Unitary demographic statistics for the member states of the EU

Apparently, the document had a technical character. The European Union has to be able to keep the evidence of its population based on some precise and unitary international criteria and norms, as the UN does. However, the adoption of the document in the initial form proposed by the European Commission could have had severe political consequences.

According to analysts, considering that the Treaty of Lisbon from November 2014 extends qualified majority voting, the new statistical methodology could have caused a political, social and economic rupture between member states with net immigration or emigration, with grave consequences. The motive of the concern is that EU citizens make use of their right to work in other member states and that, especially due to the economic crisis, millions of persons are working outside their country of origin. Based on the new statistical system, the statistical accounting of these people increases the weight of the receiving country. Consequently, many considered that on the long term this could undermine even the values the EU is based on, creating two categories of countries, one of rich and one of poor countries, weakening the principle of European solidarity and equity.

The MEP noted with satisfaction that based on his proposal two new points were introduced in the document, according to which member states may develop feasibility studies financed by the European Union. Finally, based on a revision clause, the document guarantees member states that the approved statistical model will not put them in a disadvantageous situation: The European Commission will have to carry out evaluations of the new methodology every five years and will have to present its conclusions to the EP for approval.