S IGMA 2/2002 Contents 1 ▲ Page 5: Romano Prodi – affirming the huge importance of statistics for democracy ▲ Page 34: Carmen Alcaide Guindo – creating a European identity ▲ ▲ Page 22: Ruud van Noort – reinforcing dialogue with policy-makers Page 38: ▲ Pedro Solbes: high-quality statistics do not come cheap! ▲ ▲ Page 13: Svein Longva on balancing the weights of different user groups ▲ Page 34: Adelheid Bürgi-Schmelz – for more synergies within the ESS SIGMA COMMENT What about politicians' LOOKING EASTWARDS – numeracy skills ?! ............................ 20 our series of profiles on the One goal, one vision ........................ 2 … asks John Morley of the Commission's statistical offices of the Eurostat Director-General Yves Franchet DG Employment Candidate Countries continues opens the issue with Slovenia and Hungary All together now for a statistical SIGMA THEME authority ............................................ 22 Like an early-morning cockerel .. 39 Ruud van Noort, Director-General of Toma Banovec, Director of Slovenia’s THE FUTURE OF THE ESS Statistics Netherlands, pleads for a better CSO, tells Sigma's Glen Campbell how recognition of the ESS he did some vigorous boat-rocking Figures we can trust ........................ 5 Commission President Romano Prodi Showcasing 'Statistics Europe' ...... 25 We want to be among the best .. 43 shares his vision of statistics Eurostat Director Daniel Byk on a com- Tamás Mellár, President of Hungary’s mon dissemination strategy CSO, shares his ambitious goals with Getting European statistics out first 6 Sigma's Barbara Jakob Len Cook, Director of the ONS, advo- Now, that's edutainment ................ 28 cates a re-balancing of interests Pedro Campos of INE Portugal shows FOCUS ON MEMBER STATES that statistics can be fun 'Europe First' for what? .................... 8 The world of statistics meets in Paul Champsaur, Director-General of ESS rethink: a puzzle for 25 or Berlin .................................................. 47 INSEE, takes a pragmatic approach more players .................................... 30 Berlin provides the stage for the 2003 Tamás Mellár, Director-General of KSH ISI world congress Eurostat is half way there .............. 11 Hungary, acts as the mouthpiece for the Swaha Pattanaik of Reuters rates Candidate Countries FOCUS ON EUROSTAT European statistics Statistics open the road for A new dawn breaks for social Svein Longva, Director-General of enlargement ...................................... 32 statistics.............................................. 50 Statistics Norway, claims: DG Enlargement's Maurice Guyader on Eurostat's Paloma Seoane on the "Make the public our boss"............ 13 the crucial role of statistics in the enlarge- change from ECHP to SILC ment process Researchers, come in, please ........ 16 Happy birthday, Eurostat ............ 52 Introducing a Destatis project, which pro- The microphone is yours ................ 34 Eurostat gets ready to celebrate vides the scientific community with access Highlights from the roundtable discussion 50 years of European statistics to statistics Palermo mutates Citizens first ! .................................... 18 into an action plan.......................... 36 Joachim Lamel, Vice-Chairman of the Yves Franchet, Luigi Biggeri and CEIES, promotes a pact with the citizens Commissioner Pedro Solbes with some closing thoughts Editorial S IGMA 2/2002 2 One goal, one vision he European Statistical sion-making, accountability, making. The creation of a applying subsidiarity, the prin- TSystem finds itself at a transparency and so forth. common dissemination plat- ciple needs to be seen as aim- major crossroads. With the form has a central role to ing at more efficiency, per- imminence of enlargement, For the public, a strong legal play in this strategy (see the formance and quality, as put- new governance principles foundation also provides an contribution from Daniel Byk). ting all our efforts together into are beginning to take root indicator of our credibility and a European action. that will shape the Union’s quality, and also puts our inde- Catering better for users fundamental texts and struc- pendence into black and By benchmarking national sys- tures of governance. The time white. These ideas are taken New Governance is, indeed, tems to determine the strengths is therefore ripe to set about up by Ruud Van Noort in his also about responding to citi- and weaknesses of the appli- constructing a new model for contribution on the ESS’s quest zens’ needs because they cation of subsidiarity, the ESS the ESS to enable it to play to become a ‘statistical auth- should know what Europe is will be able to evaluate the its full part in an enlarged ority’. all about in statistical terms. application of the subsidiarity Europe. In fact, enlargement This is why the ESS needs to principle and suggest areas provides us all with an Greater visibility reformulate its mission state- where reversing it and sharing opportunity to stand back ment to make clear that it common tasks, eg. by setting and look at ourselves and Connected with the