What changed

DRAFT EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION

on the proposalCouncil forposition 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

(COM(2023)0031(09858/1/2025 – C90010/2023C10-0230/2025 – 2023/0008(COD))

(Ordinary legislative procedure: firstsecond reading)

The European Parliament,

– having regard to the CommissionCouncil proposalposition toat Parliamentfirst andreading the(09858/1/2025 Council– (COM(2023)0031),C100230/2025),

– having regard to Article 294(2) and Article 338(1) of the Treaty on the Functioningopinion of the European Union, pursuant to which theEconomic Commissionand submittedSocial theCommittee proposalof to27 ParliamentApril (C90010/2023),2023,

– having regard to Article 294(3) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

– after consulting the Committee of the Regions,

– having regard to Rule 59 of its Rules of Procedure,

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

– having regard to theArticle opinions294(7) of the CommitteeTreaty on Civil Liberties, Justice and Homethe AffairsFunctioning andof the Committee on RegionalEuropean Development,Union,

– having regard to the reportprovisional ofagreement approved by the Committeecommittee onresponsible Employmentunder andRule Social75(4) Affairsof (A9-0284/2023),its Rules of Procedure,

Adopts its position at first reading hereinafter set out;

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

Calls on the Commission to refer the matter to Parliament again if it replaces, substantially amends or intends to substantially amend its proposal;

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

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

1. Approves the Council position at first reading;

Amendment 1

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

Proposal for a regulation

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;

Recital 1

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;

Amendment 2

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

Proposal for a regulation

Recital 6

Amendment 3

Proposal for a regulation

Recital 7

Amendment 4

Proposal for a regulation

Recital 7 a (new)

Amendment 5

Proposal for a regulation

Recital 9

Amendment 6

Proposal for a regulation

Recital 9 a (new)

Amendment 7

Proposal for a regulation

Recital 11

Amendment 8

Proposal for a regulation

Recital 13

Amendment 9

Proposal for a regulation

Recital 17

Amendment 10

Proposal for a regulation

Recital 19

Amendment 11

Proposal for a regulation

Recital 20

Amendment 12

Proposal for a regulation

Recital 23

Amendment 13

Proposal for a regulation

Recital 23 a (new)

Amendment 14

Proposal for a regulation

Recital 26

Amendment 15

Proposal for a regulation

Recital 26 a (new)

Amendment 16

Proposal for a regulation

Recital 26 b (new)

Amendment 17

Proposal for a regulation

Recital 29

Amendment 18

Proposal for a regulation

Recital 30

Amendment 19

Proposal for a regulation

Recital 32

Amendment 20

Proposal for a regulation

Recital 33

Amendment 21

Proposal for a regulation

Recital 34

Amendment 22

Proposal for a regulation

Recital 35

Amendment 23

Proposal for a regulation

Recital 35 a (new)

Amendment 24

Proposal for a regulation

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

Amendment 25

Proposal for a regulation

Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 10

Amendment 26

Proposal for a regulation

Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 12

Amendment 27

Proposal for a regulation

Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 12 a (new)

Amendment 28

Proposal for a regulation

Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 13

Amendment 29

Proposal for a regulation

Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point e

Amendment 30

Proposal for a regulation

Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point c

Amendment 31

Proposal for a regulation

Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point c a (new)

Amendment 32

Proposal for a regulation

Article 5 – paragraph 2

Amendment 33

Proposal for a regulation

Article 7 – paragraph 2

Amendment 34

Proposal for a regulation

Article 8 – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 2

Amendment 35

Proposal for a regulation

Article 9 – paragraph 1 – introductory part

Amendment 36

Proposal for a regulation

Article 9 – paragraph 4

Amendment 37

Proposal for a regulation

Article 9 – paragraph 5

Amendment 38

Proposal for a regulation

Article 12 – paragraph 2 – point e

Amendment 39

Proposal for a regulation

Article 12 – paragraph 2 – point f

Amendment 40

Proposal for a regulation

Article 12 – paragraph 4 – subparagraph 1 a (new)

Amendment 41

Proposal for a regulation

Article 12 – paragraph 5

Amendment 42

Proposal for a regulation

Article 12 – paragraph 6

Amendment 43

Proposal for a regulation

Article 13 – paragraph 2

Amendment 44

Proposal for a regulation

Article 13 – paragraph 3 – point b

Amendment 45

Proposal for a regulation

Article 13 – paragraph 3 – point b a (new)

Amendment 46

Proposal for a regulation

Article 14 – paragraph 1 – point d

Amendment 47

Proposal for a regulation

Article 14 – paragraph 2

Amendment 48

Proposal for a regulation

Article 15 – paragraph 1 – introductory part

Amendment 49

Proposal for a regulation

Article 15 – paragraph 1 – point a

Amendment 50

Proposal for a regulation

Article 15 – paragraph 1 a (new)

Amendment 51

Proposal for a regulation

Article 17 – paragraph 4

Amendment 52

Proposal for a regulation

Article 19 – paragraph 1

Amendment 53

Proposal for a regulation

Article 19 – paragraph 1 a (new)

Amendment 54

Proposal for a regulation

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

Regulation (EC) No 862/2007

Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point d

Amendment 55

Proposal for a regulation

Annex I – Table 1

MINORITY POSITION

pursuant to Rule 55(4) of the Rules of Procedure

Sandra Pereira

We understand that the structures, specific features and levels of development of national statistical systems vary between Member States. Harmonisation of the concept of population base relating to periods of residence and signs of life, which this position maintains, could accordingly have a disproportionately adverse impact on certain Member States, especially those using administrative sources. Moreover, it is the responsibility of the Member States to decide how their statistical data and population records are kept and this should continue to be the case.

