17.6.98 Official Journal of the European Communities L171/33 COUNCIL DECISION of 5 June 1998 on the statistical data to be used for the determination of the key for subscription of the capital of the European Central Bank (98/382/EC) THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community and in particular Article 29.2 of the Protocol on the Statute of the European System of Central Banks and of the European Central Bank annexed thereto, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission ('), Having regard to the opinion of the European Parlia- ment (%), Having regard to the opinion of the European Monetary Institute (%), Acting in accordance with the procedure provided for in Atrticle 106(6) of the Treaty and in Article 42 of the said Protocol, (1) Whereas the European Central Bank (ECB) will be established as soon as its Executive Board is appointed; (2) Whereas the initial capital of the ECB, which shall become operational upon its establishment, is ECU 5000 million; (3) Whereas the national central banks will be the sole subscribers to, and holders of, the capital of the ECB; (4) Whereas the key for the subscription of the ECB’s capital will be determined when the ECB is estab- lished,; (5) Whereas the statistical data to be used for the estab- lishment of the key will be provided by the Commis- sion in accordance with the rules adopted by the Council; (6) Whereas the nature of, and sources for, the data to be used and the method of calculation of the weighting of national central banks in the key must be defined; (7) Whereas Council Directive 89/130/EEC, Euratom of 13 February 1989 on the harmonisation of the compi- lation of gross national product at market prices (*) introduces a procedure for the adoption by Member States of data on the gross domestic product at market prices; whereas Member States must take all the neces- (") OJ C 118, 17. 4. 1998, p. 13. () Opinion delivered on 28 May 1998 (not yet published in the Official Journal). () Opinion delivered on 6 April 1998 (not yet published in the Official Journal). (“) OJ L 49, 21. 2. 1989, p. 26. sary steps to ensure that these data are transmitted to the Commission, HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS: Article 1 The statistical data to be used for the determination of the key for subscription of the capital of the ECB shall be provided by the Commission in accordance with the rules laid down in the following Articles. Article 2 Population and gross domestic product at market prices, hereinafter referred to as ‘GDP mp’, shall be defined according to the European System of Integrated Economic Accounts (ESA) in the version which is used for the application of Directive 89/130/EEC, Euratom. GDP mp shall mean GDP mp as defined in Article 2 of that Directive. Article 3 The data on population shall be taken for the year 1996. The mean of the total population over the course of the year shall be used in accordance with the ESA recom- mendation. Article 4 The data on GDP mp shall be taken for each of the years 1991 to 1995. The data on GDP mp for each Member State shall be expressed in the national currency at current prices. Article 5 The data on population shall be collected by the Commission (Eurostat) from Member States. Article 6 The data on GDP mp for the years 1991 to 1995 shall result from the application of Directive 89/130/EEC, Euratom.