Auditors look into the quality of EU statistics

The European Court of Auditors i (ECA) is currently looking into the quality of EU i statistics that cover a wide range of aspects of society and economy. Specifically, the audit will examine the role of the European Commission in providing high-quality statistics to the EU and its Member States.

Official statistics play a key and growing role for economic and social development. They guide public policies, they support business decisions, and they allow citizens to compare and evaluate progress made. So it is crucial to make sure that EU statistics fulfil the requirement of quality and even excellence. This is exactly what the ECA is seeking to evaluate in its recently launched audit.

This audit is being started amid major changing circumstances. The COVID-19 pandemic has required statistical bodies to make rapid changes to their procedures, and has further highlighted the need for timely, comparable and reliable European statistics.

“Facts and figures: the need for quantitative evidence has never been so obvious. Speed, quality, content and usefulness of data are essential in a digital society”, said Ildikó Gáll-Pelcz i, the member of the European Court of Auditors responsible for the audit. “There is no question that statistics count. But how can we count more on European statistics? This is the issue our audit will seek to address.”

Press Release: Auditors look into the quality of EU statistics