Article 4 Prioritisation, efficiency and flexibility

The programme shall ensure continued statistical support for decisions and evaluations in current Community policy areas and provide statistical support for important additional requirements arising from new Community policy initiatives.

The Commission shall, in the preparation of the annual statistical work programmes, take account of the cost-effectiveness of the statistics produced and ensure an ongoing review of statistical priorities, with a view to making best use of available resources of the Member States and the Commission and to minimising the burden imposed on respondents. Prioritisation shall aim at balancing additional costs and burdens for new statistical requirements by reducing statistical requirements in existing domains of Community statistics and shall take place in close cooperation with the Member States.

When preparing the annual statistical work programmes, the Commission may carry out ex-ante studies of the financial implications of any planned new statistical activities which impose significant additional burdens on the Member States.

The programme shall ensure the development of instruments to re-prioritise statistical activities, increase the flexibility of the European Statistical System and improve its ability to respond in a timely manner to changing user needs.

The programme shall ensure transparency, with account being taken, inter alia, of Article 1(1) and (2) of Commission Regulation (EC) No 1104/2006 of 18 July 2006 amending Regulation (EC) No 831/2002 implementing Council Regulation (EC) No 322/97 on Community Statistics, concerning access to confidential data for scientific purposes^f1.