About the CMFB - Relations with other bodies

The advisory function of the CMFB and its role in promoting co-ordination across institutions are recognised in the (EU) Council Regulation on Community Statistics (no.322/97) – commonly referred to as the "Statistical Law" – and the (EU) Council Regulation concerning ECB statistics (no.2533/98). The CMFB maintains a close relationship with:

• the Statistical Programme Committee (SPC, Heads of NSIs), which discusses the most important joint actions and programmes to be carried out to meet EU information requirements;
• the GNP Committee (Directors of National Accounts, assisting Eurostat in applying the GNP Directive);
• the Committee of the European System of Central Banks - the Statistics Committee (STC) - which advises on the design and compilation of statistical information collected by the ECB, with the assistance of the NCBs, and which prepares legislation in its field of competence for approval by the ECB Governing Council;
• and with the Economic and Financial Committee, which contributes to the work of the EU Council (ECOFIN), including on matters related to the Excessive Deficit Procedure and other major statistical issues.

The close contacts between the CMFB and the SPC are channelled through the Executive Body and the Partnership Group of the SPC. The ECB DGS and the CMFB Chairman are invited to attend the SPC meetings. Contacts with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Bank for International Settlements (BIS), and senior statisticians in the countries seeking membership of the EU, are promoted through participation in CMFB meetings. The CMFB advises on the updating of - and promotes adherence to - international and European statistical standards, in the interests of consistency and efficiency.