Data reporting & standards
ECB statistics supports the institution's monetary policy and supervisory functions, as well as othertasks of theEurosystem and the European System of Central Banks (ESCB).
The ESCB follows a policy of free access and free reuse for its publicly released statistics.
- Focus primarily on the euro area
To produce a meaningful euro area aggregate, all underlying national data have to be based on a common set of definitions and classifications so that they are sufficiently comparable.
- ECB as lawmaker
The legal basis for the development, collection, compilation and dissemination of statistics by the ECB is laid down in the Statute of the European System of Central Banks and of the European Central Bank. The ECB has adopted and published a number of legal acts addressing a wide range of statistics.
- Statistical and supervisory reporting
While ensuring its statistical requirements are met, the ECB seeks to minimise the burden that data reporting places on credit institutions and other reporting agents. It therefore uses existing statistics wherever possible.Banks’ data reporting.
- Co-operation and standards
The ECB works closely with the European Community institutions and with other international organisations.Statistics co-operation and standards.