What changed

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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

Amendment 1

Proposal for a regulation

Recital 67

Amendment 2

Proposal for a regulation

Recital 2010

Amendment 3

Proposal for a regulation

Recital 2330

Amendment 4

Proposal for a regulation

Recital 2934

Amendment 5

Proposal for a regulation

Recital 30

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

Recital 30 a (new)

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

Recital 33

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

Recital 35

Article 8 – paragraph 2 – point a

Amendment 9

Proposal for a regulation

Article 28 – paragraph 12 – point 8 a (new)b

Amendment 10

Proposal for a regulation

Article 98 – paragraph 52 a– (new)point c

Amendment 11

Proposal for a regulation

Article 129 – paragraph 2 – point f3

Amendment 12

Proposal for a regulation

Article 1310 – paragraph 3 – point b1

Amendment 13

Proposal for a regulation

Article 1420 – paragraph 1 – point d3 a (new)

Justification

This amendment will ensure legal consistency.

Amendment 14

Proposal for a regulation

ArticleAnnex 201 – paragraph 1 – point 3 a (new)

Regulation (EC) No 862/2007

Amendment

Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point d

PROCEDURE – COMMITTEE ASKED FOR OPINION

FINAL VOTE BY ROLL CALL IN COMMITTEE ASKED FOR OPINION