The Institute significantly contributes to the coordination and strengthening of the European Statistical System and the international statistical system through a wide range of activities and complex networking with the statistical institutes of other countries as well as with the executive bodies of the main European and international institutions.
Activities at EU level
Istat actively contributes to decision-making processes aimed at strengthening and developing the European Statistical System (ESS), the production and implementation of European legislation and to advance scientific-methodological development through its participation/involvement in research projects.
In particular, the Institute actively participates in Eurostat working groups both on cross-cutting and specific issues for the development, production and dissemination of European statistics.
The Institute is a member of the European Statistical System Committee (ESSC), the body responsible for providing guidance to the ESS for the production of European statistics in line with the principles set out in the European Statistics Code of Practice.
It actively participates in the legislative decision-making process for the adoption of European statistical regulations by representing Italy within the Working Party on Statistics of the Council of the EU. As such, it has recently contributed to the adoption of the first three framework regulations on social, business and agriculture statistics.
Istat monitors Italy’s compliance with the provisions laid down in the European statistical legislation.
Furthermore, it complies with Law 234/2012 by undertaking the required formalities through the contribution to the Programmatic and Final Report on the Italian participation in the EU that the Government submits to the Italian Parliament yearly.
Istat monitors the implementation of the European Statistics Code of Practice, as revised by the ESSC in November 2017, whereby, inter alia, principle 1-bis on coordination and cooperation was added.
In accordance with the European Statistical Law (Regulation (EC) 223/2009), Italy is also committed, through its Commitment on Confidence (Art. 4 DPR 31/01/2018), to the adoption of the necessary measures to ensure public confidence in European statistics.
Istat coordinates the activities at national level for the development, production and dissemination of European statistics as defined in the European statistical program.
Istat has an active part in research and innovation projects receiving funds from the EU Framework Programmes and other funding schemes of the European multiannual financial framework. To this respect, the Institute is currently involved as partner in the GROWINPRO project, within the previous Horizon 2020 Framework Programme. Under the same programme, although referring to projects already closed, it is worth mentioning UrbanWins, where Istat acted as partner and Makswell, where it played the important role of consortium coordinator. Regarding other European funding programmes, Istat participates in the INTERSTAT project – Open Statistical Data Interoperability Framework – funded by the European Connecting Europe Facility programme. Moreover, the Institute is also engaged in numerous ESSnet projects, funded directly by Eurostat.
In terms of future perspectives related to research financed by European programmes and funds for the seven-year period 2021-2027, the Institute collaborates with various research organisations and other statistical offices as well as universities for the submission of project proposals aimed at enriching the offer and improving the quality of statistical information.
Activities outside the EU
Istat significantly contributes to strengthening its partnership with international bodies, by collaborating on decisive choices for the development and harmonization of official statistics.
Istat contributes to the consolidation of statistical governance within the United Nations, by participating in the work of the Statistical Commission its specialized agencies and many of its related working groups; it is a member of the UNECE Conference of European Statisticians and of the ECLAC (Economic Commission for Latina America and the Caribbean) Board.
Furthermore, it works together with many other international organizations, such as the IMF, the World Bank and the OECD (specifically, it is a member of the Committee on Statistics and Statistical Policy).
The Institute also participates in the work of other high-level institutional groups focusing on the harmonization of definitions, concepts, classifications and codifications, methodologies and standards for the production and implementation of international statistics.
As a member of the High-level Group for Partnership, Coordination and Capacity-Building for Statistics for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Institute is directly involved in the promotion and implementation of initiatives concerning partnership and international cooperation, in particular for the definition of the strategies necessary for the implementation of the sustainable development objectives (SDGs) foreseen in the Agenda 2030 and in the Cape Town Global Action Plan.