3. Access to OS both anonymised and detailed, both national and European, currently fragmented Different systems, different standards, different providers
Mode of access ranging from no access (even for non confidential), PUF, SUF, safe centres , remote execution to remote access
Standards for anonymisation differ, level tends to increase : PUF and SUF may become not usable for researchers
Access to highly detailed detailed and sensitive data (including administrative data and combined datasets) increasingly crucial but uneven at national level, crossing boarders worse
Accreditation highly dependent on the national legal framework, national institutional arrangements and practices and of the European regulations
Providers may be NSIs, statistical departments, government agencies and Data archives
Metadata not always available
Language issues

4. DwB in short Main issue :
Increase access to official statistics both national and European
Focus on access to highly detailed and sensitive microdata, administrative data, combining datasets but access to anonymised microdata in the scope (PUF and SUF)
Across boarders
A wider scope than WGSC and ESSnet, even if obvious links cf needs of comparative research
Strategy : Bridge the different actors and communities
Data Archives (CESSDA and CESSDA ERIC) that have long term experience in preservation, metadata, dissemination (also for several for OS) , accreditation and anonymisation
NSIs and the ESS that need to provide access to their microdata ensuring high protection of confidentiality
Researchers who are the final users
To :
Build trust
Agree on standards and common views
Provide pilots
Increase immediate access to OS at national and European level

5. Main objectives
Towards a single point of access : what data are available ? Where and how can I access them ?
Towards standards for metadata that could be possibly harvested on the CESSDA ERIC portal
Towards a European accreditation
Towards a European distributed and flexible remote access for confidential microdata both for national and European microdata

6. 12 Work packages WP1 Management WP2 Communication Website
WP3 Accreditation and legal issues
WP4 Improving access : remote access
WP5 Servicing the use of the OS
WP6 Networking
WP7 Standard developments for metadata
WP8 Improving resource discovery for OS data
WP9 On site transnational access
WP10 Remote access transnational access
WP11 Improved Methodologies for Managing Risks of Access to Detailed OS Data
WP12 Implementing Improved Resource Discovery for OS Data

7. How ? All WPs in cooperation between partners
Networking outside the DwB
A bi-annual European Data Access Forum involving all stakeholders
Two regional data access workshops in Southern and Eastern Europe
A bi-annual Users’ conference involving researchers and NSIs
Training activities for researchers : where to find official microdata ? how to use main European datasets ? confidentiality issues
Supporting NSI and Archives staff visits to remote access installations in order to promote development of European remote access
Building pilots
Facilitating immediate access to and use of OS within the current context

8. Towards a European accreditation
Current situation : fragmented, highly dependent on national and European legal frameworks and institutional arrangements, crossing boarders problematic
Study the existing national accreditation procedures in the ERA, identify necessary features and select best practices for those features
Design and initiate an audit of the legal frameworks for research data access in the ERA and analyse the requirements for accreditation to comply with the current legal frameworks
Consult with data providers, service providers, and representatives of the researcher community about preferred accreditation features
Design and launch an ‘ERA Accreditation Standard’ with related guidance and promote and assist the adoption of the standard in the ERA, possibly to be used as a pilot within the DwB project
 Structure and consolidate reliable information on national and European legal frameworks for research data access and provide assistance to researchers
Contribute to the discussions about the Commission regulation

9. Towards a European distributed remote access
Current situation ranging from no access, on site access, remote execution or remote access from researchers’ desk or from certified places
Analyse the key features of ISO27001 and the framework for the design and management of information security standards for Remote Access centres
Define a dynamic and interactive research environment in a Remote Access Centre.
Define a framework for pan-European remote data access requests taking into account:
The management of national data sets in the system
The management of possibly centralized facilities (like a centralized metadata system)
The management of pan-European data access requests;
The management of further support to users (besides the metadata system), whenever this is required.
The evaluation of different models of remote access
Build and implement a pilot (IAB, UKDA/SDS, INSEE/GENES) based on existing Research Data Centres, which may be hosted by NSIs or archives. The network will be expandable into a broader network.  

10. Enhance immediate access to OS
Providing information about OS data (national and European) and access
Making European microdata more usable for researchers : provide routines for format, harmonization, improve metadata, provide translation for questionaries
Training the researchers : 4 days sessions twice a year across the ERA (overview about OS data, training on the use of some European datasets, on census, confidentiality issues)
Enhancing foreign researchers access to national OS (particularly highly detailed microdata) = TNA (transnational access) supporting the researchers for accreditation and enrolment, for travels costs and for access costs. 7 partners for on site access (including on site accreditation and enrolment) and 4 partners for remote access or remote execution. Joint call to be issued.

11. In addition
Contribute to research and methods for achieving the best ratio of utility against disclosure risk (anonymisation, checking outputs …)
Quite important for delimitation of PUF, SUF
Impact on the format (size) of remote access system to confidential data : may become the main access
`Promote remote access in the ERA supporting Archives and NSIs staff visits in the RDC.

12. Where we are ? Positive evaluation of the project
Revision of the proposal
Final negotiation with the EC expected within the next days and start in February/March 2011
A 4 years project with about 6.5 M Euros

13. Conclusion
On-going discussions about these issues for years now both at national and European level
Urgent needs for solutions for PUF, SUF and confidential data at national and European level
Format : Remote access may well become the main access in the future
What is specific to DwB ?
A place for bridging the different communities, stimulating discussions within the partners and outside the project and building the necessary trust and cooperation
A place for moving, proposing standards, discuss possible improvements in the legal frameworks and regulations , providing pilots and promoting them
A wider scope than the WCSC and ESSnet
Challenges
27 partners from different communities
Coordinate strongly with other bodies and initiatives : WGSC, ESSnet, CESSDA Eric process, DASISH …
In particular establish regular relations with the WGSC in order to contribute to discussions on the different