Orgalime position on the proposal of a Commission Regulation amending short-term statistics

(Council Regulation (EC) No 1165/98)

Orgalime has reacted on a EUROSTAT proposal for a Commission Regulation which would amend short-term statistics and mainly proposes to stop the data collection of the industrial new orders variables (ie. new orders received, domestic orders and non-domestic new orders).

Orgalime industries object to this Eurostat proposal as our industries do not share the Commission analysis that the industrial new orders variables have failed to “demonstrate stable leading properties across all EU countries”. In many sectors of our industry, such as plant and infrastructure projects, orders lead activity and production by 6 to 12 months in advance. On the other hand, in some sectors, orders may go hand in hand with production during the same reference month. It is obvious that it takes industry knowledge to analyse the cyclical industry that we represent and any statistical analysis, not taking into account the framework in which the investment goods industry operates, will fail.

Orgalime is convinced that order statistics are key statistics to predict future activity and production in our industries and should be maintained at the European level. Therefore the efforts should be concentrated on improving the quality of the indicators of member states, as well as publishing them, rather than repealing the Annex A of the Council Regulation (EC) no. 1165/98. Eurostat and national statistical offices should explore tools to construct smart and small samples thus reducing administrative burden.