Conclusions of the seminar on statistical data banks, Luxembourg, 25-27 May 1981

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• Nombre de lectures: 8
• Langue: English
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SPECIAL NUMBER 1982
CONCLUSIONS OF THE SEMINAR
ON STATISTICAL DATA BANKS
Luxembourg, 25-27 May 1981 eurostat news
1982 SPECIAL NUMBER
Conclusions of the seminar on
statistical data banks
Luxembourg, 25-27 May 1981
Editor : Mr Luigi RONCHI, JMO B3/091, Tel. [phone]
Secretariat and dissemination : JMO B3/092, Tel. [phone]
Reproduction of the contents of this publication is subject to acknowledgement of the
source.
Statistical Office of the European Communities
L-2920 Luxembourg, Rue Alcide De Gasperi, Bâtiment Jean Monnet,
Tel. 43011 Telex Comeur Lu 3423 eurostat This publication is also available in the following languages:
DE ISBN 92-825-2804-9
FRN 92-825-2807-3
Cataloguing data can be found at the end of this publication
Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, 1982
ISBN 92-825-2806-5'
Catalogue number: CA-AB-81-013-EN-C
Printed in Belgium Table of contents
FOREWORD, (J. MAYER) 5
DESCRIPTION AND ANALYSIS OF EXISTING STATISTICAL DATA BANKS 7
Annexes
Annex 1 - FR of Germany (Statistisches Bundesamt, Wiesbaden) 16
Annex 2 - France (Mr Bodin, INSEE, Paris) 21
Annex 3 - Italy (ISTAT, Rome) 30
Annex 4 - The Netherlands (Mr De Vries, CBS, Voorburg) 46
Annex 5 - Belgium (Mr De Melenaere, INS, Brussels)8
Annex 6 - United Kingdom (CSO, London) 49
Annex 7 - Ireland (Mr F. Keane, CSO, Dublin) 5
Annex 8 - Sweden (Mr Olsen, CBS, Stockholm)1
Annex 9 - Eurostat (SOEC, Luxembourg)3
REPORT ON THE CONSEQUENCES AND PROBLEMS RAISED BY ON-LINE DISSEMINATION OF
STATISTICAL DATA, N. DIVOY 57
Introduction9
Chapter 1.— The present situation and outlook regarding on-line dissemina­
tion of statistical data 60
1.1. Technical developments
1.1.1. Networks for the individual computer . .1
1.1.2. Fast-developing technology2
1.2. An economic and political context which is both more favourable and
more restrictive 63
1.3. Present situation: users still.dissatisfied 64
1.3.1. The content and structure of the bases
1.3.2. Data organization and documentation
1.3.3. The data bank is in many cases only one part of a wider
information system5 Chapter 2 - From the production of statistics to on-line dissemination 66
2.1. To meet differing requirements 66
2.1.1. To encourage the setting up of specialized data banks .... 67
2.1.2. The setting up of general statistical data banks 68
2.2. The functions essential for good on-line dissemination of
statistical data9
2.2.1. The 'statistical' function
2.2.2. The function relating to distribution of data-processing
resources 6
2.2.3. The functions relating to back-up and marketing services . . 70
2.3. Arrangements possible between data producers and data distributors . 71
2.3.1. The statistical service as a producer of data banks 71
2.3.2. Thele as a mere supplier of data3
2.3.3. The statistical service in partnership 74
2.4. Consequences for statistical services5
Chapter 3 - The international dimension 76
3.1. Betterl data . . .
3.2. Cooperation between the national statistical institutes for the
dissemination of data - is this desirable or possible ? 77
3.2.1. CRONOS and the nationall institutes
3.2.2. Direct exchange of information between national statistical
institutes 78
3.2.3. The national statistical institutes and information about
information
3.2.4. The nationalls and the information
industry
3.2.5. The national statistical institutes and statistical data bank
software
Bibliography 80
PROSPECTS AND ASSESSMENT OF THE MARKET FOR ON-LINE STATISTICAL INFORMA­
TION, EURIPA1
SUMMARY 10
LIST OF PARTICIPANTS4 FOREWORD
The development of data banks is of major importance to the national statis­
tical institutes in Community countries. They add a new dimension to the dis­
semination of statistical and economic data. Firstly, users gain access to a
much greater stock of data than that provided by publications or even by mi­
crofiches or magnetic tapes. Secondly, they can adapt this information to
their own needs using data-processing facilities which are generally more ef­
fective and varied than those they would otherwise have at their disposal.
Many data banks also offer the services of teams of qualified economists and
computer experts.
The organization of data dissemination has also changed. Data banks are well
suited to, perhaps even require, commercial organization because they offer
possibilities of extensive decentralization and because they require both
flexible management and an active search for users to produce a profit on a
substantial investment. These are now commercial data bank producers and new
intermediaries, the hosts, who store the data banks of several producers on
their computers and make them available to their customers. The national sta­
tistical institutes are thus witnessing the development of private systems of
disseminating economic information.
In this field the United States of America, Canada and Japan are some way
ahead of Europe. Large economic data banks were set up in the United States
over 12 years ago and have developed substantially since. Today any European
firm can subscribe to these banks, at considerable cost, but there are no
European companies providing the. same services, apart from subsidiaries of
American companies.
The decision taken by the European Council after the Dublin Summit at the end
of 1979 to attempt to develop a European information industry thus certainly
applies to economic data banks.
The Commission, moreover, has not lagged behind in this field. The Statisti­
cal Office of the European Communities in particular has organized a vast
statistical and economic data bank, known as CRONOS, containing a considerable
stock of data, much of it harmonized, on Community countries, on the Commu­
nity as a whole and on other countries. Today CRONOS is accessible to the
public through two European hosts linked to the Euronet system.
If commercial economic data banks were to be developed in a Community coun­
try, they would no doubt attempt to attract a European clientele and dissem­
inate data on all countries, in particular Community countries ; these data
would in most cases come from the national statistical institutes directly
or through Eurostat. The institutes and Eurostat will thus be faced with new
problems in their relations with one another and the outside world, including - 6
problems involving liaison with the private sector and national and interna­
tional competition.
The Statistical Office of the European Communities therefore felt it would
be worthwhile to pool experience and compare projects in this field and to
consider whether special Community organizations should be set up for this
purpose. The directors-general of the national statistical institutes adopted
this point of view at their meeting in November 1980. This was the reason for
the seminar described in this publication.
The quality of the documents prepared for the meeting, the relevance of the
discussions and the great number of conclusions reached amply justified this
initiative. Having had the honour to chair the debates, I think that the na­
tional statistical institutes will make the best possible use of the new
means of production and dissemination of information now available to them
as a result of spectacular technological progress.
J. MAYER
Inspector-General of the INSEE DESCRIPTION AND ANALYSIS OF EXISTING STATISTICAL DATA BANKS