absent caters for all users with legit- up centres of excellence, could prepare for tomorrow. legal basis, the ESS currently imate needs, is open to all lead to greater efficiency. suffers from a lack of political administrative levels, cares A stronger legal visibility and difficulties to about quality and defends Europe first: foundation lead a discussion on the the principles laid down in a win-win situation major statistical objectives the treaties. The ESS has shown itself to be for the future, and implement The needs of the financial capable of rising to a number the decisions, which follow. But the ESS also needs to markets and the ECB have of challenges, if not moving develop an integrated underlined the fact that in mountains over the last 50 Although the CEIES (Euro- approach in managing rela- several areas European sta- years. Look at the de facto pean Advisory Committee on tions with users and cus- tistics are more relevant than European Statistical System Statistical Information in the tomers, and adopt a common national ones, which is why, that has been set up in Economic and Social Spher- approach to statistics as a for improving quality and Europe, the work on method- es) has provided an interface public good, generally free timeliness, it would be bene- ology and harmonisation, the between users and produc- of charge, based on a com- ficial if the ESS concentrated preparations for the euro or ers, it cannot establish the mon Internet portal with the on producing European fig- enlargement, or the contribu- political debate necessary same standards for data pre- ures before or at the same tion to the world statistical sys- for having a real European sentations. Rethinking the time as national data. tem in sharing and exporting policy for statistics. ESS according to users is at our know-how! This has been the heart of the contributions Of course, this ‘Europe first’ achieved with Eurostat as a This is why it could be useful by both Joachim Lamel, from principle must be introduced stronger and well-recognised to create a European council the viewpoint of the CEIES after strategic analysis involv- Directorate-General of the for official statistics with ade- (p 18), and Svein Longva ing all ESS members on Commission. quate membership to (p 13), who coins the idea of where and how the principle enhance the political debate ‘non-governance’. could be applied. The ESS has actually been run- about statistics in Europe, ning ahead of those movers promote a more integrated Subsidiarity What’s more, it must not and shakers advocating New approach to official statistics as a two-way road jeopardise the quality of Governance, pioneering many in Europe and contribute to national statistics. Paul of the principles put forward. the creation of a real Some of the weaknesses of the Champsaur puts this ‘Europe But the ESS actually doesn’t European statistical identity. ESS lie in the fact that it con- first’ idea to the test in his exist – not legally speaking! sists of different national sys- contribution (p 8). And without a strong legal In addition, the ESS should tems that, although sharing basis nor the connected public have its own brand and por- many common features, have So much for the global vision, recognition, there is a risk that tal, offering a unique picture not been designed to achieve let’s now focus on getting the the ESS won’t be able to tap and using it as a fundamen- a common result. Because of ESS’s house in order in terms the benefits from these new tal tool for communication, this patchwork of systems, and of structural and operational governance principles of deci- collaboration and decision- the problems encountered in aspects. S IGMA 2/2002 Editorial 3 Improving management structures The current management struc- ture of the ESS, although con- siderably improved in recent years, will most probably buck- le if not snap under the weight of some 30 Member States. The structures can only be effi- ciently organised if we agree and develop a common under- standing of the fundamental processes that we have to run together. Defining those processes and separating their day-to-day running from the strategic revision and re- orientation process will allow for a better division of work within the various administra- tive levels. The adoption of a common quality framework and a com- mon strategic management framework is a prerequisite for this system’s success. The new management structure should be flexible and open to rele- vant participation, and not to a systematic “national represen- Better strategic planning image, and the notoriety of A stronger scientific basis tation”, giving more room to our institutions at national, the application of quality man- Strategic planning in public European and international And what about links with the agement principles. organisations begins when level. Enhancing their scientific community? The the organisation starts think- capacity and quality recent comparison exercise A quick reaction force ing about the best way to requires that all NSIs benefit with the United States, carried accomplish its mission.