Abstract

The third round of European Statistical System (ESS) peer reviews has been finalised with the public report sent by the Commission (Eurostat) to the European Parliament and the Council in May 2024.
This presentation, building on the messages from the published report, would provide a strategic view on peer review main results, lessons learnt and planned follow up actions relevant for the ESS but also to wider international statistical community, including possible revision of the Common Quality Framework of the ESS (CQF). It would gather information from 31 Peer Review reports and available Improvement Actions Plans of the ESS Member States, and relevant ESS meetings such as Closing event on the final results of the third round of the ESS for peer reviews held in May 2024.
The main follow-up results identified by the peer review are further improving coordination of the NSSs, enhancing cooperation with the scientific community and strengthening user engagement and communication of official European statistics. Possible follow-up actions, depending on the ESS decision making bodies, also include an enhancement of the ESS quality framework.

In line with the principle of continuous improvement and the need for the ESS to adjust and respond to a changing environment to stay relevant in fast-evolving data ecosystems, the results of the third round of ESS peer reviews and the forthcoming amendment of Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 on European statistics could be used as a starting points for discussion on a possible review of the ESS CQF and its cornerstone, the European Statistics Code of Practice.
The presentation would take stock of the challenges in implementing the recent round, results, and their possible impact on the future development of the national statistical systems (NSS) of the ESS members as well as draw some lessons from its implementation. The strengths, good and innovative practices, progress identified during the peer review process as well as lessons learnt for the future from the Third round of peer reviews would be shown, using qualitive and quantitative summary information and analyses.
Eurostat's perspective was that of a coordinator of the entire process and view on the results and how they are followed up as well as reflect on the realisation of the objectives would be also presented.