L 39/12 Official Journal of the European Union 9.2.2013 REGULATION (EU) No 99/2013 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 15 January 2013 on the European statistical programme 2013-17 (Text with relevance for the EEA and for Switzerland) THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 338(1) thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission, After transmission of the draft legislative act to the national parliaments, Acting in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure (1), Whereas: Solid empirical data and statistics are absolutely essential in order to measure the progress and evaluate the effi- ciency of the Union’s policies and programmes, especially in the context of the Europe 2020 Strategy set out in the Commission Communication of 3 March 2010 entitled ‘Europe 2020: A strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth’ (Europe 2020). Pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 March 2009 on European statistics (%), a multiannual European statistical programme (the ‘multiannual programme) should be established, providing a framework for funding Union actions. In accordance with Regulation (EC) No 2232009, the multiannual programme should provide the framework for the development, production and dissemination of European statistics, the main fields and the objectives of the actions envisaged for a period not exceeding five years. It should lay down priorities concerning the needs for information for the purpose of carrying out the activities of the Union. Those needs should be weighed against the resources needed at Union and national level to provide the required statistics, and also against the response burden and the respondents’ associated costs, paying particular attention to cost-effectiveness. (1) Position of the European Parliament of 12 December 2012 (not yet published in the Official Journal) and decision of the Council of 20 December 2012. () OJ L 87, 31.3.2009, p. 164. S The development, production and dissemination of European statistics within the legislative framework of the multiannual programme should be achieved through close and coordinated cooperation within the European Statistical System (ESS) between the Union stat- istical authority, which is the Commission (Eurostat), and the national statistical institutes and other national auth- orities as designated by the Member States (}) (collec- tively, ‘national statistical authorities’). Professional inde- pendence of the national statistical institutes and the Commission  (Eurostat) is essential for providing credible and high-quality statistical data. Closer cooperation between the Commission (Eurostat) and the national statistical institutes is absolutely essential, in order to enhance the quality of European statistics. Such closer cooperation should focus mainly on the provision of further methodological training on statistics and related matters, on the development and dissemination of existing good practices within the ESS, and on the exchange of staff between the Member States and the Commission (Eurostat) in both directions. The implementation of the multiannual programme is an opportunity to produce harmonised European statistics in order to contribute to the development, production and dissemination of common, comparable and reliable statistical information at Union level. High-quality  statistics  developed, produced and disseminated under the multiannual programme are essential for evidence-based decision-making, should be available in a timely manner and should contribute to the implementation of Union policies as reflected in the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) and Europe 2020 and other policies addressed in the Commission’s strategic priorities for 2010-14, namely  strengthened and  integrated  economic governance, climate change, reformed agricultural policy, growth and social cohesion, gender equality, a people’s Europe and globalisation. They should be fostered through actions which are financed under the multiannual programme where the Union can bring a clear added value, and which aim at ensuring that economic, social and environmental indicators are all treated on an equal footing. (}) Without prejudice to Article 5 of Protocol No 4 on the Statute of the European System of Central Banks and of the European Central Bank.