O-0024/2007

Oral Question O-0024/2007 :

"The quality of data transmitted by Member States to Eurostat is vital for the correct functioning of the European Union, especially for Monetary Union and its budgetary surveillance system as well as the convergence criteria when evaluating possible enlargements of the euro area.

Several high profile cases of false or erroneous data transmissions happened recently. They come in addition to a large number of smaller corrections to transmitted data which are being made on a regular basis by most Member States.

What is the Commission's assessment of these occurrences? Is the Commission confident enough about the overall quality of data it receives? How does the Commission check the plausibility of data received? Is the Commission checking its data against other sources of information such as the IMF and the OECD, but also economic forecast institutions and rating agencies? Is the Commission aware of a possible credibility problem for itself, its policies, and the European Union in general?

Does the Commission consider it did all it could possibly do, or are further powers and/or resources to be given to the Commission to properly carry out its tasks?"

------

See also the legislative resolution of 12 July 2007 on the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council on the Community Statistical Programme 2008 to 2012 (2006/0229(COD)) - P6_TA-PROV(2007)0341 .

Debate in Parliament

B6-0123/2007