1. Draft EP/Council Regulation on processes, standards and metadata for the exchange and dissemination of European statistics A. Götzfried Head of Unit B5

2. Background
The ESS is based on heterogeneous pieces of legislation reproducing specific statistical business processes = "stove-pipe legislation" based on "stove-pipe statistical production processes".
Heterogeneity of legislation can cause additional costs for the ESS statistical authorities, due to different standards for certain process steps used, e.g. for data transmission.
This situation should be improved with the creation of a new generation of statistical cross-cutting legislation, stimulating the harmonisation and integration of statistical business processes within the ESS (see also the joint ESS vision adopted by the ESSC in 05/2010).
The ESS VIP Program supports the statistical business process integration via the use of standards.

3. Business Statistics (FRIBS)
Accounting Frameworks
Business statistics infrastructure
- statistical unit
- common identifier
- business register
Overall legislative framework
Code of Practice Statistical law Multi annual statistical work programs
Methodological framework
Manual
Data/metadata cross-cutting legislation
Harmonised processes, standards and metadata
Data warehousing
Confidentiality
Classifications
Quality frameworks
Infrastructure legislation
Annual statistical work programs,
etc.
Business Statistics (FRIBS)
Agriculture
Geo-spatial
Environmental
Social Statistics
Soft law
Hard law
- reference manuals, definitions
- sources and methods
- best practices/guidances
Business statistics Infrastructure
Business Data Structures

4. The draft EP/Council Regulation on processes, standards and metadata
After two consultation rounds with Member States the last version of the EP/Council regulation (version 11/2012) had the following characteristics:
The draft EP/Council Regulation establishes technical and statistical standards in the ESS and does not cause direct obligations to use these standards;
Obligations to use the standards will be introduced when these standards are referred to in domain specific legislation (exception Single Entry Point Services);
The business process regulated covers data/metadata exchange and dissemination and does not intervene into the national production processes (on a compulsory basis);
The ESS technical and statistical standards are put into implementing measures;
Flexibility (transitional periods/derogation) is introduced for the use of the Single Entry Point Services, in particular for other national statistical authorities producing European statistics.

5. Draft Commission implementing regulations
We drafted the following implementing measures
(draft Commission Regulations in red):
Implementing measures
Description
Reference metadata
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) on reference metadata for the European Statistical System (ESMS)
Quality related reference metadata
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) on quality related reference metadata for the European Statistical System (ESQRS extended)(probably to be included in the ESMS Regulation)
Technical measure on the exchange standard for aggregate data and reference metadata
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) on the technical standard for the exchange and dissemination of aggregate data and reference metadata

6. Draft Commission implementing measures
The following additional measures could be envisaged:
Implementing measures
Description
Structural metadata
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) on harmonised structural metadata (standard code lists)
Technical measures on the exchange standard for micro-data
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) on the technical standard for the exchange of micro-data
Process related metadata
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) on process related metadata for the European Statistical System

7. Community grants
The national implementation of technical and standards as to be defined in the implementing measures of the draft EP/Council Regulation were supported by Community grants launched in 2012;
10 Member States are supported; duration of the grant support: 24 months; amount granted: 1,25 Mio €;
Main national actions supported: further implementation of the SDMX-RI and of the ESS metadata standards (ESMS, ESQRS);