THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 155 thereof,

Whereas Council Regulation (EC) No 322/97 of 17 February 1997 on Community statistics1 (hereinafter referred to as ‘the Basic Regulation’) assigns certain tasks and obligations to the Community authority involved in the production of Community statistics;

Whereas Article 2 of the Basic Regulation defines, for the purposes of that Regulation, the ‘Community authority’ as ‘the Commission department responsible for carrying out the tasks devolving on the Commission as regards the production of Community statistics (Eurostat)’;

Whereas the implementation of the Basic Regulation requires a further definition of the role of Eurostat as regards the production of Community statistics;

Whereas Eurostat must be able to act in accordance with the principles of impartiality, reliability, relevance, cost-effectiveness, statistical confidentiality and transparency;

Whereas to ensure the coherence, feasibility and consistency of Community statistics, the importance of cooperation and coordination procedures must be reaffirmed between the Commission services which participate in the production of such information at Community level;

Whereas the implementation of the Basic Regulation requires the protection of the confidential data which the national and Community authorities collect for the production of Community statistics;

Whereas the implementation of the Basic Regulation requires the organization of dissemination by national and Community authorities,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: