PURPOSE: to establish a common framework for Community statistics in the field of education and lifelong learning.

LEGISLATIVE ACT: Regulation (EC) No 452/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning the production and development of statistics on education and lifelong learning

CONTENT: the Council adopted a regulation on the production and development of statistics on education and lifelong learning. The Regulation establishes a common framework for the systematic production of Community statistics in these fields. It will apply to the production of statistics in three domains:

education and training systems; the participation of adults in lifelong learning; other statistics on education and lifelong learning, such as statistics on human capital and on the social and economic benefits of education.

Comparable statistics and indicators on education, training and lifelong learning are of increasing importance if the EU is to support the open method of coordination in the area of education and training policy. They are also necessary for policy discussions on human capital, innovation, growth and competitiveness in the framework of employment, research and innovation and economic policies.

When necessary for the production of Community statistics, Member States shall transmit confidential micro-data resulting from sample surveys to the Commission (Eurostat) in accordance with the provisions on the transmission of data subject to confidentiality set out in Regulation (EC) No 322/97 and in Regulation (Euratom, EEC) No 1588/90. Member States shall ensure that the transmitted data do not permit the direct identification of the statistical units (individuals).

Implementing measures will be adopted by the Commission in accordance with the regulatory procedure with scrutiny in certain areas. These include: selecting and specifying the subjects of the statistics, their characteristics in response to policy or technical needs, the breakdown of characteristics, the observation period and deadlines for transmission of results, and the quality requirements including the required precision and the quality reporting framework.

If these measures lead to a requirement for a significant enlargement of existing data collections or for new data collections or surveys, implementing decisions shall be based on a cost-benefit analysis as part of a comprehensive analysis of the effects and implications, taking into account the benefit of the measures, the costs for the Member States and the burden on respondents.

ENTRY INTO FORCE: 24/06/2008.

Regulation 2008/452
OJ L 145 04.06.2008, p. 0227

03659/2007/LEX

SP(2007)5401

Results of vote in Parliament

The European Parliament adopted a legislative resolution based on the report by Nikolaos SIFUNAKIS (PES, EL), and made several amendments to improve and clarify certain aspects of the Commission’s proposal for a regulation concerning the production and development of statistics on education and lifelong learning. The amendments aim to do the following:

- to define “microdata” and “confidential data”, since the proposal did not contain these;

- to specify in Domains 1, 2 and 3 the subjects on which the Member States will collect and transmit statistics;

- to take account of the evolving and changing environment, as policies on education and lifelong learning are formulated, providing for a limited and controlled degree of flexibility in the collection of new statistics;

- to ensure that the development of new statistics and indicators will not impose undue administrative or financial burdens;

- to limit the size of statistical samples at national level to 5000 individuals;

- to propose that the measures required to implement the regulation will be in accordance with the regulatory procedure with scrutiny which allows the European Parliament to object to the proposed measures if it considers that they exceed the implementing powers provided in the regulation, are not in line with its aim or its content or are not consistent with the principles of subsidiarity or proportionality;

- to ensure protection of the personal data of the individuals who contribute statistical information to the research, in accordance with Article 8 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU.

Parliament also provided that:

- where appropriate, data shall be systematically broken down by gender;

- pilot studies shall not necessarily lead to corresponding implementing measures;

- if certain measures lead to the requirement for a significant enlargement of existing data collections or for new data collections or surveys, implementing decisions shall be based on a cost-benefit analysis as part of a comprehensive analysis of the effects and implications, taking into account the benefit of the measures, the costs for the Member States and the burden on respondents;

- if necessary, limited derogations and transition periods for Member States, both to be based upon objective grounds, shall be adopted in accordance with the regulatory procedure with scrutiny.

T6-0400/2007

A6-0307/2007

A6-0307/2007

The Committee on Culture and Education adopted the report drawn up by Nikolaos SIFUNAKIS (PES, EL) and made several amendments to improve and clarify certain aspects of the Commission’s proposal for a regulation concerning the production and development of statistics on education and lifelong learning. The amendments aim to do the following:

to define “microdata” and “confidential data”, since the proposal did not contain these; to specify in Domains 1, 2 and 3 the subjects on which the Member States will collect and transmit statistics; to take account of the evolving and changing environment, as policies on education and lifelong learning are formulated, providing for a limited and controlled degree of flexibility in the collection of new statistics; to ensure that the development of new statistics and indicators will not impose undue administrative or financial burdens; to limit the size of statistical samples at national level to 5000 individuals; to propose that the measures required to implement the regulation will be in accordance with the regulatory procedure with scrutiny which allows the European Parliament to object to the proposed measures if it considers that they exceed the implementing powers provided in the regulation, are not in line with its aim or its content or are not consistent with the principles of subsidiarity or proportionality; to ensure protection of the personal data of the individuals who contribute statistical information to the research, in accordance with Article 8 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU.

