Quality

The European Statistical System (ESS) encompasses Eurostat and the national statistical authorities of all the Member States of the Union and countries of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA).

The joint mission of the ESS is to provide high-quality independent statistical information at European, national and regional level, and to make this information available to all, for decision-making, research and debate.

European Statistics Code of Practice (ESCoP). This sets the standard for developing, producing and disseminating European statistics. It is based on sixteen principles grouped into three areas: Institutional Environment, Statistical Processes and Statistical Production.

ESCoP is one of the pillars of the Common Quality Framework for European Statistics, together with:

- Quality Assurance Framework. Provides guidance, examples, methods and tools for implementing the Code of Practice.

- The general principles of quality management, such as on-going interaction with users, leadership commitment, cooperation agreements, staff satisfaction, continuous improvement, integration and harmonization.

Within the legal framework, Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council is the main regulatory instrument for the production of European statistics.

Trust commitment

The INE is formally committed to the implementation of the European Statistics Code of Practice in all its statistical production. This commitment is reflected in Article 7 of Royal Decree 1225/2024 of 3 December, which approves the National Statistical Plan 2025-2028.