Brussels, 15/06/2010 (Agence Europe) - MEPs want Eurostat to have considerable auditing powers and are concerned about the scope of the agreement reached in Council on the review of the regulation to enhance the quality of statistics in excessive deficit procedures. Going beyond the Commission proposal (see EUROPE 10078), the general approach adopted by the Ecofin Council on 8 June sets out conditions for the methodological visits which Eurostat may have to carry out (giving examples of cases in which this might be likely). The European Parliament, which has to deliver its opinion, will vote on the matter at its July plenary session.
During the debate on Tuesday 15 June on an oral question from the EP economic and monetary affairs committee on the quality of statistical data in the Union and enhanced auditing powers by the Commission (Eurostat), Othmar Karas (EPP, Austria) was the first to stress the EP's message: “We want Eurostat to act independently and across the board”. Karas, the rapporteur on this issue, said that “the political will is, indeed, there for us to have all the instruments so that the euro is not just the currency of the European Union, but also an economic union”. By granting increased auditing powers to Eurostat, the EU was merely doing “what we should have done long ago”. But, “before we complete our report, we want to know from the Commission if what has been adopted by the Council goes far enough,” he went on, suggesting that there would have to be more of a move towards the independence of the European statistical office. By rejecting the proposals made in 2005, “the Council brought shame upon itself,” said Sharon Bowles (ALDE, UK) who chairs the parliamentary committee. Now that the Ecofin Council has added conditions to the powers of audit, even though they are not draconian as one might initially have thought, there is concern that Eurostat might not really be able to conduct investigations and early interventions.
“The Commission can live with the text” as adopted by the Council, said Economic and Monetary Affairs Commissioner Olli Rehn. This approach recognises the role of Eurostat and the regulation which will be prepared will take up the main objective of the Commission proposal, he said. “The revised regulation should considerably reduce the risk of fraud or manipulation of statistical data,” he added, so that, “if a specific case appears carrying risks or serious problems with regard to the quality of the data, Eurostat will use all the powers it has, including its powers of audit”. (A.B./transl.rt)