Harmonising methods and concepts at European level through informal agreements or binding legislation is an important element for the production of comparable European statistics. Nevertheless, institutional, organisational and professional factors can also have a significant influence on the reliability and comparability of European official statistics.

Therefore, in May 2005, the European Commission adopted the European Statistics Code of Practice (CoP). The CoP is a self-regulatory instrument with a dual purpose:

• To improve trust and confidence in the statistical authorities by proposing certain institutional and organisational arrangements; and
• To reinforce the quality of produced and disseminated statistics by promoting coherent application of the best international statistical principles, methods and practices by all producers of official statistics in Europe.

The CoP also applies to EFTA's national statistical authorities as members of the European Statistical System (ESS). The EFTA States commit themselves to adhering to the principles of the CoP. More concretely, statistics produced by the EFTA States and their statistical systems are subject to the same scrutiny through assessments and peer reviews as for the EU Member States.

For further information, visit the following link: European Statistics Code of Practice (CoP)