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Council of the European Union – Working Party on Statistics (CWPS)

Council of the European Union – Working Party on Statistics (CWPS)

The Council of the European Union is the EU’s main decision-making body, representing the interests of the Member States. It is composed of ministers who meet in ten thematic configurations. In the field of statistics, the leading role is played by the Council Working Party on Statistics (CWPS), which operates as a preparatory body for the General Affairs Council.

Statistics Poland actively participates in the work of the CWPS. Our experts take part in meetings of the group and in written consultations on EU legislative proposals — regulations, directives, recommendations, as well as delegated and implementing acts. During these discussions they present Poland’s position, agreed through interministerial consultation.

Statistics Poland also prepares input for instructions for Poland’s representatives attending other Council working parties and committees, including:

  • Economic and Financial Committee and its Sub-Committee on Statistics (EFC / EFC SCS)
  • Economic Policy Committee (EPC / EPC LIME)
  • Indicators Sub-Group of the Social Protection Committee (ISG SPC)
  • Working Party on Competitiveness and Growth (COMPCO)
  • Working Party on Telecommunications and Information Society (TELECOM)

The Presidency of the Council of the EU rotates every six months. In the first half of 2025, Poland held the Presidency, simultaneously chairing the CWPS. One of its most significant achievements was securing an agreement on the draft regulation on European statistics on population and housing (ESOP).

The ESOP regulation responds to the need for coherent, modern and comparable demographic and housing data across the EU. Its significance goes beyond technical aspects — the act reflects key trends in the development of official statistics:

  • strengthening the role of national statistical institutes as coordinators of population and housing data systems
  • promoting the integration of administrative and register data with traditional statistical sources, increasing efficiency and reducing respondent burden
  • supporting the modernisation of census processes, allowing methods to be better tailored to Member States’ specificities and evolving information needs

The final compromise on the regulation was reached in May 2025 under Poland’s chairmanship. The new framework will apply from 1 January 2028, opening a new chapter in the collection and analysis of Europe’s demographic data.

Poland’s Presidency also strongly supported the implementation of the amendment to Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 on European statistics — the legal act governing the functioning of the European Statistical System (ESS). As part of this work, a high-level meeting was held on the use of privately held data (PHD) in official statistics.

Regulation No 223/2009 provides the legal foundation for the ESS. Its amendment, adopted in November 2024, responds to the changing data landscape and the need for closer cooperation between the public and private sectors in data collection. Under the case law of the Court of Justice of the EU, the regulation takes precedence over the national statistics act (EU regulations override national law).

The amendments reflect major trends in the evolution of official statistics:

  • enabling access to data from private holders (PHD), such as mobile network operators or digital service providers;
  • strengthening the role of national statistical institutes as coordinators of national data systems;
  • emphasising data ethics and public trust in official statistics, ensuring transparency and the use of data exclusively for statistical purposes;
  • supporting methodological modernisation and innovation in response to the challenges of a rapidly changing world.

These changes make European statistics more flexible and resilient to crises and sudden events, while ensuring that decision-makers have access to the information they need.

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