Explanatory Memorandum to COM(2001)83 - Establishment of a common classification of Territorial Units for Statistics (NUTS) - Main contents
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This page contains a limited version of this dossier in the EU Monitor.
| dossier | COM(2001)83 - Establishment of a common classification of Territorial Units for Statistics (NUTS). |
|---|---|
| source | COM(2001)83  |
| date | 14-02-2001 |
All regional statistics have to be based on a geographical division of the territory studied. Eurostat, in collaboration with other Commission departments, set up the Nomenclature of Statistical Territorial Units (NUTS) at the beginning of the 1970s as a single, coherent system for dividing up the European Union's territory in order to produce regional statistics for the Community.
This NUTS classification has gained increasing importance in recent years as the basis for harmonised, and thus comparable, regional data. NUTS is used as a reference for the collection, development, harmonisation and dissemination of Community regional statistics.
The NUTS classification has so far no legal basis of its own, i.e. there is no Regulation yet setting out in detail the rules for compiling and updating the system. These matters are settled so far by "gentlemen's agreements" between the Member States and Eurostat, sometimes after long and difficult negotiations. NUTS is then published by Eurostat.
NUTS was created and developed in accordance with the following principles:
First of all, NUTS regions are normative regions, they reflect political will; their boundaries are fixed in terms of the remit of local authorities and the size of the region's population regarded as corresponding to the economically optimal use of the necessary resources to accomplish their tasks. Usually they have a statutory existence in the administrative practice of the country concerned. They are clearly defined, usually universally recognised and relatively stable. They are the place in which certain levels of government exercise their powers, particularly where regional policy is concerned. Normative or administrative regions are therefore generally recognised by the national statistical systems as levels of data collection, processing and dissemination.
NUTS is a hierarchical classification of 3 levels. It subdivides each Member State into a whole number of regions at NUTS 1 level. Each of these is then subdivided into regions at NUTS Level 2, and these in turn into regions at NUTS Level 3. The administrative structure of the Member States is generally based on two main regional levels (Länder and Kreise in Germany, régions and départements in France, Comunidades autonomas and provincias in Spain, regioni and provincie in Italy, and so on).
Depending on the country, these levels may be NUTS 1 and NUTS 2, NUTS 1 and NUTS3, or NUTS 2 and NUTS 3. In order to complete a 3 level structure for each country, the 'missing' level is synthesised by grouping together appropriate number of the units in the next level down. Like this the 'non-administrative' regions for statistical purposes are formed.
There are several stages to applying the regional classification to a particular country. First the administrative structure is analysed; next a check is made of whether regional data are collected and disseminated on the basis of this regional breakdown, which they usually are. The average size (terms of population) of the units of the various existing administrative levels is then analysed to determine where these levels belong in the hierarchy of the regional classification. There are two possible outcomes:
- the average size broadly corresponds to that of an existing level within the NUTS classification. In this case, the administrative structure in question is adopted in its entirety, without change, as the regional breakdown at this level; this means that the size of certain units may differ widely from the average size of the units registered at this level;
- No administrative structure has an average size within the threshold mentioned above. In this case, in line with the practice adopted for Member States, an ad hoc breakdown is compiled, called 'non-administrative units', in collaboration with the country concerned, by grouping together smaller administrative units.
Recent changes in the NUTS classification gave rise to some tensions between the Commission and the National Statistical Offices concerned. Soon several new Member States will join the European Union; for them, a consistent regional breakdown of their territory for statistical purposes also needs to be defined in a suitable way. All these political developments and foreseeable tasks lead the Commission to the conclusion that it would be appropriate to create a legal base for the NUTS classification.
In accordance with the principles of subsidiarity and of proportionality, the objective of creating a harmonised regional classification used for all European regional statistics can only be achieved at the Community level.
This legal text has been drawn up with several objectives in mind:
1. It should fix the current state of the NUTS breakdown of regions in the Member States, as it has developed over the last 20 years. This objective reflects the will of a large majority of National Statistical Offices. The current regional breakdown has proved to be an operational tool for the collection, computation and dissemination of regional statistics.
2. It should define objective criteria for the definition of regions, so that candidate countries have a guideline for creating a regional classification for their country. This objective is of particular importance for the current accession negotiations.
3. It should assure comparability and impartiality when regional statistics are compiled and used for various policy purposes. This is particular important for a base of future Regional Funds.
4. It should define clear rules for future amendments of the NUTS breakdown, so as to forestall conflicts of the kind that have occurred in the past. Amendments are inevitable when the administrative structure of a country changes. But also for the non-administrative units occasionally an adaptation to changing needs is mandatory. In the past, these amendments were discussed between the Commission and the country concerned without a clear framework of rules. The proposed Regulation shall remedy this unsatisfactory situation.
5. It should ensure that the NUTS classification is not amended too frequently, so that the users of regional statistics have the requisite stability of data for analysis.
To summarise, as the proposed Regulation will improve the current situation concerning regional statistics considerably, the European Parliament and the Council are invited to adopt the presently proposed Regulation.