Eurostat does not work alone. Since the early days of the Community it was realised that decisions on and planning and implementation of Community policies must be based on reliable and comparable statistics. So the European Statistical System (ESS) was built up gradually with the objective of providing comparable statistics at EU level.
 
The ESS is the partnership between the Community statistical authority, which is the Commission (Eurostat), and the national statistical institutes (NSIs) and other national authorities responsible in each Member State for the development, production and dissemination of European statistics. Member States collect data and compile statistics for national and EU purposes. The ESS functions as a network in which Eurostat’s role is to lead the way in the harmonization of statistics in close cooperation with the national statistical authorities. ESS work concentrates mainly on EU policy areas - but, with the extension of EU policies, harmonization has been extended to nearly all statistical fields.
 
The ESS also coordinates its work with EEA/EFTA countries, candidate countries, at European level with other Commission services, agencies and the ECB and international organisations such as OECD, the UN, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

  List of National Statistical Institutes and other national authorities responsible for the development, production and dissemination of European statistics as designated by Member States (update: 9th November 2009)
The list above is published for information only in accordance with Article 5(2) of Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 March 2009 on European statistics (OJ L 87, 31.3.2009, p. 164). It will be updated regularly. Where necessary, the names of the National statistical institutes and other national authorities have been translated into English by Eurostat.

Multiannual Programme

Council Regulation (EC) No 322/97 on Community Statistics provides for the preparation of a Community statistical programme which defines the approaches, the main fields and the objectives of the actions envisaged for a period not exceeding five years. The current programme covers the period 2008-2012. It was established by the Council Decision 1578/2007/EC of 11 December 2007. Each programme is intended to provide an overview of the strategies, priorities and work plans for the period. The five-year programmes are backed up by annual programmes that set more detailed objectives for each year.

 

European Parliament and Council Decision 1578/2007/EC of 11 December 2007

 

Annual Programme 2009

Regulation No. 322/97 on Community Statistics, adopted by the Council on 17 February 1997 and the Communication on the improvement of coordination of statistical work, adopted by the Commission on 21 February 1996 (SEC (96) 253/4 of 15 February 1996), provide for the Commission adoption of an annual statistical work programme. This programme is discussed with the Statistical authorities of the Member States and Commission services concerned. The statistical work programme of the Commission comprises the priorities of the Commission as regards the statistical work for 2009. It relates to the 2008–2012 programme and to the political strategy of the Commission for 2009.

 

Statistical Programme 2009