9Statistics
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Committee’s assessment |
Politically important |
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Not cleared from scrutiny; further information requested |
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Document details |
Proposed Regulation to extend the European Statistical Programme 2013–17, to 2018–20 |
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Legal base |
Article 338(1) TFEU, ordinary legislative procedure, QMV |
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Department |
Office for National Statistics |
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Document Number |
(38056), 12056/16 + ADDs 1–3, COM(16) 557 |
Summary and Committee’s conclusions
9.1The Commission has proposed extension of the duration of the 2013–17 European Statistical Programme, which is the framework for development, production and dissemination of EU statistics, from 2018 to 2020. The Government has indicated to us its dissatisfaction with the proposed increased budget. Most recently, in December 2016, we heard of the Government’s intention to abstain in any vote on the proposal.
9.2The Government now tells us that in December 2016 the Government did abstain in a vote by COREPER, which agreed a General Approach on the proposal. It also tells us that it is not yet able to tell us what it expects the UK’s post-Brexit relationship with the European Statistical System to be. But it does add that the UK will continue to play an active role in the international statistical community and that the Government will continue to advance the comparability of official statistics within the UK and internationally.
9.3We note this information from the Government and keep the documents under scrutiny, pending further developments.
Full details of the document
Proposed Regulation amending Regulation (EU) No. 99/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the European statistical programme 2013–17, by extending it to 2018–20: (38056), 12056/16 + ADDs 1–3, COM(16) 557.
Background
9.4We have under scrutiny a proposal to extend the duration of the 2013–17 European Statistical Programme, which is the framework for development, production and dissemination of EU statistics, from 2018 to 2020. When we considered this proposal in October 2016 we saw no problem with extending the duration of the programme, but given the Government’s apparent dissatisfaction with the proposed increased budget, we asked to know whether it intended to oppose the increase. In early December 2016 we reported that the Government’s preference for an unchanged budget stood and that its current intention was to abstain in any vote on the proposal, which was still at an early stage of negotiation.
9.5We noted the Government’s voting intention and kept the document under scrutiny pending further information about the course of the negotiation. We asked, when it next reported on this, to know the Government’s expectation of the UK’s relationship to the European Statistical Programme post-Brexit.
Minister’s letter of 19 December 2016
9.6The Parliamentary Secretary at the Cabinet Office (Chris Skidmore) now tells us that:
- initial negotiations on the proposal by the Council Working Party concluded in early December 2016;
- the Government argued for an unchanged budget, but received no support from other Member States;
- the Slovak Presidency subsequently signalled its intention to seek from COREPER an agreement for a General Approach based on the compromise agreed in the Working Party; and
- the General Approach was supported by COREPER at its meeting on 20 December 2016, but, in line with the Government`s position previously indicated to us, the UK abstained.
9.7Turning to Brexit the Minister says:
- the Government has said that its guiding approach is to implement the mandate that the people have given it to deliver the UK’s exit from the EU, and to do so in a smooth way, which delivers the best deal for the British people and sees the UK working constructively with its EU partners in the future;
- at this stage, he is not in a position to speculate on the UK’s future relationship with the European Statistical System, as this needs to be considered in the broader context of the UK’s relationship with the EU; and
- the UK will continue to play an active role in the international statistical community, through the United Nations Statistical Commission, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, and other fora, and the Government will continue to advance the comparability of official statistics within the UK and internationally.
Previous Committee Reports
Twenty-first Report, HC 71-xx (2016–17), chapter 9 (7 December 2016) and Thirteenth Report, HC 71-xi (2016–17), chapter 11 (12 October 2016).
23 January 2017