1.This Decision establishes a programme for the modernisation of European enterprise and trade statistics (hereinafter referred to as the ‘MEETS Programme’).
2.The MEETS Programme shall start on 1 January 2009 and shall end on 31 December 2013.
1.The measures provided for by the MEETS Programme relate to the production and dissemination of enterprise and trade statistics within the Community.
2.The general objectives of the MEETS Programme are as follows:
(a)to review priorities and develop target sets of indicators for new areas (objective 1);
(b)to achieve a streamlined framework for business-related statistics (objective 2);
(c)to support the implementation of a more efficient way of producing enterprise and trade statistics (objective 3); and
(d)to modernise the data collection system on trade in goods between Member States (hereinafter referred to as Intrastat) (objective 4).
To achieve the objectives referred to in Article 2(2), a set of actions shall be implemented, as follows:
to review priorities and develop target sets of indicators for new areas (objective 1):
:
identifying areas of lesser importance;
:
developing new areas;
to achieve a streamlined framework for business-related statistics (objective 2):
:
integrating concepts and methods within the legal framework;
:
developing statistics on enterprise groups;
:
conducting Community surveys to minimise the burden on enterprises;
to support the implementation of a more efficient way of producing enterprise and trade statistics (objective 3):
:
making better use of data that already exist in the statistical system including the possibility of estimates;
:
making better use of data that already exist in the economy;
:
developing tools for the more efficient extraction, transmission and treatment of data;
to modernise Intrastat (objective 4):
:
harmonising methods to improve quality under a simplified Intrastat;
:
making better use of administrative data;
:
improving and facilitating data exchange within Intrastat.
The actions referred to in this Article are specified in the Annex and shall be further detailed in the annual work programmes provided for in Article 4.
Annual work programmes, with the priorities for the actions under each objective referred to in Article 2(2) and the budgetary allocations under this Decision, shall be adopted in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 5(2).
1.The Commission shall be assisted by the Statistical Programme Committee.
2.Where reference is made to this paragraph, Articles 4 and 7 of Decision 1999/468/EC shall apply, having regard to the provisions of Article 8 thereof.
The period laid down in Article 4(3) of Decision 1999/468/EC shall be set at three months.
1.The Commission shall, in cooperation with the Member States, regularly evaluate the activities carried out under the MEETS Programme in order to assess whether the objectives referred to in Article 2(2) have been attained and to provide guidelines for improving the effectiveness of future actions.
2.By 31 December 2010, and thereafter on an annual basis until 2013, the Commission shall submit to the European Parliament and the Council a report on the implementation of the MEETS Programme.
By 31 July 2014, the Commission shall submit to the European Parliament and the Council a final report on the implementation of the MEETS Programme. That report shall assess, in the light of the expenditure incurred by the Community, the benefits of the actions accruing to the Community, the Member States and providers and users of statistical information, to identify areas for potential improvement.
1.The financial envelope for the implementation of the MEETS Programme for the period 2009-2013 is set at EUR 42 500 000.
2.The annual appropriations shall be authorised by the budgetary authority within the limits of the financial framework.
This Decision shall enter into force on the twentieth day following its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.
Done at Strasbourg, 16 December 2008.
For the European Parliament
The President
H.-G. Pöttering
For the Council
The President
B. Le Maire