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Summaries of EU Legislation

Demography statistics

 

SUMMARY OF:

Regulation (EU) No 1260/2013 on European demographic statistics

WHAT IS THE AIM OF THE REGULATION?

  • It seeks to regulate the harmonisation and provision of data on population and on vital events (i.e. births and deaths) linked to the population.
  • It lays down common definitions, subjects covered and characteristics of the required information, coverage, quality criteria and reporting deadlines and results although EU countries will compile the data using their own national sources and practices.

KEY POINTS

Why are these statistics important?

  • 1.

    High-quality population estimates are vital for the EU’s democratic process, i.e. they are important in the calculation of the weighting of votes as in the case of qualified majority voting in the Council. Since 1 November 2014, a qualified majority is defined as at least 55 % of the members of the Council, comprising at least 15 of them and representing countries comprising at least 65 % of the population of the EU (double majority).

  • 2.

    The long-term assessment of the sustainability of EU countries’ public finances is, among other things, conducted on the basis of Eurostat population projections; these, in turn, require timely, accurate, reliable and consistent time series on population, births and deaths, together with sound assumptions concerning the future development of fertility, life expectancy and migration flows.

  • 3.

    Progress of the EU’s sustainable development strategy is assessed via the Eurostat monitoring report which uses time series on old-age dependency ratios, fertility rates and life expectancy in the EU.

  • 4.

    Trends in achieving economic, social and territorial cohesion are assessed on the basis of regional demographic data.

Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 205/2014 lays down uniform conditions for the implementation of Regulation (EU) No 1260/2013 as regards the breakdown (i.e. disaggregation) of data, deadlines and data revisions.

FROM WHEN DOES THE REGULATION APPLY?

It has applied since 30 December 2013.

BACKGROUND

For more information see:

ACT

Regulation (EU) No 1260/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 November 2013 on European demographic statistics (OJ L 330, 10.12.2013, pp. 39-43)

RELATED ACTS

Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 205/2014 of 4 March 2014 laying down uniformed conditions for the implementation of Regulation (EU) No 1260/2013 of the European Parliament and the Council on European demographic statistics, as regards breakdowns of data, deadlines and data revisions (OJ L 65, 5.3.2014, pp. 10-26)

last update 03.08.2016

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