Among other priorities The State Data Agency strategy for 2023–2027 focuses on the 3rd direction “Ensure symbiotic partnership“, which envisages active participation in the development of the global statistics and EU legislative process, strengthening of communication and cooperation on the global arena / international  scale, and sharing of best practices thereof.

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Letter of the Director General of Statistics Lithuania Vilija Lapėnienė to the members of the European Statistical System (ESS): Lithuanian Presidency of the Council Working Party on Statistics

 

1 July 2013

To members of the European Statistical System (ESS)

 

Lithuanian Presidency of the Council Working Party on Statistics

As of 1 July 2013, Lithuania holds the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. In this context, Statistics Lithuania has the honour of chairing the Council Working Party on Statistics. We look forward to working with all our partners in the European Statistical System over the next six months to progress current and upcoming legislative dossiers in statistics.

In starting this Presidency, we are very much supported by the progress made by the previous Presidencies and the Irish Presidency over the past six months. The progress made on legislative dossiers provides a strong starting foundation for Lithuania. We would like to thank Ireland for their excellent collaboration in this regard.

Trio Programme

The overall priorities of the Lithuanian Presidency are set out in the Irish-Lithuanian-Greek Trio Presidency Programme.

The Trio Programme of Ireland, Lithuania and Greece – for the next 18 months – emphasises the provision of relevant and high quality European Statistics, to underpin Union policies; confidence in statistics and the principles of the European Statistics Code of Practice; and a more integrated and independent ESS. The programme recognises the need for more cost-efficient statistical production, because of ever-tightening resource constraints, and the need for a continuous focus on simplification, re-prioritisation, and the control of response burden.

Lithuanian Presidency Priorities

Lithuania will give high priority to finalisation of the Regulations on European Statistics and to Demographic statistics. We will also progress proposals for the dossiers initiated by Ireland, including the "Omnibus I" proposal on alignment of statistical acquis in the fields of agriculture and fisheries with the Lisbon Treaty, proposal amending Council Regulation (EC) No 577/98 on the organisation of a labour force sample survey in the Community and proposal amending Regulation (EU) No 691/2011 on European environmental economic accounts.

The Lithuanian Presidency will continue the work started by previous Presidencies, emphasizing the need to produce relevant and high-quality official European statistics – to underpin the development, implementation and monitoring of Community policies and the provision of statistical information for the society.

The Lithuanian Presidency will support new initiatives to achieve the key quality objectives of European statistics by implementing, in an integrated manner, the principles of the European Statistics Code of Practice (CoP).

In order to meet the most urgent needs of the Community, the Lithuanian Presidency will pay attention to the increasing demand for statistical information and resource constraints, a continuous focus on simplification, quality assurance and balance between the growing needs for statistics and costs for NSIs as well as response burden in alignment of statistical acquis with the Lisbon Treaty; continuous cooperation between the European Statistical System (ESS) and the European System of Central Banks (ESCB) will be also taken into account.

Meetings of the Council Working Party on Statistics

The first meeting of the Council Working Party on Statistics is scheduled for 19 July 2013 (Friday). The agenda will include continuation of discussions of the proposal amending Regulation (EU) No 691/2011 on European environmental economic accounts, namely the last Annex and recitals and compromise proposals from the first discussion in May CWPS.The Presidency is also going to present information on the outcomes reached in other dossiers.

In July the Presidency will launch written consultations with the Member States on the proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the provision and quality of statistics for the macroeconomic imbalances procedure, the discussions to be started in September Council Working Party on Statistics meeting.

Four more meetings are scheduled, as follows:

13 September 2013 (Friday)

10 October 2013 (Thursday) (tbc)

06 November 2013 (Wednesday) (tbc)

11 December 2013 (Wednesday) (tbc).

 

Presidency Team and communication

The CWPS meetings will be chaired by Mr. Jonas Markelevičius, 1st Deputy Director General, assisted by co-chair Mrs. Audronė Miškinienė, Head of European Affairs and International Co-operation Division.

The Lithuanian Presidency Website is: eu2013.stat.gov.lt. A dedicated email address for the Lithuanian Presidency Team will be used: eu2013presidency@stat.gov.lt. Do not hesitate to contact us if you need any further information.

I would like to take the opportunity and with great pleasure to welcome the new member of the European Union – Croatia. We are delighted that the beginning of Lithuania's first Presidency of the Council of the European Union coincides with such a historical moment as Croatia's accession.

In our work we rely on now 28 Member States and the Commission for their goodwill, cooperation and fruitful contributions.

Statistics Lithuania is looking forward to an exciting and productive Presidency and we hope to work closely with the Trio presidency and with all our partners in the European Statistical System over the next six months.

 

Yours sincerely,

Vilija Lapėnienė

Director General
Statistics Lithuania

 

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Letter of the Director General of Statistics Lithuania Vilija Lapėnienė to the members of the European Statistical System (ESS): Lithuanian Presidency of the Council Working Party on Statistics (PDF)