Eurostat

European statistics after 2020

Gorja Bartsch

Eurostat A2: Strategy and Planning

EMOS Open Days

25-26 January 2018

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Outline

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1. The European Statistical System today

2. Statistics in a changing world

3. A common vision for European statistics

4. Next steps

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Outline

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1. The European Statistical System today

2. Statistics in a changing world

3. A common vision for European statistics

4. Next steps

Source: ESS report 2015

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Focus on quality

Reputation among users

Strong legal and institutional setup

Key player and standard-setter in the international statistical community

Harmonised concepts and standardised classifications

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Timeliness of data

Declining response rates

Limited flexibility

Decline of resources

Heterogeneity of the ESS partners

EU vs national interests

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Outline

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1. The European Statistical System today

2. Statistics in a changing world

3. A common vision for European statistics

4. Next steps

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Traditional metrics are challenged

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New economic activities

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Societal phenomena increasingly hard to capture

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Data revolution

11 Source: https://opentechdiary.wordpress.com/tag/internet-of-things/

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"Post-truth" tendencies

Source: Der Spiegel (Getty Images)

Source: Washington Post

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Fast changing data uses and user needs

• Social media (user profiles shifting to non-experts)

• Importance of ordinary citizen's statistical literacy is growing

• Line between statistics and analysis becomes blurred

• Users' attitude to data quality also seems to have changed (timeliness vs accuracy)

• Need to find ways to better promote its value as "hard evidence" for fact-checking and knowledge building

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Debate on the future of Europe

• Social Dimension

• Harnessing Globalisation

• Deepening the Economic and Monetary Union

• Future of European defence

• Future of EU finances

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Outline

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1. The European Statistical System today

2. Statistics in a changing world

3. A common vision for European statistics

4. Next steps

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A common vision for European statistics

"We aspire for the ESS to remain the leading provider of reliable quantitative information on European societies (…)"

Strategic priorities:

1. Satisfied users

2. Suitable capabilities

3. Effective partnerships

Adopted by the Presidents and Directors-General of the ESS in Luxembourg on 16 November 2017

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Satisfied users

Ambition: Ensure that European statistics reach all relevant users and respond to their needs.

Further developing statistics to measure emerging phenomena in our societies, which in some cases are not well captured today, such as:

• Migration, inequality, ageing population, unpaid and atypical work, well-being

• Environmental and energy issues, circular economy

• Globalisation, digital markets, sharing economy

• Other issues relevant for future EU policies

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Satisfied users (continued)

• Quality-related improvements driven by user needs • Timeliness, granularity, comparability

• Better communication of European statistics • Aligning statistical products and communication methods with

user needs, level of knowledge and skills

• Moving from data to information and knowledge,

• Supporting fact-checking, thus contributing to the importance of trusted data and restoring the standing of facts

• Stronger user capabilities, increase statistical literacy

• Promotion of the value of European statistics

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Example: reaching out to new user groups

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Infographic on Young Europeans

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Suitable capabilities

Ambition: The production of European statistics is based on making best use of available resources and reaping the benefits offered by modern technologies.

• Our most valuable asset: professional staff!

• EMOS, European Statistical Training Programme

• Making the best of the data revolution

• Data protection leadership

• Development of new methods for producing statistics

• Commitment to quality

• Best use of resources

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Example: Big Data and Smart Statistics

In Smart Statistics, data capturing, processing and analysis is embedded in the system itself, starting with the digital footprints of the activity

Mobile phone network data obtained by the Slovenian statistical office indicating day-and night-time population in Ljubljana

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Effective partnerships

Ambition: Close collaboration between ESS partners and successful strategic cooperation with all relevant external parties to enable constant enhancement of European statistics.

• Enhancing cooperation in the ESS through new formats and ways of working

• Exploiting synergies, sharing of generic tools, pooling of IT resources

• Intensified exchange with research and academia, but also media

• Establish closer relations with the private sector, e.g. for data sharing

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Outline

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1. The European Statistical System today

2. Statistics in a changing world

3. A common vision for European statistics

4. Next steps

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Next steps

• Stakeholder consultations on the future European Statistical Programme ongoing

• Open public consultation until 8 March

• Eurostat elaborates detailed objectives and legislative proposal

• Commission proposal on the post-2020 European Statistical Programme to be adopted in May 2018

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Thank you

gorja.bartsch@ec.europa.eu