The Committee provided also that:

where appropriate, data shall be systematically broken down by gender; pilot studies shall not necessarily lead to corresponding implementing measures; if certain measures lead to the requirement for a significant enlargement of existing data collections or for new data collections or surveys, implementing decisions shall be based on a cost-benefit analysis as part of a comprehensive analysis of the effects and implications, taking into account the benefit of the measures, the costs for the Member States and the burden on respondents; if necessary, limited derogations and transition periods for Member States, both to be based upon objective grounds, shall be adopted in accordance with the regulatory procedure with scrutiny.

PE392.161

PE390.388

PE380.635

PE371.755

PURPOSE: to establish a common framework for the systematic production of Community statistics in the field of education and lifelong learning.

PROPOSED ACT: Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council.

BACKGROUND: in the general context of the re-launching of the Lisbon Strategy and the optimisation of human capital, it is necessary to have comparable statistics and indicators on education, training and lifelong learning. These are of increasing importance for the European Union to support the open method of coordination in the area of education and training policy

They are also necessary for policy discussions on human capital, innovation, growth and competitiveness in the framework of employment, research and innovation and economic policies. Education and training statistics were developed in the past decade based on the agreement of countries to work in the area (gentlemen's agreement) as a response to the Council Resolution (see OJ 94/C 374/02) on the promotion of education and training statistics in the EU. However, since the Lisbon European Council the demand is increasing and both Member States and the Commission acknowledge the need to specify and formalise the request in the form of a legal basis in order to be able to plan the resources necessary to achieve quality improvements and to carry out new surveys if necessary.

CONTENT: the intention of this proposal is to establish the framework for all the current and foreseeable activities in the field of lifelong learning statistics, with the exception of vocational training in enterprises (covering the survey CVTS), for which a European Parliament and Council regulation is about to be adopted.

In particular, the actions include methodological developments, bearing in mind the importance of the formulation of a framework of coherent concepts and comparable measures, specific data collections, in particular on education systems and on adult learning as well as the general objectives of improvement of quality and dissemination of education data. The intention is to establish the legal basis for a sustainable system of production of data on education to underpin policy discussions in different areas at the EU level.

The Regulation will apply to the production of statistics in three domains:

- Domain 1 will cover statistics on education and training systems;

- Domain 2 will cover statistics on participation of adults in lifelong learning;

- Domain 3 will cover other statistics on education and lifelong learning, such as statistics on human capital, social and economic benefits of education, not covered by Domains 1 and 2.

The regulation will establish a well defined framework for the production of Community education and lifelong learning statistics and in this way facilitate the availability, planning and more efficient use of resources both at the Community and at other levels involved (national, regional, local).

Whenever possible, the Commission (Eurostat) shall seek cooperation with the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) and other international organisations with a view to ensuring international comparability of data and to avoid duplication of efforts, in particular as regards the development and improvements of statistical concepts and methods and the delivery of statistics by the Member States.

COM(2005)0625
EUR-Lex

PURPOSE: to establish a common framework for the systematic production of Community statistics in the field of education and lifelong learning.

PROPOSED ACT: Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council.

BACKGROUND: in the general context of the re-launching of the Lisbon Strategy and the optimisation of human capital, it is necessary to have comparable statistics and indicators on education, training and lifelong learning. These are of increasing importance for the European Union to support the open method of coordination in the area of education and training policy

They are also necessary for policy discussions on human capital, innovation, growth and competitiveness in the framework of employment, research and innovation and economic policies. Education and training statistics were developed in the past decade based on the agreement of countries to work in the area (gentlemen's agreement) as a response to the Council Resolution (see OJ 94/C 374/02) on the promotion of education and training statistics in the EU. However, since the Lisbon European Council the demand is increasing and both Member States and the Commission acknowledge the need to specify and formalise the request in the form of a legal basis in order to be able to plan the resources necessary to achieve quality improvements and to carry out new surveys if necessary.

CONTENT: the intention of this proposal is to establish the framework for all the current and foreseeable activities in the field of lifelong learning statistics, with the exception of vocational training in enterprises (covering the survey CVTS), for which a European Parliament and Council regulation is about to be adopted.

In particular, the actions include methodological developments, bearing in mind the importance of the formulation of a framework of coherent concepts and comparable measures, specific data collections, in particular on education systems and on adult learning as well as the general objectives of improvement of quality and dissemination of education data. The intention is to establish the legal basis for a sustainable system of production of data on education to underpin policy discussions in different areas at the EU level.

The Regulation will apply to the production of statistics in three domains:

- Domain 1 will cover statistics on education and training systems;

- Domain 2 will cover statistics on participation of adults in lifelong learning;

- Domain 3 will cover other statistics on education and lifelong learning, such as statistics on human capital, social and economic benefits of education, not covered by Domains 1 and 2.

The regulation will establish a well defined framework for the production of Community education and lifelong learning statistics and in this way facilitate the availability, planning and more efficient use of resources both at the Community and at other levels involved (national, regional, local).

Whenever possible, the Commission (Eurostat) shall seek cooperation with the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) and other international organisations with a view to ensuring international comparability of data and to avoid duplication of efforts, in particular as regards the development and improvements of statistical concepts and methods and the delivery of statistics by the Member States.

COM(2005)0625
EUR-Lex