1. LAMAS Working Group 29 June-1 July 2016
Agenda Item 6.5 Ad hoc requests and confidentiality
Eurostat

2. Background (1/2)
Requests from users to produce tables based on LFS data not available through Eurostat website
2015 = 565 requests = 1310 ad hoc tables
Flagging
flag 'a' = data not publishable because of low reliability
flag 'b' = data should be published only with a warning concerning their reliability
flag 'c' = data based on 3 or fewer responding units in the sample and are not publishable for reliability and confidentiality considerations
Eurostat

3. Background (2/2) Rules: Nevertheless, for very close users:
Users explicitly asked to respect the publication restrictions derived from flags 'a' and 'b'
When rate of flags 'a' and 'b' too high, table not sent to user; data with 'c' flags deleted
Nevertheless, for very close users:
Sometimes deliver extractions where some data with a flag 'c' not deleted and/or rate of flags 'a' and 'b' high
Specific circumstances, data not intended for publication, only for statistical purposes
Rules can be perceived as not standard
Eurostat

4. LAMAS consultation
To make a sound proposal for revision, Eurostat conducted a written consultation of LAMAS in March-April 2016
Focused on the current national practices
Two questions:
What are your standard practices to answer ad hoc requests, in terms of confidentiality rules, level of details provided and/or maximum number of variables crossed ?
Do you have specific rules/practices for ad hoc requests from very close users and/or related to specific statistical purposes ?
Eurostat

5. Results of LAMAS consultation
Standard rules/practices
Countries
No standard rules (avoid to provide data with very low reliability, on a case by case basis)
BG CY LU MT IT LV RO IS NO
Same rules as for publication
BE CZ DK EE LT SI SK
Same rules as for micro-data
EL CH
Removal of cells below a certain threshold of respondents (unweighted)
FR(5), IE(30), SE(40), UK(3)
Removal of cells below a certain threshold for the estimate (weighted) which sometimes corresponds to a fixed coefficient of variation
DE (5000), ES (5000), FI ( CV=±20%), HU, NL (15000), PL (5000), PT (7500 quarterly and 4500 annual estimates - CV=±20%)
Hide values with sample error > 50% AT
Data available only through encrypted CD-ROM, safe room or remote access HR
Eurostat

6. Results of LAMAS consultation
Specific rules/practices
Yes No
coming from very close users
BE CZ EL FI LV MT PT SE SK UK NO
AT BG CY DE DK EE ES FR HR HU IE IT LT LU NL PL RO SI SK CH IS
related to specific statistical purposes
BE DE EL FI NL UK NO
AT BG CY CZ DK EE ES FR HR HU IE IT LT LU LV MT PL PT RO SE SI SK CH IS
Eurostat

7. Results of LAMAS EoV About options put on the table:
Most of countries did not comment
6 countries in favour of option 4 specific rules for specific organisations and specific purposes
2 countries in favour of option 3 specific rules for specific organisations for all purposes
Alternative: specific rules for stat producers with whom Eurostat cooperates in dissemination
Define guidelines (closer users, spec. purposes)
Risk of losing flexibility with option 4
Protocol of impartiality?
Eurostat

8. Proposed next steps
Eurostat will further investigate possibilities in the direction of option 4
Consider Regulation 223
Define guidelines, 'close users', 'specific purposes'
Eurostat

9. LAMAS is invited to:
Take note of the results of the LAMAS consultation and EoV
Agree on the proposed next steps