The MEDSTAT programme in brief

The policy of the European Union towards the Mediterranean region is largely shaped by the Euro-Mediterranean partnership (Barcelona Process) established as a result of the Barcelona Conference held in 1995. 

In the statistical domain European Member States and Mediterranean Partners have intensified their relations since 1996. Financed under the MEDA instrument, these relations are bundled in the regional statistical co-operation programme MEDSTAT.

With a 20 million euro budget, the first phase of the MEDSTAT programme (MEDSTAT I) was carried out between 1996 and 2003. MEDSTAT II has been launched in 2006 for a period of three years and with a total budget of 30 million euro.

MEDSTAT aims at responding to the purpose of the Association Agreements between the EU and Mediterranean Partners – most notably in the area of free trade, sustainable development as well as social development. It contributes to the supply of useful statistical information, essential for following the progress of the Euro-Mediterranean co-operation.

Its objective is to harmonise the statistical methods in line with European and international norms and standards. Furthermore, it aims at improving the compatibility of data in the Partner countries as well as their comparability with statistical data from European Member States.

Moreover, MEDSTAT aims at enhancing the quality of services offered to the users by the National Statistical Institutes and their Partner organisations involved in the production of statistics. Delivering timely, reliable, relevant and high quality data is important for political decision-making and good governance.

From December 1996 until March 2003, MEDSTAT I covered several statistical sectors. A new project, MEDSTAT-Env II, particularily focused on the environment sector was carried out between 2003 and 2006.

Since January 2006 MEDSTAT II is committed to continue the efforts already undertaken by organising training courses and by providing the technical means to the information systems of the National Statistical Institutes and of the other institutions involved in the production of statistics in Mediterranean Partner countries.

Special attention is paid to the coherence of data, their harmonisation and dissemination in the following 9 statistical sectors: trade of goods and services, transport, migration, tourism, environment, national accounts, social statistics, energy and agriculture.

The programme currently includes ten Mediterranean Partner countries: Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey and Gaza Strip and West Bank.

For further information : info@medstat2.org , and see Statistics in Focus (15/2006).