The Commission and Eurostat have not yet achieved the full implementation of the European statistics code of practice, European court auditor Louis Galea said this morning during a news conference in Brussels.

He was presenting present the main findings and recommendations of the audit report 'Did the Commission and Eurostat improve the process for producing reliable and credible European statistics?'

The code sets demanding standards but lacks strong verification and enforcement tools to ensure adherence to standards.

"The Commission, Eurostat and member states share a common responsibility for maintaining public trust and confidence in European statistics," Dr Galea said.

"The commission's recent initiatives to give new momentum to achieving full compliance with the code go in the right direction, but are not sufficient to address all concerns. Ambiguity on which elements of the code are legally binding persists, making verification and enforcement more difficult," he said.

On the European statistical programme 2008 to 2012, the audit found that Eurostat had not designed it the programme an effective planning, monitoring and accountability tool.

Reprioritisation of statistical activities towards new challenges was behind schedule and although Eurostat's grant management improved, weaknesses in procurement persisted.

The court recommended the:

* strengthening the system of European statistics to ensure professional independence, sufficient resources, effective supervision, with sanctions and swift improvement measures for cases where quality standards are not respected;

* achieving the full implementation of the European Statistics Code of Practice by amending the regulatory framework and ensuring legal certainty about the nature of the obligation to adhere to the Code;

* enhancing the professional independence of the Chief Statistician of the European Union by appointing her/him for a fixed-term mandate after having received a favourable opinion from European Statistical Governance Advisory Board and an endorsement by the European Parliament and the Council;

* ensuring a systematic review of statistical priorities and encouraging statistical innovation;

* simplifying Eurostat's grant management and enhancing competition in procurement procedures.