In view of the undeniable need to increase technical and human resources at the national statistical institutes of some Member States, such as Portugal, we also believe that the reporting interval set in this Regulation would put a disproportionate burden on institutions, some of which would not be in a position to carry through on those reporting obligations.

We believe that the final text did not include adequate safeguards regarding data privacy and protection, particularly because the text includes digital traces in its definition of signs of life and allows for the use of the Internet of Things.

31.5.2023

OPINION OF THE COMMITTEE ON REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT

for the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs

on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on statistics on population and housing, amending Regulation (EC) No 862/2007 and repealing Regulations (EC) No 763/2008 and No 1260/2013

(COM(2023)0031 – C90010/2023 – 2023/0008(COD))

Rapporteur for opinion: Younous Omarjee

(Simplified procedure – Rule 52(2) and (3) of the Rules of Procedure)

SHORT JUSTIFICATION

The Committee on Regional Development (hereinafter the REGI committee) decided to draft an opinion on the proposal for a Regulation 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. On the basis of Article 338 in its opinion, the REGI committee supports the ambition of the Commission’s proposal for the coherence of national statistics on population and housing. Statistics are a key tool for the construction of the Union’s public policies and in particular for the Structural Funds. In order to strengthen its economic, social and territorial cohesion, the Union must have up-to-date, reliable and harmonised statistics.

The report focuses on hard-to-reach populations and takes better account of geographical realities that have an impact on the construction of cohesion policy. The REGI committee gives great importance to the collection of statistical data on vulnerable populations and marginalised communities as well as on informal housing within the Union. In accordance with Article 175 and on the basis of Articles 174 and 349 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), the European Commission is to submit to the European Parliament a detailed report on regional and local data taking into account the different territorial types such as regions with an industrial transition and regions with severe and permanent natural or demographic handicaps such as the northernmost regions with very low population density, islands, cross-border, mountainous and outermost regions. Co-legislators must have a relevant level of statistical detail in order to meet the objectives of cohesion policy to reduce disparities. Furthermore, in the context of the post-COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine and rising energy costs for households, as well as the new requirements of the European Green Deal, statistics need to find a uniform framework at European level to clearly reflect these new changes in populations and housing. In addition, there is a need for up-to-date and harmonised data on housing in order to best assess the energy capacity and various costs that may affect the population.

Finally, the European Parliament intends to work closely with the European Commission, Eurostat, the Member States and the national statistics institutions to include new provisions on statistics with a view to legislating on the future of cohesion policy.

AMENDMENTS

The Committee on Regional Development calls on the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs, as the committee responsible, to take the following into account:

Amendment 1

Proposal for a regulation

Recital 7

Amendment 2

Proposal for a regulation

Recital 10

Amendment 3

Proposal for a regulation

Recital 30

Amendment 4

Proposal for a regulation

Recital 34

Amendment 5

Proposal for a regulation

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

Justification

A definition for hard-to-reach groups is necessary to clarify the groups that Member States have to pay attention to under Art. 12(2).

Amendment 6

Proposal for a regulation

Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 10

Justification

We suggest that the definition which has to date been used in censuses be retained, as it is clearer. Besides this, the definition proposed would exclude collective households living in conventional dwellings from numbering among such conventional dwellings.

Amendment 7

Proposal for a regulation

Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 12

Justification

We suggest that the words ‘other specific resources’ be deleted from the definition. This concept is far too broad and could be interpreted in a variety of ways.

Amendment 8

Proposal for a regulation

Article 8 – paragraph 2 – point a

Amendment 9

Proposal for a regulation

Article 8 – paragraph 2 – point b

Amendment 10

Proposal for a regulation

Article 8 – paragraph 2 – point c

Amendment 11

Proposal for a regulation

Article 9 – paragraph 3

Amendment 12

Proposal for a regulation

Article 10 – paragraph 1

Amendment 13

Proposal for a regulation

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

Justification

This amendment will ensure legal consistency.

Amendment 14

Proposal for a regulation

Annex 1 – paragraph 1

PROCEDURE – COMMITTEE ASKED FOR OPINION

19.7.2023

OPINION OF THE COMMITTEE ON CIVIL LIBERTIES, JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS

for the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs

on the proposal for 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

(COM(2023)0031 – C90010/2023 – 2023/0008(COD))

Rapporteur for opinion: Yana Toom

(*) Associated committee – Rule 57 of the Rules of Procedure

SHORT JUSTIFICATION

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

ANNEX: DECLARATION OF INPUT

AMENDMENTS

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:

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:

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

Amendment 1

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.

Proposal for a regulation

Recital 6

Amendment 2

Proposal for a regulation

Recital 20

Amendment 3

Proposal for a regulation

Recital 23

Amendment 4

Proposal for a regulation

Recital 29

Amendment 5

Proposal for a regulation

Recital 30

Amendment 6

Proposal for a regulation

Recital 30 a (new)

Amendment 7

Proposal for a regulation

Recital 33

Amendment 8

Proposal for a regulation

Recital 35

Amendment 9

Proposal for a regulation

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

Amendment 10

Proposal for a regulation

Article 9 – paragraph 5 a (new)

Amendment 11

Proposal for a regulation

Article 12 – paragraph 2 – point f

Amendment 12

Proposal for a regulation

Article 13 – paragraph 3 – point b

Amendment 13

Proposal for a regulation

Article 14 – paragraph 1 – point d

Amendment 14

Proposal for a regulation

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

Regulation (EC) No 862/2007

Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point d

PROCEDURE – COMMITTEE ASKED FOR OPINION

FINAL VOTE BY ROLL CALL IN COMMITTEE ASKED FOR OPINION

PROCEDURE – COMMITTEE RESPONSIBLE

FINAL VOTE BY ROLL CALL INBY THE COMMITTEE RESPONSIBLE