Q¨
UESTII ´
O, ol. 21, 1 i 2, p. 219-220, 1997
CONFIDENTIALITY IN THE EUROPEAN
STATISTICAL SYSTEM
PHOTIS NANOPOULOS
Eu os a
Con iden iali y and da a p o ec ion a e he coun e pa s o he obliga ion o es-
ponse and he co ne s one o con idence building be ween he na ional s a is ical
se ices and he esponden s. On his common p inciple he a ious na ional s a is i-
cal sys ems among he 15 (and o he ) Eu opean s a es ha e been es ablished.
The e is a g ea conce n a na ional and in e na ional le el on s a is ical con iden-
iali y. The espec o p i acy has led na ional au ho i ies o de elop ad-hoc legisla ion
which, in e alia, p e en s na ional s a is ical ins i u es ansmi ing con iden ial da a
o Eu os a . The e ec on he quali y and comple eness o Eu opean s a is ics has
been disas ous. Because o his impo an p oblem Eu os a unde ook a se ies o
ac ions some o which a e as ollowed:
In he legal amewo k, a egula ion was p oposed o he Council o he Union
which se s ou he condi ions o da a ansmission om na ional adminis a ions o
Eu os a . The egula ion was adop ed in 1990. On he 17 h Feb ua y 1997 he Council
app o ed a new egula ion which comple es and enla ges ha p e iously on s a is ical
con iden iali y.
Eu os a launched in pa allel in e na ional semina s on con iden iali y which b ough
oge he s a is icians, academics and o he o icials and se he miles ones o in e na-
ional co-ope a ion in ha a ea. The i s semina was o ganised in 1992 in Dublin in
co-ope a ion wi h he ISI (In e na ional S a is ical Ins i u e). The nex one was held
in 1994 in Luxembou g and his hi d in Slo enia in Oc obe 1996.
*Pho is Nanopoulos. Di ec ion A: Sys `emes d’in o ma ion s a is ique; eche che e analyse des donn´ees;
coop´e a ion echnique a ec les pays Pha e e Tacis. Eu os a . L-2920 Luxembou g.
–A icle ebu l’oc ub e de 1996.
–Accep a el eb e de 1997.
219
Me hodological wo k also was encou aged. Th ough he ou h Eu opean a-
mewo k p og am on esea ch and de elopmen , inancial suppo was gi en o a
mul ina ional eam o he de elopmen o a so wa e o con ol s a is ical disclosu e
o bo h mic o and abula da a (Waal, Willenbo g, 1995).
Eu os a made an in en o y o exis ing me hods and s a ed in 93 o explo e new
echniques in he subjec o he mic oagg ega ion.
The e o s in his di ec ion will con inue in a mo e in ensi e way. I is plan-
ned o launch o he p ojec s o he s a is ical disclosu e con ol, especially in he
ield o mic oagg ega ion, o explo e cogni i e aspec s o con iden iali y and gene a-
lly o p omo e esea ch aimed a pe mi ing access o he da a wi hou jeopa dising
con iden iali y.
220