Director General of Eurostat is visiting Estonia

At the meeting Walter Radermacher and Priit Potisepp, Director General of Statistics Estonia, will focus on the new trends and challenges of the European statistical system. They also intend to talk about preparations for the Population and Housing Census that will be carried out in Estonia in 2011, about the Official Statistics Act that is currently being amended and about the financing of official statistics. “The European statistical system is undergoing a critical period now,” noted Priit Potisepp. “Because of the present economic situation there is continuously less money in the statistical system, but the availability, consistency and international comparability of statistics must be ensured in the Member States,” he explained. “The greatest challenge that Statistics Estonia as well as the statistical offices elsewhere in Europe will face in the near future is definitely organisation of the Population and Housing Census. The Census is one of the most important components for obtaining demographic data and for ensuring the consistency and comparability thereof,” Potisepp added.

Director General of Eurostat will also meet Jürgen Ligi, Minister of Finance, in the framework of his visit. After leaving Estonia, Walter Radermacher will visit the Central Statistical Bureau of Latvia.

Walter Radermacher has been Director General of Eurostat since 2008. Before that he was President of the Federal Statistical Office of Germany.