Federal statisticsFedestat

The purpose of the organisation FEDESTAT is to encourage cooperation, planning and coordination of statistics at federal level between all bodies and services involved in federal statistics, in order to avoid discrepancies and to improve the quality of the federal statistical activities.

FEDESTAT is the umbrella organisation for the producers of federal statistics. It groups together the federal offices and agencies that are partially or totally under the Federal Statistics Act. The Director General of the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) chairs FEDESTAT, which meets at least once a year at its annual general meeting. Around forty Members belong to this body.

In order to shorten consultation procedures, to work more efficiently, to deal with current business and to prepare the annual general meeting, FEDESTAT has a Committee which usually meets three times a year. The Director of the FSO chairs the Committee meetings. The Committee includes representatives from federal departments and offices which are important producers of statistics.

FEDESTAT tasks:

• Exchange information on current statistical work, new activities, fundanmental changes or the elimination of existing activities
• Exchange information on dissemination policy and on international cooperation in the area of statistics
• Participate in the drafting and the revision of the multiannual statistical programme
• Contribute to standardisation of federal statistics
• Participate in the assessment of recommendations and guidelines developed by the FSO and which deal with transversal issues of federal statistics
• Contribute to the evaluation of transversal statistical projects
• Participate in the definition and in the evaluation of the statistical training programme offered by the FSO
• Prepare propositions regarding concepts, standardisation, regional breakdown of federal statistics. The proposals are then sent by the FSO to the Federal Statistics Committee.

FEDESTAT is not responsible for specific tasks related to thematic areas of official statistics. Its tasks are mainly of a conceptual, organisational or administrative nature.