Objectives

The MEDSTAT programme aims at developing the information systems and improving the quality of existing services provided by the Mediterranean Partners statistical systems (National Statistical Offices and other institutions involved in the production of statistics). It was set up particularly to assist these institutions to:

• identify requirements for economic and social information, in so far as they are defined and provided for in the Barcelona Declaration

• provide market operators in due course with relevant and reliable macro and micro-economic information.

More specifically, the programme aims at strengthening the statistical systems of the Mediterranean Partners with a view to:

• identifying the needs of the users and facilitating the use of data sources in a context of development of the market economy

• adopting compatible international and European methodologies, classifications and standards

• ensuring compatibility and comparability of statistical data from the Mediterranean Partners with those from the statistical sources of the EU, EFTA and other international organisations

• developing swift and efficient systems of information exchange.

Structure

MEDSTAT is managed by a Directors’ committee, which brings together at least once a year the Directors-General of the statistical services of the Euro-Mediterranean partners, including EFTA. Its work involves a critical report on activities since the previous meeting, and guidelines for work in the short- and medium-term. Eurostat is responsible for the general technical supervision of the programme.

In order to evaluate the results and difficulties of the MEDSTAT programme and also to put forward further possible proposals in the statistical field, a Reflection Group was established in 1998. This Reflection Group has later become a permanent official structure of the MEDSTAT programme: the main role of the Reflection Group is to reflect on the decisions to be submitted to and to prepare the yearly Directors’ Committee.

The standards used by EUROSTAT and the OECD for compiling national environmental statistics have been selected as the technological framework for capacity building.