Regulation (EU) 2016/792 lays down a common framework for the production of the harmonised index of consumer prices (HICP), the harmonised index of consumer prices at constant tax rates (HICP-CT), the owner-occupied housing (OOH) price index and the house price index (HPI).

Member States should update the sub-index weights for the harmonised indices annually. Therefore, it is necessary to specify rules for deriving weights.

As it is not possible to observe all transactions of the target universe of the HICP, rules for sampling should be established.

The HICP measures the changes in consumer prices. In order to ensure that the concept of ‘price’ is applied in a harmonised way by the Member States, it is necessary to establish rules on the treatment of prices.

The HICP should provide a measure of pure change in prices that is unaffected by quality change. Therefore, it is necessary to establish rules for replacements and quality adjustments.

The harmonised indices should be annually chain-linked Laspeyres-type indices. Therefore, it is necessary to define elementary aggregates and to specify methods for combining observed prices to form elementary price indices.

In order to ensure the high quality of flash estimates of the HICP and to enable the Commission (Eurostat) to derive the necessary aggregates, Member States whose currency is the euro should transmit flash estimates according to the same breakdown as the HICP.

Harmonised indices and their sub-indices that have already been published may be revised. It is therefore necessary to specify the conditions under which revisions should be carried out.

In order to obtain reliable and comparable results from all Member States, a common methodological framework for the compilation of the HICP-CT should be established and maintained.

Member States should transmit the OOH price index and the HPI according to a specified breakdown.

Member States should transmit data and metadata to the Commission (Eurostat) in accordance with specified exchange standards and procedures.

In the European statistical system, practical guidance and recommendations should be developed on relevant HICP measurement and compilation issues, in particular on quality adjustment, index compilation and treatment of prices.

Regulations (EC) No 1749/96, (EC) No 2214/96, (EC) No 1687/98, (EC) No 2646/98, (EC) No 1617/1999, (EC) No 2166/1999, (EC) No 2601/2000, (EC) No 2602/2000, (EC) No 1920/2001, (EC) No 1921/2001, (EC) No 1708/2005, (EC) No 701/2006, (EC) No 330/2009, (EU) No 1114/2010 and (EU) No 93/2013 should be repealed.

The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the European Statistical System Committee,