Europe Day symbolises cooperation and unity among European countries, as well as shared values such as democracy, solidarity and openness. It is also an opportunity to highlight how many areas of public life today are based on cooperation between European countries — one of them being the production and dissemination of official statistics.

The European Statistical System

One example of practical European cooperation is the European Statistical System (ESS). It is made up of Eurostat (the statistical office of the European Union), the national statistical offices of the Member States, and other institutions responsible for producing and disseminating European statistics.

Thanks to cooperation within the ESS, statistical data are prepared using common methodologies, definitions and quality standards. This means that information on the economy, labour market, demography, environment or living conditions is comparable across European countries and can support analyses and decision-making both at national and European level.

The principles guiding our work are set out in the European Statistics Code of Practice. The Code defines how official statistics should ensure:

  • independence and impartiality,
  • reliability and high quality of data,
  • transparency of methods and processes,
  • protection of data and statistical confidentiality,
  • comparability of data between countries,
  • a user-oriented approach to statistical information.

This means that data published by European statistical offices are produced according to common quality standards and are regularly assessed. As a result, official statistics can be trusted and used in public debate, scientific research, business and public administration.

Cooperation within the ESS also supports the joint development of modern research methods, the use of new data sources and the implementation of innovative technologies supporting official statistics.

The European Union in figures

To mark this year’s Europe Day, Eurostat has prepared a special infographic presenting selected data about the European Union and its inhabitants:

Infographic: The European Union in Numbers: population 450.6 million; area 4,225,104 sq km; GDP – €41,620 per capita; imports of goods – 62% within the EU, 38% outside the EU; exports of goods: 61% within the EU, 39% outside the EU; Internet usage: 94%; renewable energy as a share of total consumption: 25%; municipal waste recycling: 48%