Extending the 2013-2017 European statistical programme for the 2018-2020 period

Key points:

The EESC

• endorses and supports the Commission's proposal to extend the current European statistical programme (ESP) to cover the 2018-2020 period and welcomes the preferred policy option chosen by the Commission;
• considers that improving existing products and developing new ones is necessary to measure the EU's progress on the UN sustainable development strategy;
• urges the Commission to foster statistical research for measuring the economic value of volunteering;
• considers that the new statistical products proposed by the Commission measuring globalisation should include statistical surveys measuring its positive or negative effects on the single market;
• recommends that shortcomings in statistical surveys on migration and asylum be identified swiftly and redressed;
• endorses the Commission proposal to begin exploratory work on a future EU social survey;
• also recommends that Member States step up investment in developing the European Statistical System (ESS) and calls for Eurostat as well as national statistical institutions to have the best possible human, financial and IT resources, while such actions must not result in an excessive increase in the administrative burden on data providers, households or businesses.