Commission Report (2002): Latvia

• Progress since the last Regular Report
• Overall assessment
• Conclusions

Chapter 12: Statistics

Progress since the last Regular Report

Latvia has made very good progress over the past year in this area resulting in improved infrastructure and compliance with EC statistical requirements.

As regards statistical infrastructure, over the past year, the Latvian Central Statistical Bureau (CSB) has significantly improved co-operation with other institutions with a view to a more effective use of administrative sources for the production of statistics as well as further compliance with the acquis. In 2002, the budget for the CSB was increased significantly.

Regarding classifications, the Latvian Statistical Bureau (CSB) was appointed as the main co-ordinating agency for classifications in the country.

Concerning demographic and social statistics, the final results of the Census of Population and Housing were published in April 2002.

Statistics at regional level have a high standard. During the past year regional data have greatly improved as a result of the implementation of the population and agricultural censuses. Some indicators are available also at level 4 and 5.

macro-economic statistics are produced on the basis of the European System of Accounts (ESA-95) methodology at a high level of compliance. The CSB is working on the creation of an integrated system of annual accounts and supply-use tables. Quarterly national accounts were further improved. Latvia is a member of the European comparison programme, which supplies the data for the compilation of Purchasing Power Standards. As regards Government finance statistics, the CSB`s co-operation with other institutions has improved. The CSB has also compiled first sets of statistics on deficit and debt.

Monetary, financial and Balance of Payments statistics are compiled by the Bank of Latvia and considerably improved in 2001 also as a result of an increased statistics budget. The take-over of Balance of Payments statistics by the Bank of Latvia from the CSB was smooth and successful and key Balance of Payments indicators are now available on a monthly basis.

Structural business statistics are very broadly based and benefit from high response rates. Short-term business statistics have been further developed.

Large parts of environment statistics have to be compiled on the basis of administrative data provided by other institutions. During the past year the CSB has improved the production of statistics in this field.

For external trade, work concentrated on the preparations for the INTRASTAT system, which monitors trade between Member States. The activities in this area have started in good time and have been managed effectively until now.

In the field of agricultural statistics, Latvia conducted an agricultural census in 2001, which will greatly improve the quality of agricultural statistics in the near future, in particular through an update of the statistical farm register. Economic accounts for agriculture (EAA) are compiled together with the Ministry of Agriculture on the basis of the EAA-97 methodology.

Overall assessment

The recent reinforcement of administrative capacity, increased co-operation, and the experience gained recently constitute a very good basis for acquis implementation. However, particular efforts are needed, especially regarding the structural adaptations that lie ahead of the CSB.

Regarding sectoral statistics, further efforts are needed on upgrading Government deficit and debt statistics, facilitating the observation of local kind of activity units and further improving the use of administrative sources for the production of statistics. Statistics in the field of the environment need further improvement, as do forestry statistics, where further alignment to international methodology is necessary, in particular as regards ownership and regional breakdown. The implementation of INTRASTAT will require substantial efforts and direct access by the CSB to VAT data for ensuring reliability.

Building up general administrative capacity remains a priority. Whilst significant investments took place at the CSB, further training is needed, in particular for staff at regional level.

While the Government has demonstrated its willingness to address the resource problems of the CSB through a considerable increase of the basic budget in 2002, staff turnover in some important departments remains comparatively high. The reorganisation of the regional network and the creation of the professional interviewers` service should be completed urgently. The still existing legal incoherence between the statistical law, the data protection law and tax legislation should be dealt with in order to further improve the current situation. Better access of the CSB to individual tax data would further facilitate the production of statistics.

Conclusions

In its 1997 Opinion, the Commission concluded that Latvia would need to make a sustained effort to comply with EC requirements.

Since the Opinion, Latvia has made very good progress in almost all areas of statistics, in particular by conducting a population and housing census as well as an agricultural census during the last two years. Overall, Latvia is quite advanced in this field.

Negotiations on this chapter have been provisionally closed. Latvia has not requested any transitional arrangements. Latvia is generally meeting the commitments it has made in the accession negotiations in this field.

In order to complete preparations for membership, Latvia`s efforts now need to focus on further improvements for implementation of the acquis on sectoral statistics, adequate budgeting and increasing administrative capacity, including effective use of administrative resources and structural adaptations at all levels.

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