ZAGREB, April 10 (Hina) - A mission of the European Union Office for Statistics (EUROSTAT) is on a two-day visit to the State Institute for Statistics (DSZ). The purpose of the visit is to renew the cooperation that was severed in
1995 and the main condition for that is to closely inspect the current state of statistical research in the DSZ, DSZ director Ivan Rusan said in Zagreb on Monday. International cooperation and Croatia's participation in the Phare programme were stopped in 1995 by a political decision of the EU. Despite that, Rusan said, the DSZ continued working toward the development and improvement of the statistical system on the national level, which is compatible with the UN and EU systems. In order to achieve this, the DSZ had to introduce international statistical norms, classification, and methodology, Rusan said. During the visit to the DSZ, the EUROSTAT missio
ZAGREB, April 10 (Hina) - A mission of the European Union Office for
Statistics (EUROSTAT) is on a two-day visit to the State Institute
for Statistics (DSZ). The purpose of the visit is to renew the
cooperation that was severed in 1995 and the main condition for that
is to closely inspect the current state of statistical research in
the DSZ, DSZ director Ivan Rusan said in Zagreb on Monday.
International cooperation and Croatia's participation in the Phare
programme were stopped in 1995 by a political decision of the EU.
Despite that, Rusan said, the DSZ continued working toward the
development and improvement of the statistical system on the
national level, which is compatible with the UN and EU systems.
In order to achieve this, the DSZ had to introduce international
statistical norms, classification, and methodology, Rusan said.
During the visit to the DSZ, the EUROSTAT mission should establish
the current level of comparability of statistical data, as well as
the needs, dynamics, and priorities in drawing closer to European
statistical norms and standards. The result of the visit will be a
statistical chapter on a feasibility study for opening talks on the
signing of a stabilisation and association agreement with the EU.
According to Rusan, the EUROSTAT mission will present its chief
activities and programmes of cooperation with countries which are
open to cooperation with countries in the western Balkans and ways
for the DSZ to join those programmes and activities. The EUROSTAT
delegation will also present a document on the reform of official
statistics in south-east countries, its main plan, and strategic
orientation for 2000-2006. As this is a working document, the DSZ
will finish it and set its priorities within it. The document will
be the basis of future cooperation between the western Balkans and
the EU.
According to Rusan, meetings between the EUROSTAT and the DSZ will
continue and the DSZ will also organise meetings between
representatives of the EUROSTAT and the Croatian Finance Ministry,
Croatian National Bank, customs authorities, etc.
(hina) rml