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Statistical confidentiality and disclosure protection

Aleksandra.Bujnowska@ec.europa.eu

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Statistical confidentiality

Basic statistical

principle for development, production and dissemination of European statistics

(Article 2)

Regulation 223/2009 on European statistics

Use of confidential data only for statistical purposes

Definition of confidential data

Appropriate measures to prevent and penalize violation of statistical confidentiality

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Statistical confidentiality

Dissemination of statistical results in compliance with statistical confidentiality (disclosure control)

Regulation 223/2009 on European statistics

Exceptions:

Explicit permission of statistical unit

“Confidentiality on request” by statistical unit - set out in the separate legal act

Data obtained from public sources

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Statistical confidentiality

- regulatory

Regulation 223/2009 on European statistics

- administrative

- technical

- organisational

NSIs take measures:

to ensure protection of confidential data :

- physical protection (security)

  • logical protection

(statistical disclosure control)

Alignment of measures

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Statistical confidentiality

Basic rule: access only for officials

Regulation 223/2009 on European statistics

Protection of confidential data in the Commission (Eurostat)

In exceptional cases for other staff

Within their “specific domain of work

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Statistical confidentiality

- from one ESS authority to another

Regulation 223/2009 on European statistics

Transmission of confidential data:

- from ESS authority to an ESCB member

(if the need is justified)

- for efficient development, production and dissemination of ES

- for increasing the quality of ES

- any further transmission must be approved by the authority that collected the data

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Statistical confidentiality

Indirectly identifiable data

Regulation 223/2009 on European statistics

Access to confidential data for scientific purposes

Access must be approved by the national authority that transmitted the data

Access for researchers carrying out statistical analysis for scientific purposes

Regulation 557/2013

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Statistical confidentiality

Regulation 557/2013 on access to confidential data for scientific purposes

USERS:

researchers belonging to recognized research entity

DATA:

Secure use files or

Scientific use files �(partially anonymised data)

SETTINGS:

Eurostat or research entity

RESULTS:

Controlled for confidentiality

Publicly available

USE:

Statistical analysis for scientific purposes