Commission Regulation (EC) No 430/2005 of 15 March 2005 implementing Council Regulation (EC) No 577/98 on the organisation of a labour force sample survey in the Community concerning the codification to be used for data transmission from 2006 onwards and the use of a sub-sample for the collection of data on structural variables

of 15 March 2005

implementing Council Regulation (EC) No 577/98 on the organisation of a labour force sample survey in the Community concerning the codification to be used for data transmission from 2006 onwards and the use of a sub-sample for the collection of data on structural variables

Preamble

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,

Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 577/98 of 9 March 1998 on the organisation of a labour force sample survey in the Community ¹ , and in particular Articles 3, 4(3) and 4(4) thereof,

Whereas:

(1) In accordance with Article 4(3) of Regulation (EC) No 577/98 implementing measures are necessary in order to define the codification of the variables to be used for the data transmission.

(2) Under Article 4(4) of Regulation (EC) No 577/98 a list of variables, hereinafter referred to as structural variables, may be identified from among the survey characteristics which need to be surveyed only as annual averages with reference to 52 weeks rather than as quarterly averages. Therefore the conditions for the use of a sub-sample for the collection of data on structural variables should be laid down.

(3) In view of the importance of data on employment and unemployment, the totals for these indicators should be consistent whether they are produced from the annual sub-sample or on the basis of an annual average of the four quarterly full samples.

(4) In view of the importance of data collected in ad hoc modules, this information should be combinable with any other variable from the survey.

(5) The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Statistical Programme Committee established by Council Decision 89/382/EEC, Euratom ² ,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

The conditions for the use of a sub-sample for the collection of data on structural variables are laid down in Annex I.

Article 2

The codes for the variables to be used for data transmission for the years 2006 onwards are laid down in Annex II.

Article 3

This Regulation shall enter into force on the twentieth day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union .

Final provisions

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States. Done at Brussels, 15 March 2005. For the Commission Joaquín ALMUNIA Member of the Commission

¹ OJ L 77, 14.3.1998, p. 3 . Regulation as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 2257/2003 of the European Parliament and the Council ( OJ L 336, 23.12.2003, p. 6 ).

² Council Decision of 19 June 1989 establishing a Committee on the Statistical Programmes of the European Communities ( OJ L 181, 28.6.1989, p. 47 ).

CONDITIONS FOR THE USE OF A SUB-SAMPLE FOR THE COLLECTION OF DATA ON STRUCTURAL VARIABLES

1. Yearly/quarterly variables

The word ‘yearly’ in the ‘Periodicity’ column of the Codification laid down in Annex II, identifies structural variables which optionally need only to be surveyed as annual averages, using a sub-sample of independent observations with reference to 52 weeks, rather than as quarterly averages. Core variables to be surveyed each quarter are identified as ‘quarterly’.

2. Representativeness of the results

For structural variables, the relative standard error (without taking design effect into account) of any yearly estimate representing 1 % or more of the working age population shall not exceed:

(a) 9 % for countries with a population between 1 million and 20 million inhabitants and

(b) 5 % for countries with a population of 20 million or more.

Countries with less than 1 million inhabitants are exempted from these precision requirements and structural variables should be collected for the total sample unless the sample meets requirements expressed in (a).

For countries using a sub-sample for data collection on structural variables, if more than one wave is used, the total sub-sample used shall consist of independent observations.

3. Consistency of totals

Consistency between annual sub-sample totals and full sample annual averages shall be ensured for employment, unemployment and inactive population by sex and for the following age groups: 15 to 24, 25 to 34, 35 to 44, 45 to 54, 55 +.

4. Ad hoc modules

The sample used to collect information on ad hoc modules shall also provide information on structural variables.

CODIFICATION

Footnotes

1. . Regulation as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 2257/2003 of the European Parliament and the Council (). ↩ ↩²

2. Council Decision of 19 June 1989 establishing a Committee on the Statistical Programmes of the European Communities (). ↩ ↩²