22.12.2005 Official Journal of the European Union L 3371 | (Acts whose publication is obligatory) COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 2103/2005 of 12 December 2005 amending Regulation (EC) No 3605/93 as regards the quality of statistical data in the context of the excessive deficit procedure THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular the third subparagraph of Article 104(14) thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament (1), Having regard to the opinion of the European Central Bank (3), Whereas: Statistical data to be used for the application of the Protocol on the excessive deficit procedure annexed to the Treaty establishing the European Community must be provided by the Commission. The Commission does not directly compile these data but relies on data compiled and reported by the national authorities pursuant to Article 3 of that Protocol. The role of the Commission, as statistical authority, in that context is specifically exercised by Eurostat, on behalf of the Commission. As the Commission department responsible for carrying out the tasks devolving on the Commission as regards the production of Community statistics, Eurostat is required to execute its tasks in accordance with the principles of impartiality, (*) Opinion delivered on 23 June 2005 (not yet published in the Official Journal). () 0] C 116, 18.5.2005, p. 11. G) reliability, relevance, cost-effectiveness, statistical confi- dentiality and transparency, as laid down in Commission Decision 97/281/EC of 21 April 1997 on the role of Eurostat as regards the production of Community statistics (}). The implementation by the national and Community statistical authorities of the Recommen- dation of the Commission of 25 May 2005 on the inde- pendence, integrity and accountability of the national and Community statistical authorities should enhance the principle of professional independence, adequacy of resources and quality of statistical data. Council Regulation (EC) No 3605/93 of 22 November 1993 on the application of the Protocol on the excessive deficit procedure annexed to the Treaty establishing the European Community (*) contains the relevant definitions for the purpose of the excessive deficit procedure and lays down a timetable for the reporting to the Commission of annual government deficit and debt and of other annual government data. In its current wording, the Regulation does not contain provisions concerning the assessment of the quality of the data reported by Member States or to the provision of data by the Commission. Following a proposal by the Commission, the Council (ECOFIN) adopted on 18 February 2003 a Code of Best Practice on the compilation and reporting of data in the context of the excessive deficit procedure, in an attempt to clarify and streamline procedures, at both Member States and Commission levels, when compiling and reporting the European System of Accounts 1995 (ESA 95) (%), government accounts, and in particular data for government deficit and debt, in the context of the excessive deficit procedure. () O] L 112, 29.4.1997, p. 56. ( O] L 332, 31.12.1993, p. 7. Regulation as last amended by Commission Regulation (EC) No 351/2002 (O] L 55, 26.2.2002, p. 23). (°) Council Regulation (EC) No 222396 of 25 June 1996 on the European system of national and regional accounts in the Community (O] L 310, 30.11.1996, p. 1). Regulation as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 1267/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council (O] L 180, 18.7.2003, p. 1).