Brussels, 25/05/2005 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday the Commission adopted a communication “Independence, Integrity and Responsibility of the National and Community Statistical Authorities”, which forecasts minimal standards for the collation and diffusion of statistics in Europe. This will involve the last stage of the procedures for improving statistical quality, which the Commission, requested by the ministers of finance, defined in the main guidelines last December (EUROPE 8856). The Communication is planning on setting up a European code of good practices based on principles and more reliable methods at an international level. The code remains a tool of self-regulation, non-binding and supervised by the national statistical institutes and Eurostat but the Commission does not exclude it becoming a more binding instrument, like a directive. The Ecofin council on 7 June will deal with the issue and the regulation on strengthening operational, financial and human resources at Eurostat (EUROPE 8900). Info: (http: //epp.eurostat.cec.eu.int/cache/ITY_PUBLIC/CODE_OF_PRACTICE/FR/CODE_OF_PRACTICE-FR.PDF).