Brussels, 1.10.2025

COM(2025) 592 final

2023/0008(COD)

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION
TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

pursuant to Article 294(6) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union

concerning the

position of the Council on the adoption of a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on European statistics on population and housing, amending Regulation (EC) No 862/2007 and repealing Regulations (EC) No 763/2008 and (EU) No 1260/2013

(Text with EEA relevance)


2023/0008 (COD)

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION
TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

pursuant to Article 294(6) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union

concerning the

position of the Council on the adoption of a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on European statistics on population and housing, amending Regulation (EC) No 862/2007 and repealing Regulations (EC) No 763/2008 and (EU) No 1260/2013

(Text with EEA relevance)

1.Background

Date of transmission of the proposal to the European Parliament and to the Council
(document COM(2023) 31 final – 2023/0008 COD):

20 January 2023

Date of the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee:

27 April 2023

Date of the position of the European Parliament, first reading:

24 April 2024

Date of transmission of the amended proposal:

N/A

Date of adoption of the position of the Council:

29 September 2025

2.Objective of the proposal from the Commission

The proposal aims to further harmonise and improve the comparability of European statistics on population and housing. The available statistics are to be enriched and their timeliness improved. The framework for adapting statistics to changing policy needs and digitalisation opportunities is to be made more flexible.

These objectives will be delivered by the following key aspects of the Commission proposal:

i) a single population number is to be established for all purposes of the regulation on European statistics on population and housing, in line with international concepts. Using appropriate data sources available at national level, including administrative sources, combined with scientifically sound estimation methods will ensure efficient statistical production systems;

ii) statistical domains, topics and detailed topics are set out in the annex to the proposal. The Commission is empowered to adopt technical specifications for the detailed data requirements and update the detailed topics in response to policy needs by means of implementing and delegated acts;

iii) dedicated enabling provisions will help statistical authorities to make better use of appropriate data sources, including administrative registers, and share data among each other effectively and securely for statistical purposes.

3.Comments on the position of the Council

The position of the Council as adopted at first reading fully reflects the political agreement reached between the European Parliament and the Council on 12 May 2025. The Commission accepts the overall agreement. The main points of this agreement are the following:

The agreement includes a single harmonised and inclusive definition of population that counts everyone. The implementation and quality reporting burden on the Member States for the population base is limited since obligatory estimation methods must be applied only at national level and for selected detailed topics (personal and socio-economic characteristics, household situation).

The agreement further includes improvements in timeliness and frequency for most detailed topics and periodicities compared to the status quo. A transitional regime will allow Member States to adapt their production systems to the shorter transmission deadlines until 2035. The annex includes a new detailed topic on energy-related building characteristics (where the additional burden on Member States is minimised by permitting them to use only information available in national databases in accordance with Article 22 of Directive (EU) 2024/1275). Disability has been added as a topic for pilot and feasibility studies.

The new framework includes delegated and implementing powers, balanced by non-quantitative safeguards, to adjust data requirements to future needs. Here, the agreement largely follows the recently adopted Regulation (EU) 2025/941 on European Union labour market statistics on businesses. It replaces the Commission proposal’s provisions on ad hoc data requirements with new rules on temporary data production. A dedicated safeguard ensures that there will be no duplication of data requirements under Regulation (EU) 2019/1700 establishing a common framework for European statistics relating to persons and households, based on data collected from samples, and under this regulation.

The duration of possible derogations from the regulation and its implementing and delegated acts will be up to three years. In justified cases, the Commission may grant a further derogation of up to three more years.

Neither the amendments of the Parliament nor those of the Council introduce a potential additional burden on administrations or respondents compared to the Commission proposal. The agreed safeguards explicitly aim to avoid significant additional cost or burden on the Member States or respondents.

The Commission points out that the Financial Regulation requires funding to be available and that the agreement does not prejudge the Commission’s proposal on the next multiannual financial framework.

4.Conclusion

The Commission accepts the results of the interinstitutional negotiations and can therefore accept the Council’s position at first reading.