Statistical response to urgent policy needs in crisis situations

1. The Commission (Eurostat) shall examine crisis situations and may undertake urgent statistical actions as appropriate, subject to the procedures set out in this Article, where both of the following conditions are met:

it is strictly necessary to respond to urgent policy needs which arise from the crisis situation concerned following the activation of established emergency mechanisms in accordance with Union legal acts, such as Council Implementing Decision (EU) 2018/1993 ( *1 ) or other Union emergency legal acts;

those urgent policy needs cannot be met under the European statistical programme.

2. The urgent statistical actions referred to in paragraph 1 shall be carried out by the Commission (Eurostat) at Union level in close cooperation with the NSIs and other national authorities, and may include:

producing European statistics on the basis of new data sources or data collections, taking into account the burden on respondents and the cost effectiveness for the Member States;

providing new statistical indicators and insights on the basis of existing data;

developing methodological guidelines to ensure that statistics across the Member States affected by the crisis situation are comparable and consistent;

other coordinated action at Union level that aims to provide a timely and relevant statistical response to the specific situation.

3. When assessing the need for urgent statistical actions referred to in paragraph 1, the Commission (Eurostat) shall promptly inform and consult the ESS Committee and duly take into account its professional guidance. Urgent statistical actions to be undertaken are subject to prior examination by the ESS Committee. To that end, the Commission (Eurostat) shall provide the ESS Committee with thorough information on the actions to be undertaken, their justification on a cost-effectiveness basis, the means and timetables for achieving them, the assessment of the response burden on survey respondents and the financial contribution of the Union to cover the incremental costs incurred by the NSIs and other national authorities.

4. Member States may decide, separately and on a voluntary basis, to participate in the urgent statistical actions referred to in paragraph 1. Those urgent statistical actions shall be relevant and shall cover the urgent policy needs which arise from the crisis situation in the Union. When participating in urgent statistical actions, Member States shall comply with the agreed common timespan, frequency and quality requirements for the national data to be provided to the Commission (Eurostat).

5. The Commission may, by way of implementing acts, specify the urgent statistical actions referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article and set out the procedure for undertaking them, including the relevant timespan, frequency and quality requirements to be applied by the Member States participating voluntarily in the urgent statistical action. Those implementing acts shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 27(2).

Without prejudice to the prerogatives of the budgetary authority, a financial contribution shall be made available from the Single Market Programme established by Regulation (EU) 2021/690 of the European Parliament and of the Council ( *2 ) and in accordance with Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046 of the European Parliament and of the Council ( *3 ) to the NSIs and other national authorities referred to in the list established pursuant to Article 5(2) of this Regulation to cover the incremental costs incurred from the implementation of such urgent statistical actions. In addition, those NSIs and other national authorities may apply for support from other applicable financial programmes of the Union in accordance with the rules of such programmes. Member States may also apply for support from the Technical Support Instrument established by Regulation (EU) 2021/240 of the European Parliament and of the Council ( *4 ) . The amount of the financial contribution under this subparagraph shall be established in accordance with the rules of the relevant funding programme, subject to the availability of funding, in particular in accordance with the rules of the European statistical programme.

6. Implementing acts adopted under paragraph 5 of this Article shall remain in force for a period no longer than the duration of the crisis situation concerned, and in any event no longer than 12 months. In duly justified cases, that period may be extended by way of an implementing act for an additional 12-month period. That implementing act shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 27(2).

( *1 ) Council Implementing Decision (EU) 2018/1993 of 11 December 2018 on the EU Integrated Political Crisis Response Arrangements ( OJ L 320, 17.12.2018, p. 28 )."

( *2 ) Regulation (EU) 2021/690 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 April 2021 establishing a programme for the internal market, competitiveness of enterprises, including small and medium-sized enterprises, the area of plants, animals, food and feed, and European statistics (Single Market Programme) and repealing Regulations (EU) No 99/2013, (EU) No 1287/2013, (EU) No 254/2014 and (EU) No 652/2014 ( OJ L 153, 3.5.2021, p. 1 )."

( *3 ) Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 July 2018 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union, amending Regulations (EU) No 1296/2013, (EU) No 1301/2013, (EU) No 1303/2013, (EU) No 1304/2013, (EU) No 1309/2013, (EU) No 1316/2013, (EU) No 223/2014, (EU) No 283/2014, and Decision No 541/2014/EU and repealing Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012 ( OJ L 193, 30.7.2018, p. 1 )."

( *4 ) Regulation (EU) 2021/240 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 10 February 2021 establishing a Technical Support Instrument ( OJ L 57, 18.2.2021, p. 1 ).’;"

Article 17a is replaced by the following:

REGULATION (EU) 2024/3018 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 27 November 2024 amending Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 on European statistics (Text with relevance for the EEA and for Switzerland)