What changed

DRAFT EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION

on the Council position at first reading with a view to the adoption of a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on European statistics on population and housing, amending Regulation (EC) No 862/2007 and repealing Regulations (EC) No 763/2008 and (EU) No 1260/2013

(09858/1/2025 – C10-0230/2025 – 2023/0008(COD))

(Ordinary legislative procedure: second reading)

The European Parliament,

– having regard to the Council position at first reading (09858/1/2025 – C100230/2025),

– having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee of 27 April 2023,

– after consulting the Committee of the Regions,

– having regard to its position at first reading on the Commission proposal to Parliament and the Council (COM(2023)0031),

– having regard to Article 294(7) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

– having regard to the provisional agreement approved by the committee responsible under Rule 75(4) of its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to Rule 68 of its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the recommendation for second reading of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (A10-0207/2025),

1. Approves the Council position at first reading;

2. Notes that the act is adopted in accordance with the Council position;

3. Instructs its President to sign the act with the President of the Council, in accordance with Article 297(1) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union;

4. Instructs its Secretary-General to sign the act, once it has been verified that all the procedures have been duly completed, and, in agreement with the Secretary-General of the Council, to arrange for its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union;

5. Instructs its President to forward its position to the Council, the Commission and the national parliaments.

SHORT JUSTIFICATION

The Council position at first reading reflects the agreement reached between Parliament and the Council in interinstitutional negotiations at early second-reading stage, after legal-linguistic verification.

Statistics play an important role in the European lawmaking process. Statistics are often the inspiration for new laws by bringing to light problems or helping us identify areas that need regulatory action. Our evidence-based approach to legislating then turns to data for evaluating the appropriate solutions or for reviewing the effectiveness of legislation. All of this work is reliant on the accuracy of the numbers used. That is why we have to make sure that the statistics we collect are correct and comparable across the EU. For this purpose, the rapporteur supports the establishment of a framework that brings together the relevant provisions for the preparation and sharing of statistics on population and housing.

Since the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL), with its vote on 5 June 2025, already confirmed the outcome of those interinstitutional negotiations, as your rapporteur I propose that EMPL recommends that the Plenary confirms the position of the Council at first reading, without amending it.

Very often, it is the missing pieces of information that also have the most profound impact. With statistics on population and housing, we know that we have difficulties collecting data about those that are in vulnerable situations, such as minorities, homeless people or people with disabilities. While a new framework for harmonised European statistics is welcome, we must strive to improve coverage of hard-to-reach groups in the collection of statistics. The framework that we set in place now needs to not only allow for the collection of data for vulnerable groups but also needs to set a high level of ambition for collecting data on those that have traditionally been left out by statistics.

ANNEX: DECLARATION OF INPUT

The Commission proposes to use new data sources as a response to growing trends in the past year of switching from direct population enumerating to fully register-based censuses. Just as the methods used for collecting data have evolved over time, we should expect that new techniques will appear in the future. The rapporteur welcomes that the framework for European statistics enables novel approaches to preparing statistics and encourages experimentation with new techniques. At the same time, the production of statistics, especially stemming from novel methods or sources, involves the use of personal data. It is of utmost importance that the rights of individuals are protected and that the collection of statistics operates in full respect of the established EU data protection legislation.

Pursuant to Article 8 of Annex I to the Rules of Procedure, the rapporteur declares that she included in her report input on matters pertaining to the subject of the file that she received, in the preparation of the report, prior to the adoption thereof in committee, from the following interest representatives falling within the scope of the Interinstitutional Agreement on a mandatory transparency register, or from the following representatives of public authorities of third countries, including their diplomatic missions and embassies:

AMENDMENT

The list above is drawn up under the exclusive responsibility of the rapporteur.

The Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs calls on the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs, as the committee responsible, to take into account the following amendments:

Where natural persons are identified in the list by their name, by their function or by both, the rapporteur declares that she has submitted to the natural persons concerned the European Parliament's Data Protection Notice No 484 (https://www.europarl.europa.eu/data-protect/index.do), which sets out the conditions applicable to the processing of their personal data and the rights linked to that processing.

Amendment 1

PROCEDURE – COMMITTEE RESPONSIBLE

Proposal for a regulation

FINAL VOTE BY ROLL CALL BY THE COMMITTEE RESPONSIBLE

Recital 23

Or. en

Amendment 2

Proposal for a regulation

Recital 30

Or. en

Amendment 3

Proposal for a regulation

Recital 33

Or. en

Amendment 4

Proposal for a regulation

Recital 35

Or. en

Amendment 5

Proposal for a regulation

Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 8 a (new)

Or. en

Amendment 6

Proposal for a regulation

Article 9 – paragraph 5 a (new)

Or. en

Amendment 7

Proposal for a regulation

Article 13 – paragraph 3 – point b

Or. en

Amendment 8

Proposal for a regulation

Article 20 – paragraph 1 – point 3 a (new)

Regulation (EC) No 862/2007

Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point d

Or. en